Calling Out an Appropriator of Culture




Response To Denise Alvarado Regarding Her Post at Planetvoodoo.tumblr.com




















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  1. Steven Bragg

    Very good response. Thank you.

  2. michelle

    Thank you for a very educational response. I learned a lot. Its probably fair to say a lot of people got schooled 🙂

  3. Dominic

    Its important to call out the Frauds and those who think its okay to appropriate our culture, gods and religious practices. this sort of thing happens far too often.

  4. Tattoooedhoodoobear

    Denise was rightfully called out on this one. The creating of and marketing of those “Eleggua” heads is no different than a hoodoo practitioner performing Haitian voodoo initations or selling products that are only to be made by a legitimate Haitian voodoo priest/ess. Is she even a legitimate voodoo priestess and who initiated her? There are so many misguided people out there mixing traditions that should never be mixed. And they call it ‘just following the inspiration of the spirits’. Spirits have nothing to do with this, so don’t use them as an excuse.

    I would have so much more respect for Denise if she would put on her big girl panties and take down those fake Eleggua heads. The fact that she STILL has them for sale on her site, even with that lame disclaimer, makes her look even more shady. Denise, do the right thing! Have some respect for yourself and stick to YOUR spiritual path. African tribal religions are not mix and match.

    Shit may have been stirred but she brought it on herself.

  5. Teyama

    Talk about appropriation of culture ? Have you seen the new movie just released called the ” the last exorcism 2″. It utterly disgusts me in so many ways. The use of Veve and Firmas by these people that know nothing of it. Im tired of people extorting our culture to further their wealth. They are miserable and unoriginal individuals. They have no education of the symbols they are using and I find it extremely offensive and pure mockery. Veve’s are NOT drawn with Chalk, nor are they placed on a wall to “summon a demon”. If a minority race was to take such imagery or likeness of a majority religion they would be ridiculed to the teeth. What gives people the right to think they are dominate and superior to others? Its a disgusting way of thinking and honestly I believe its the reason why we haven’t progressed as much as a species, it sort of makes me feel like being blessed by our Supreme being with a higher intelligence was a waste of time and effort especially since most of the time we seem to not use it.

  6. Kalunga

    Thank you. Right on the money.

  7. Cathleen Bailey

    Shared on facebook. Necessary. Thank you.

  8. Warren

    All I can say is, Denise if you want to make art – draw a picture. Don’t make an Eleggua and call it art when it’s not. I’ve seen many people make images of Eleggua and other orishas and sell it as a source of inspiration to others, both in and out of the religion. As an artist I am offended by your claim.

    1. Moon

      Absolutely agree with you Warren! As an artist who draws inspiration from the Orishas and a collector of Orisha art, I find her claims that this is “just art” totally insulting! An artist can depict different aspects of an Orisha’s energy or characteristics and celebrate the beauty and power of a tradition (like the artist Carybe, who did amazing paintings and sculptures of the Orixas and the Candomble tradition), but you don’t go around claiming the work you sell has special powers! And then on top of all that to be uninformed and mixing different traditions together is just sickening. Hopefully she figures it out one day, because Eleggua’s energy is not to be played around with!!

  9. Brenda

    I applaud you and this article on bringing this to light as well as any others. More often than not I’m seeing this garbage going on and it’s not only insulting to different cultures but also dangerous in some cases. Keep up the awareness!

  10. willie

    You Killed it….Im sure she put her Tongue up her own ASS!!! You sound like a DOCTOR OR A LAWYER!!! She felt SALTY! hjajajaja U MURKED HER ASS!! PLAIN AND SIMPLE…>SHE DON”T WANT NONE! TRUST ME! WE BACK U UP 100%

  11. CL

    Hi, I really love the work you do, and i am so excited that there is a group actively fighting against cultural appropriation of our traditions. I recently stumbled upon this group ( http://www.ifafoundation.org/about-us/ ) that is close to where i live (i live in miami and they live in ocala) and apparently have changed all the traditions of santeria/lukumi/ifa and traditional yoruban practices. The allow women and gay men to be Ifa Priests (i am a gay man and find this crazy) and do not require blood sacrifice. On top of that they are two white people who claim that santeros have been racist to them? EXCUSE ME? HELL NO

  12. Mba

    The irony of you writing an article on appropriating culture. smh

    1. Santeria Church

      Perhaps you could elaborate what you consider to be ironic?

  13. anonymous

    I just don’t see why people think they can go a bless and consecrate something to an Orisa when they are not even initiated into an Orisa worshipping tradition.

  14. John

    Dr. E,

    I appreciate your work, vigilance and patient, critical responses to these kinds of behavior. I am an anthropologist and aborisha. I study cultural exchange in the ancient world and the spread of Mesoamerican religions so I am very well-versed around issues of cultural exchange, sharing, respect and appropriation. You are absolutely right to point out just how damaging, harmful and problematic that cultural appropriation IS for subjugated peoples – especially those who continue to suffer from Euro-American settler colonialism.

    The key thing about being inspired from other cultures is that it has to happen in a respectful, empowering and mutually approved way. As Moon points out, we can all be inspired by Orisha. Indeed, I’ve heard many Awos say that Ifa is for everyone and so are all of the orishas and the wisdom and ache they have for us. But inspiration, art and worship should be done in a way that is respectful, thoughtful and doesn’t hurt or disempower the culture from which one is borrowing. By selling these “Elleguas,” this woman is misleading people who might find good iles (houses), and folks like her also take money and authority away from elders who, like you, have earned their authority in their spiritual traditions. This has REAL financial, emotional, and social impacts on the santeria community. It misrepresents us, it detracts from our elders, it stops the proper exchange between seekers and priests and prevents learning, and cross-cultural education to happen because these folks are not experts who can reveal the depth and beauty of our faith.

    I support you, I commend you and I hope SAFE continues to educate broadly around how to respectfully honor, explore and be inspired by Orisha in a proper context. Thank you!

  15. Obayoko Kabiosile

    A great and factual response.this type of madness occurs often in the state of georgia as well,and it must stop.thank you for addressing this issue,by letting all the (fakes) know that we will not tolerate their negative actions regarding our religion

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