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Helena, Montana

✨18th Century Nkisi bundle found in Newport, Rhode Island

🌿Hi everyone! I wanted to share with you all this article of a historical example of African religion and spirituality in colonial New England. This is a 1700s religious Nkisi bundle more than likely owned by an enslaved African man named CARDADO WANTON who was trafficked to New England in the 18th century.

“A Nkisi Bundle Was Found in a Historic Newport Home - But What Is It, Exactly?”

💙 “In 2005, representatives of the Newport Historical Society working on the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House found a bundle of items concealed beneath an attic floorboard.”

“The items, known collectively as an nkisi bundle, were likely owned by Cardardo Wanton and held spiritual significance for their owner, a man enslaved by the Wanton family in the late eighteenth century.”

“Nkisi (and its plural, minkisi) comes from a Bantu word loosely meaning ‘to take care’ and often includes buttons, nails, cowrie shells and other household items. They take the form of figures or bundles and played a role in connecting enslaved people of African descent with their ancestors. ‘It reminded them of their humanity in a world that told them constantly and consistently that they were not human,’ de Barros Gomes says.”

This along with other items are on display until 2026 as part of the “Entwined: Freedom, Sovereignty and the Sea,” at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut.

A Haitian American woman with long Covid and her daughter with cancer have both been struggling to raise funds that would help them during their illnesses. Both of them live in the Midwest, which is where a lot of the most recent fear mongering has been centered.

COJEHA is a Haitian organization that provides financial support for youth, teaches agricultural skills, helps ensure children attend school, and teaches other soft life skills. They're working on building a farm with fish and vegetable crops where teaching occurs, which will also increase local access to fresh food.

P4H Global is the organization that has been working on building the canal connected to the Massacre River, another agricultural project. They have also been working to support education in Haiti, with both teachers and students.

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Marc Henry and his family have been dealing with food insecurity for months, and are trying to get funds so they can eat, as well as supplies like livestock and fishing equipment so they can sustain themselves even after the fundraiser is done. They're close to their goal.

An elderly couple's home was damaged multiple times over the last few years and they are trying to raise funds to finish construction. They are also very close to their goal.

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OTRAH is an organization that helps trans Haitians and wants to expand their services to combat HIV. They don't have a gofundme, instead donations are discussed over email.

There is also this thread of Haitian gofundmes which updates fairly regularly

You‘re a witch?!? They were right.