In the Dominican Republic, most beliefs originate from Europe and Africa. But what are the fundamental Taino cultural beliefs, particularly those of Hispaniola? And how are these beliefs reflected today? For instance, my mother’s family practices would be viewed as white and green witchcraft within contemporary European traditions.

For many years, I found the European common belief system confusing as I tried to find my own path. This was especially true after I rejected the Catholic religion that my family followed. I made this decision around age 7, following my grandmother’s death. I questioned, how could an all-powerful god take her from me? Even now, I identify as “Agnostic.”

Over the years, as I navigated my spiritual journey, nothing ever felt completely right. I moved from Christian-adjacent Wicca to exploring Nordic paganism, Celtic paganism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. I’ve tried numerous popular belief systems, but I always sensed something was missing. Nowadays, I explain my beliefs as an amalgamation of various traditions, forming my own integrated system.

Throughout this journey, I maintained a distance from certain belief systems, largely due to the engram doctrine rooted in the Catholic/Christian demonization of these beliefs. Many of these “demonized” beliefs originate from native and African spiritual systems. This includes the intimate practices of various tribes, as well as the commercialization and appropriation of these traditions. Two clear examples are Dream Catchers and the “Mohawk.”

Dream catchers and Mohawks are two symbols associated with indigenous cultures, but they have been so commercialized and misappropriated that many people no longer recognize their origins. For instance, the term “Mohawk” is often used to describe a European punk hairstyle, even though it originally refers to an indigenous tribe, and the hairstyle actually belongs to a different tribe.

Because colonization separated and demonized indigenous practices, we have also been taught to see good and evil in binary terms. Many native cultures traditionally regarded snakes positively until European influence. Likewise, other European beliefs outside Christianity, such as Nordic paganism, are frequently portrayed as evil.

Which leaves the question,

How were indigenous beliefs able to persist despite demonization, genocide, and indoctrination?

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