Vodou in Haiti

When watching the segment of Black in Latin America this week, I was struck by the impact foreign countries had on the country of Haiti. Not only were their traditions and beliefs suppressed, but missionaries repeatedly came to the island to convert the Haitians back to the Christian religion previously forced on them. The film also highlighted the religion of Vodou, a religion created by African slaved who were brought to Haiti in the 16th century.
Vodou is a mix of Roman Catholicism and Arawakian religious beliefs. It was created because the Haitians still wanted to follow their own traditional African beliefs, but were forced to convert to the religion of their slavers. They merged the beliefs of their controllers with their original beliefs and practices of West Africa. The religion of Vodou highlights love and support within the family of the Vodou society, as well as generosity in giving to the community and the less fortunate.
Vodou, or some also know it as Voodoo, has negative connotations in our society because we think of human sacrifice and witchcraft. Even many Haitians regard Vodou as evil because of previous missionary influence and abusive practitioners. The combination of different beliefs is what makes Vodou unique and special to the country of Haiti. It allows the supporters to encompass the African, the Indian, and the European ancestors in a whole new and complete way.
Today, Vodou (or Voodoo) still exists. The recent earthquake in Haiti also led to a renewed sense of national identity and nationalism, especially when remembering their strong ties to the first black republic of the world .