In Memoriam: Michael John Sutherland
On August 26, 2007 the industrial hemp community lost one of our seminal members—Michael John Sutherland (). Only rarely have we published a memorial in the Journal of Industrial Hemp, as our relatively young peer group has suffered little such grief.
FIGURE 1. On August 26, 2007 the industrial hemp community lost one of our seminal members—Michael John Sutherland.
“Bike Mike,” as he was known to many of his friends, was an inspired visionary who set his sights on raising hemp consciousness to levels where it would truly benefit humanity and the earth's environment. One of a handful in the hemp business who had experienced all facets of hemp production—from sowing seeds to sewing clothing—Mike possessed an intimate understanding of how hemp could once again play an important role on the world stage. Much of Mike's hands-on experience was gained in China by visiting diverse ethnic minority hemp cultures—who welcomed him in their traditional communities—and respected the tall, bearded redhead for his insatiable curiosity.
Mike loved hemp, and Yunnan Province provided a perfect venue to expand his hempen horizons. Having arrived on his mountain bike in the early 1990s—after peddling through India, across Tibet, and into southwestern China—Mike became the first foreigner in decades to reside in Kunming. One of his early community-minded projects was Big Wheel Fun, a sports club promoting the safe enjoyment of off-road cycling. His efforts led to Kunming becoming the mountain bike center of China. Mike's original interest in industrial hemp was sparked by his grandfather, Charles H. Carpenter, who was a paper engineer and author of The History of Mechanical Pulping. Carpenter was an advocate of using nonwood pulp sources including hemp, kenaf, and baggase. Mike set up a hemp mercantile company in the early 1990s exporting hemp seed, cordage, and cloth, organizing garment production for major companies, and promoting his own designs of clothing and accessories, most recently under the brand name of Peoples Hemp. Mike's frustrations from dealing with bureaucracies were balanced by his boundless faith in China's ability to weave fine quality hemp textiles, and the potential to enlighten the world's view of Cannabis products. A regular vendor at hemp festivals, and delegate at hemp industry conventions, Mike was well known in the western hemp community. Most recently, he was elected by his industry peers to the Board of Directors of the Hemp Industries Association based in the United States. In this position he strove to reform the all too common associations of Cannabis with illicit drugs and poverty; and to promote hemp as an ecologically sound, cottage industry alternative to petrochemical-dependent cotton. Nobody was more dedicated to hemp, nor earned their hempen credentials more honestly than Mike.
Mike was all about learning what the traditional Chinese could do with hemp. In his free time, he extensively explored Yunnan and neighboring regions on the trail of traditional hempen cultures. His primary path was following the “Hempen Tao,” which had always presented a myriad of fascinating side roads along the way and provided copious quantities of cultural experiences. Anyone who shared the pleasures of a hempen field trip with Mike will never forget it. This is how I knew Mike best, and this is how we enjoyed our times together, exploring the pleasures of Mama Ma's gardens. One of my favorite recollections is of a several week road trip in two “breadbox” very mini-vans with Crucial Denny to an extremely remote location in northwestern Yunnan—our very own hempen Shangri-La. Having planned this expedition for weeks, our timing was perfect. Pausing in each highland valley as we traversed the mile-high-plus landscape, we purchased various species of wild “edible” mushrooms—having sprung forth for their annual fruiting moments encouraged by the warm evening rain and daily sunshine—and ate them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
By the crack of dawn we reached the pass at the head of “Hemp Valley,” shared our morning ritual, and dropped into the sinuous valley stretching before us. Amidst verdant highland pastures strewn with the bleached gray carcasses of former forest giants, we tumbled along the crystal clear stream through isolated villages with their lush green, terraced gardens of ripe hemp, beckoning to us in the bright alpine light. The remaining hemp cultures of Yunnan commonly use hemp as a source of rough cordage and edible seed, only rarely for spinning yarn and weaving cloth, and almost never for recreational smoking. On this day, at each home we visited we heard the familiar refrain, “We used to weave and wear hemp here, but now we only twist rope and braid straps for carrying firewood.” By dusk we reached a tiny frontier village where we scored a kilogram of matsutake mushrooms from the local Tibetan merchants—had them stir-fried to savory perfection with a bit of garlic—and retired early to our bunks at the local government guesthouse for an extended night of inebriated giggling. A fitting close to a perfect day!
Mike and I had been in regular e-mail contact as I prepared the Collections Corner article for this issue of the Journal of Industrial Hemp—rejoicing in our mutual interest in traditional hemp craft and sharing deep respect for the multigenerational legacy of Sani hemp weavers. After a week of silence, the tragic news of Mike's death reached me. On that fateful Sunday, Mike and Li Limei, his loving Chinese girlfriend of several years, accompanied a group of five Chinese and foreign white-water adventure enthusiasts for a day-trip down the Nanpanjiang River, through the Sani people's homeland near the famous Stone Forest UNESCO World Heritage site east of Kunming. Soon after launching, they realized that the rain-swollen river was much higher and rougher than expected. Before the group could find a safe place to land, one participant, Guo Zheng, who was paddling alone in his kayak was pulled into a powerful rapid. Guo flipped his kayak and was unable to right himself. The raft with Mike, Li Limei, and four others followed in an effort to rescue him but instead capsized themselves, tossing all six overboard. Mike, Li Limei, and Guo Zheng were swept into the raging river. After an exhaustive 5-day search, their bodies were recovered far downstream. The survivors last observed Mike caught in the strong current as he swam after Li Limei. Death “suits” no one. Yet, for Mike to pass on while pushing himself beyond his limits in an impassioned effort to save his beloved Li Limei, is certainly in keeping with both his gusto for life's thrills and his deep commitment to others.
Mike is survived by his parents and four brothers. Condolences may be sent to the family in care of James Sutherland, 719 West Mission Street, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101 USA.
We miss you Mike, in more ways than you ever would have imagined. It is my fervent hope that “Four Generations of Sani Hemp Satchels” will stand as a partial legacy to your fascination with Cannabis; and especially your intuitive understanding of, and deep appreciation for, traditional hempen cultures.