Spirituality and healing to the Garifuna cannot be separated, and are therefore treated as one in the same. The ceremonial healing practices of our people have always been wholesome and nature based. We believe all illness is caused by a blocked connection between us and the wisdom of the Ancestors. Any type of suffering can mean that something between the realm of man and the realm of spirit requires attention and needs adjustment. In our spiritual tradition, we seek to remedy the situation by creating a sacred space (Dabuyaba) and offering ceremony (Dugu): A ceremony that is really more like a family reunion in which the Ancestors are included and expected to attend...........and they do.
The role of the healer in Garifuna tradition is to perform the rituals necessary to reopen and unblock communication between the two realms. This is why our indigenous healings are conducted in the context of ceremonies, where the Ancestral spirits are consulted with for help, along with the assistance of animal spirits, plant spirits, smoke, earth, stones, and sacred fire.
These photographs were taken by Andrew Bunker during the consecration of the land ceremony for the new Barranco Dabuyaba, which was destroyed by arson fire in April 2015.
See the different ways you can help us rebuild our Ancestral Temple in Barranco:
