Sacred Spaces and Spiritual Practices

Indigenous spiritual practices, while often syncretized with other traditions, maintain distinct characteristics. Sacred sites dot the landscape, from petroglyphs in Trois-Rivières, Guadeloupe, to ceremonial spaces in the Kalinago Territory.

"Spirituality for us isn't separate from daily life," explains Margaret Fontaine, a Kalinago spiritual practitioner. "When we fish, plant, or gather medicines, we're engaging with the spiritual world. This understanding influenced how other Caribbean peoples developed their own spiritual practices."

Many French Caribbean spiritual traditions show Indigenous influence: - Respect for natural springs and rivers as sacred spaces - Use of tobacco in cleansing ceremonies - Beliefs about spirits inhabiting specific trees or locations - Lunar planting calendars