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--~----~------ If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons Federal Prisons VOL.2,NO.4 WINTER 1992 137188- U.S. Department of Justice 137196 National Institute of Justice This document has been reproduced exactly as received from the person or organization originating it. Points of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official pOllition or policies of the National Institute of Justice. Permission to reproduce this . rJ material has been granted by Pub11C ])::main/Federa1 Bureau of Prisons/US Dept. of Justice to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). Further reproduction outside of the NCJRS system requires permis­ sion of the........, owner. '. I Winter 1992 37 Santeria in Federal Prisons Understanding a little-known religion Mark S. Hamill One early morning in 1980, two correc­ tional officers were making a routine inspection of Cellhouse C of the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, when they noticed a peculiar, putrid smell along the corridor. The smell was coming from the cell of one Antonio Garcia Perez, * a Cuban refugee from that year's "Free­ dom Flotilla" who had been sent to the Atlanta Penitentiary for the crime of murder. The officers were careful; they removed Garcia Perez and his Cuban cell mates from their living area and inspected the cell. The foul smell came from rancid butter stored in a dozen milk cartons under Garcia Perez's bed. A makeshift construction of about 50 empty cereal boxes stood in the corner of the cell, surrounded by cigar butts, coffee, rotten oranges, and rock candy. Pigeon feathers were spread all around the cell. Holy cards, ribbons, and candles added a further touch of confusion. The officers could only think that they had interrupted "some kind of voodoo." The Santeria religion and U.S. corrections More than 5,000 Cuban nationals are incarcerated in prisons and jails through­ out the United States. Many of them, such as Antonio Garcia Perez, are devotees of the Caribbean religion known as Santeria (pronounced San-ter­ ee-ah). Yet correctional staff who work with these Cubans often find themselves in the position of the two cOiTectional officers: They don't know much about this complex form of worship. *A pseudonym. courtesy USP Leavenworth 38 Federal Prisons Journal This article explains the Santeria religion mately, the escape from slavery and and its practice among incarcerated oppression) can be accomplished only Cubans. The materials used here are through deep devotion to the orishas. gathered from historical sources and This devotion, which promises both from interviews with and observations of worldly success and heavenly wisdom, Cuban inmates within the Federal Bureau takes four principal forms: divination, of Prisons. sacrifice, spiritualmediul11ship, and initiation (Murphy, 1987). Santeria began in the early 1800's when hundreds of thousands of men and Divination women of the Yoruba people (the Yoruba For the ordinary devotee, Santeria area is now in the nations of Nigeria and provides a means for resolving everyday Benin) were brought to the Caribbean as problems; through the orisha spirits, the slaves to work in the island's booming Santeros receive assistance in hexing and sugar, mineral, and coffee industries killing enemies, protecting themselves (Bascom, 1950; Betto, 1987; Murphy, against physical and spiritual abuse, 1987; Veliz, 1968). During this period outwitting the law, attracting luck in Cuba was a colony of Spain, and the Roman Catholic religiolls objects-slIch as financial matters, and getting and Spanish treated the Yoruba slaves much icon cards (here, of Our Lady of Charity) keeping lovers (Teish, 1985). as slaves were treated in the United and saints' medals-are commonly IIsed in States: They were forced to work long Santeria worship. Sacrifice hours in the tropical climate; they were The divination can be achieved only by owned as property, poorly fed, and Catholicism), a tradition of secrecy deepening the Santero's relationship with uneducated; and they were brutally emerged among the Yoruba in order to the orishas. The truest way for a devotee punished and sexually exploited (see survive the oppression of slavery. Hence, to develop this deep relationship is to MacGaffey, 1962). little was known about Santeria beyond share with the orishas the devotee's most the stories and practices of living important substance-food. That is, the The Yoruba slaves were expected to devotees. divination can be accomplished only "become Catholics" (Kennedy, 1984). through sacrifice. But the Catholic influence was slow to In order to worship the Yoruba spirits, take hold; it did not seem to offer the called orishas, under the guise of Each devotee has a particular orisha that Yoruba salvation from the pitiless Catholicism, later generations began to is worshipped above all others. To conditions of slavery (Bascom, 1950). construct elaborate systems of correspon­ determine which orisha should be Though outwardly accepting the symbols dence between the orisha spirits and followed as the primary spirit, the of Roman Catholicism, the Yoruba slaves Catholic saints. Despite the presence of devotee takes the numbers from the began to reconstruct their religious lives Catholic symbols in Santeria rites, month and day of his or her birth (their by fusing the traditions remembered from however, the Santeria religion has start on "the road of life") and adds them their homeland with the folk piety of the remained, to this day, an African way together. From this sum, one is sub­ Catholic churches of Spanish Cuba. This of worship. tracted. If the number is above 10, the blend of ancient African ancestor first digit is taken away and matched to a reverence and European Catholicism Santeros believe that every person is corresponding spirit. became known by the Spanish word given a destiny, or "road in life" Santeria, or "the way of the saints" (Murphy, 1987). Therefore, each person Each of the 10 orisha spirits (see the (Murphy, 1987:66); the devotees are has the responsibility to understand his or chart) has its number as well as a favorite called Santeros. Because Santeria was her "road in life," and to grow and group of foods, favorite colors, favorite really one religion (African ancestor benefit from it rather than become the animals and objects, and appropriate day worship) concealed in another (Roman victim of it. In other words, Santeria is a of the week for worship. Each orisha also religion of survival. The complete has a corresponding set of Catholic fulfillment of peoples' destinies (ulti- Winter ]992 39 The orisha spirits and the system of sacrifice Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 FavorHe Corn, candy, Fish, rum, Roots, Plum, white Ochln-chln, Apples, yams, Cornmeal, Pears, Eggplants, Fruit, rum, foods fish, rum, water water nuts, meat, wine, water honey, oranges, corn, peppers, molasses, coconuts, plums, water served in a served in berries, fish, cinnamon, bread, watermelons, blackeyed grapes, red white cup a white rum pumpkins pineapple juice pineapple juice, peas, chekete wine, beans cup seawater (white wine) Favorite Red, black Brown, Green, black Yellow, Yellow, green, Red, white Blue, white, White with Red, purple, Purple colors green green gold crystal silver sliver or brown, burnt purple orange Favorite Roosters, Roosters, Qualls, parrots, Horses, rams. Shorebirds, Owls, doves, Sheep, locusts, animals opossums, goats, dogs, vultures, gold, turtles, wood, conch shells, snailS, black horsehair and mice, three machetes, peacocks, bells, pheasants, cockroaches, coconuts, switches, objects stones, all iron fans, mirrors, double aXes gourd rattles elephants copper crooked sticks scallop shells Day of week Monday Tuesday Tuesday Thursday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Wednesday Saturday Catholic St. Michael, St. San St. Anthony, St. Lady of Car/dad Santa Barbara, Lady of Regia Our Lady of Lady of St. Lazaro Saints St. Peter, Noberto SI. George, Francisco del Cobre (Mother St. Jerome (Star of the Mercy Candelaria, San Martine, EI St. San de Asis of Charity and Sea, the Virgin st. Theresa, Nino de Atocha Pedro Owner of Cuba) de Regia) St. Catherine Place in Behind front Behind Living room Kitchen, Fireplace, Bedroom, Living room Library, study house door front door bedroom business desk children's room, bathroom Sources: Teish, 1985: interviews with 23 Santeria devotees saints. Because Santeria is African-based, food and icons of Roman Catholic saints This miraculous power is given to the it views spirituality as an integral part of are regarded as empty unless they are stones by treating them with two other everyday life, and its sacrifices are accompanied by various rituals. Fore­ essentials of the Santeria religion, blood offered as household acts (instead of acts most among these rituals is the placing and herbs, which is known as the performed in a church, mosque, or of stones (known as piedras) behind a bautismo, or baptism. Stones which have synagogue). The sacrifices (along with curtain in the lower part of the altar. not been so baptized are calledjudia, pictures of the various saints) are placed Without these stones, no Santeria shrine Jewish, and are thought to be completely on an altar and a candle is lit in honor of can exist. They ar'e referred to as the powerless (Murphy, 1987). the saint. The altar also has an appropri­ "stones of the Saints," and are believed ate place for worship in the home. to have
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