Learning Their Names: Genealogical Research with Oya Amakisi, Part 1

Genealogical research is not connected to any spiritual practice that I know of.  Although it can be a Spirit-filled work.  You don't have to be interested in West African spiritual practice in order to learn from this episode!  ON THIS EPISODE How we may inherit different DNA than our siblings Usefulness of migration maps How to get beyond the 1870 census Understanding cultural practices for naming Generation - Be careful it is your great uncle, not his son The land now called Nigeria was once considered the empire of Benin  Earlier this month on Instagram and Facebook, I sent a message to a friend whose mother passed. I mentioned Dia de Los Muertos as a way to offer comfort to her. The post said: "your mother left the world but not you." The Day of the Dead originated with the Aztec culture, and is now a Mexican tradition. Each year at the beginning of November, the living celebrate loved ones who have passed on. This day is becoming more mainstream with local municipalities sponsoring public events. It is a tradition of the Americas that predates US culture. Africans also have traditions to honor those who have passed into another realm of existence. While I am not initiated into Ifa, the Yoruba spiritual practice that honors ancestors, I have done some research. I am really interested in the role it is playing in the ascension of people on this planet right now. It is a spiritual presence among many African Americans, and therefore it is part of our collective culture. My guest on this episode and the next episode which is a continuation, is Oya Amakisi. BIO OF OYA AMAKISI As an intuitive creative thinker, Pan Afrikan Nationalist, activist, and passionate defender of human rights; Oya Amakisi’s work has spanned diverse platforms ranging from reparations, food/environmental justice, uplifting girl’s and women’s rights, youth development, advocating for political prisoners/prisoners of war to challenging police/extrajudicial murder.  She has used art and activism as a tool to heal, educate and empower by collaboratively working with the community to find solutions on a local, national, and international level for over thirty years.  Amakisi is the founder and Executive Director of the Detroit Women of Color International Film Festival. Oya and I are both working under a grant with the Wisdom Institute called Passing the Torch Preserving the Flame. Which speaks to our shared commitment to remember our ancestors and be of service in the community. She has been collecting data on her family since she was 13 years old!