manifesto for “african & indigenous spirituality: the obscured foundations of wellness”
Ancestral Honoring
This exploration of life, wellness, and spiritual tradition can be understood as a continuation of the divine calling of Black women writers who have inspired my practice of creating love; a continuation of the works of Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Walker, Octavia Butler, bell hooks, and many many more. In particular, I call on the power of Tell My Horse by Zora Neale Hurston in which she explores “Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica.” At the time of its release, her work was reviewed and disregarded as “anthropological gossip,” but in its own rite, this was a revolutionary display of the spiritual life within the Caribbean’s strongest cultural hubs. Through short stories, historical accounts, and reflections, Hurston boldly explores the folklore, stories, and histories behind traditions that were ignorantly disrespected by the Western world. So, I begin this synopsis by honoring my work as merely a continuation of Hurston’s explorations.
Hurston aptly reflects, “Gods always behave like the people who make them.” In honor of this, I explore the ways that we (African and Indigenous people) can honor the Gods that were made by our ancestors, the Gods that once protected the Earth, the Gods that provide healthy practices for self, community, and environment. In Tell My Horse, Hurston continues by observing, “Perhaps it is natural for the god of the poor to be akin to the god of the dead, for there is something about poverty that smells of death.” I am keen on understanding what it looks like for our god to be akin to the god of the living. What it means for us to worship life itself, rather than glorifying death. In part, this requires a belief held unanimously by African and Indigenous cultures, the fact that “It all stems from the firm belief in survival after death. Or rather that there is no death. Activities are merely changed from one condition to the other” (Hurston).
There are stories, traditions, and practices that were once widely accepted by my foremothers, forefathers, and ancestors that I deeply desire to understand. There are many artists and writers who have uncovered these truths in their own way and I hope to do the same. In the words of Zora, herself, ““I fail to see where it would have been more uplifting for [us] to have been inside a church listening to a man urging [us] to ‘contemplate the sufferings of our Lord,’ which is just another way of punishing one’s self for nothing.” And instead, I am embarking on the “better” journey. As Zora describes, “It is very much better for [us] to climb the rocks in [our] bare clean feet and meet Him face to face in [our] search for the eternal in beauty.”
Background
As I climb the rocks with my bare clean feet in “search for the eternal in beauty,” I aim to document my learning about African and Indigenous spiritual arts. By exploring the histories, stories, and teachings of African and Indigenous spirituality, I hope to uncover the ways in which these practices have served as a form of healing, protection, and resistance across the diaspora.
The spiritual practices of indigenous peoples have long been demonized by white, Eurocentric standards; however, the West has increasingly incorporated indigenous ideologies into the mainstream commodification of wellness. So, at this moment in time, it is important for indigenous people to claim and valorize our ancestral practices. In building ritual technologies, it is important to identify the best practices that are emerging in our modern context while also acknowledging the historical practices that allowed for knowledge to exist for us today.
Ultimately, I hope to understand the spiritualities that served as the foundation of my ancestors’ cultures and traditions. African Indigenous spiritual arts (or spiritual traditions) are ancestral practices that have been preserved within the diaspora. Specifically, I define spiritual traditions as the living art of noticing divinity. The observation of the divine in our lives, experiences, relationships, and communities is intrinsically tied to the continuation and creation of ritual technologies and spiritual practice.
My Intention
I intend to solidify my own spiritual practice through meditation, writing, movement, and continual reflection of self and community
I intend to collect the “superstitions,” stories, legends, myths, and old wives’ tales that circulate within the African and Indigenous diaspora, so that I can create art, reflections, and writings that are impactful and thought-provoking for people of the diaspora—young and old
I intend to re-invigorate the truths and teachings of (African) indigenous traditions, so that they are heard, respected, honored and intentionally enacted within our daily practices of worship and wellness.
Areas of Interest
My work is particularly focused on utilizing “folk” stories to create healthy narratives for Black, African, and Indigenous youth. Folk stories have long provided wisdom about taking care of oneself, environment, and community, which is valuable information that needs to be re-surfaced within our current world.
Uncovering the “superstitions” within everyday life requires much nuisance. For this reason, I began my studies in a cultural place that openly accepts and supports the integration of indigenous practice into their broader religious tradition. Balinese culture is full of familial practices that craft and shape their version of Hinduism. In Bali, I have been greeted by streets, corners, and doors filled with offerings. As my journey continues, I enter communities and spaces that are less accepting of their ancestors’ traditions; yet, these superstitions have been passed along in subconscious and subliminal ways. For example, an itchy palm symbolizing wealth or dreaming of fish as a sign of pregnancy. There are superstitions that people live by and they often come along with powerful storytelling tools that keep them alive within the diaspora. I envision myself as a collector of stories, a connoisseur of spiritual storytelling at large. In summary, I am exploring the histories and folk stories with a particular interest in:
Oral Histories (historical accounts, folklore, myths, superstitions)
Written Stories (fiction, non-fiction, folklore, etc.)
Art (visual, musical, movement, cooking)
Research Settings
Communities
Bali
Thailand
Guinea-Bissau
Ghana
Trinidad & Tobago
Jamaica
Costa Rica
Settings
Healing Sessions
Herbal Shops
Archives, Museums, & Libraries
Cultural Events
Religious Sites
Conversations with People from the Culture
Guiding Questions
What happens when we listen to the stories that have long supported African and Indigenous people and cultures?
What happens when we believe in stories that honor earth?
What happens when we pass along stories that center love / spirituality?
How have the eternal truths of our ancestral practice been preserved within our modern cultures?
How can we create intentional honoring and respect for the practices of our ancestors?
