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In Ian Strachan's "The Power of the Dead: African Beliefs and Rituals in the Bahamas" he declares that Christianity is the primary and most endorsed religion of the state and emphasizes that The Bahamas is a Christian nation. However, he argues that "something else has shaped the Bahamian religious experience, vision of life and death, and how the phases of life should be celebrated, mourned, marked and masked". He illustrates this by using the example of Christmas and New Year's , which are two of the most religious days of the Protestant year-- he goes on to describe how "thousands of Bahamians gather to beat African drums, mask themselves and dance in an event which has nothing to do with Christ: Junkanoo". Consequently, the author asserts that we are more content and easily accepting of our European antecedents of Bahamian cultural practice rather than the African. Despite adopting many African derived practices such as socializing, speaking, healing and cooking, references to Africa elicit embarrassment and condemnation by numerous Bahamians. Subsequently, Strachan unveils the African roots of many Bahamian practices pertaining to death, the dead and the relation to the living. He illustrates this by proving that many Bahamian beliefs about the aforementioned originated from African tradition, have spread across the Diaspora and some are still being practiced today in spite of evolution. Conversely, in the sixth chapter in "Bahamian Society After Emancipation" by Gail Saunders , the author focuses on aspects of traditional African-Bahamian culture in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Saunders noted that although being legally free from slavery, through Emancipation, The Bahamas was still deeply divided by race and uses this opportunity to focus on the beliefs, traditions and recreational activities of the black majority in The Bahamas. Similar to Strachan, Saunders mentioned that many Bahamian women used the market place for organizing "Asue" which is derived from the Yoruba; a West African group, and that in the late nineteenth century most Bahamians were nominally Christians who took the church very seriously. Both authors revealed that Bahamians are a relatively 'new' people and creolization ultimately led to the formation of new identities and tradition which developed a 'Peculiar Bahamian' style. Saunders indicated that Bahamians believed that the dead possessed supernatural powers and mediated among the living; as did Strachan articulate that the dead were not intangible, rather co-existent and had the ability to bring misfortune or blessings on the living and were often thought to be able to take the forms of animate and inanimate objects. Saunders and Strachan also mentioned the fact that Bahamians implemented the African tradition of "Holding Wakes" and "Setting up" and also in the belief and practice of Obeah and noted that many funerals included processions in which the dead were marched, danced and drummed to primarily using brass bands. I found Strachan's article to be organized, exceedingly interesting as well as enlightening. Throughout the article, Strachan utilizes traditions and beliefs about death and those that are believed to protect the living from the dead--some of which are still practiced today, which makes it incredibly easy to relate, for instance tying a black piece of cloth around the hand of an infant to protect them from the spirits of the dead or wearing clothing on the wrong side with aspirations of not being recognized by spirits. The author retells stories from informants located on various family islands in The Bahamas about their experiences with the dead and the dying; this captures the attention of the reader, and was a little frightening reading some of the incidents . The article is informative and educates readers on the beliefs and rituals of Africans relating to death, not only common in The Bahamas but in other countries of the Caribbean as well; namely Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba, with whom numerous individuals may not recognize we share similar beliefs and practices. A quote that stood out to me in Strachan's article reads "our Africaness is deeply imbedded in our Bahamianess, so much so that it goes unnoticed or is taken for granted". I agree with this extract, in this day and age it is still difficult to identify what a Bahamian truly is. As a result of miscegenation, migration, exposure and integration of foreign cultures we are all 'mixed up'. However, regardless of having many cultures and beliefs bestowed upon us, our African customs, I would argue is the most dominantly portrayed, sometimes even unknowingly. So, now I raise the question, why is it that reference to our African heritage elicits shame and disapproval? Is it because of the social construct created by the white European men that leads us to believe that Africans are primitive, barbaric, uneducated and uncivilized, or is it that we just don't know ? It is my belief that it stems from a little of both; the social construct of Africans has left us embarrassed and with no desire to be compared to them because of the fear of simultaneously being regarded as primitive, barbaric, uneducated and uncivilized. In the same token, a knowledge deficit regarding the customs, culture and belief of our ancestors play an integral role in our hesitance in accepting our African heritage. Conversely, in order to educate there must be a readiness to learn--are Bahamians honestly ready to learn? In conclusion, just as Strachan affirmed "culture is not one dimensional" and exposure to various customs, beliefs and religions makes Bahamians extremely complex individuals. Therefore, in order to fully understand what is means to be a Bahamian and appreciate the derivation of many of our daily practices, we must first be wholeheartedly accepting of our various heritages. The African heritage in particular, where countless customs that we adopted originated and whom has tremendously impacted The Bahamas.