Sound, health, and spirituality in the colonial Lower Mississippi Valley

Summary

Wellness and spirituality are rooted in the body. Bodies and material culture are intertwined through practices of healing; ways to navigate bodily and spiritual health in daily life. In colonial Lower Mississippi Valley, European-introduced diseases and new forms of material culture greatly impacted Native American communities and their practices of healing. Some of these stories are familiar to us: the changes brought about by access to new materials, new tools, and new kinds of clothing. Yet, during this period of stress, how were new and familiar forms of material culture used by those seeking relief and providing care? In particular, how was spirituality expressed in healing practices that was so closely tied to sound, movement, and performance? Here, I consider how bells, beads, and other items of adornment were worn on the body in embodied practices related to health and well-being.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Mediating Spirit Worlds in Native North America

Keywords

Spatial Coverage