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Group Members Tashara Harriott Raven Fearon Jenelle Longinious Ashley Holness

Kumina is a cultural form indigenous to Jamaica It is considered as a : Religion, Dance & Music It is practiced mainly by Jamaicans who reside in St.Thomas

Kumina is an Afro-Jamaican religion influenced mainly by the Bantu peoples from the Congo-Angola area. Kumina nations are led by a King and Queen Central in Kumina's religious beliefs and practices is the possession by and communication with the "spirits

In order to connect with the spirit they use drumming , singing, corporal worlds, language, dance, and ritual paraphernalia These open the channels of communication. One such channel is Spirit Possession a term describing the temporary inhabiting of the living by a spirit, for the purpose of providing ancestral assistance and advice to solve everyday problems. They believe that all power given to the ancestors and later revealed to the living through possession, is done with the sanction and approval of "King Zaambi" or "Nzaambi Mpungu" God Almighty.

Kumina practitioners share the Christian belief in one supreme, all-powerful God. They also believe in the juxtaposition of good and evil. Where "Myal" (the good) and "Obeah" (the bad) are part of the spirits belief system. Kumina practitioners will speak of 'catching Myal' (become possessed) and "using Obeah" (manipulation of the shadows).

Kumina deities are separated into sky bound and earth bound deities. Oto King Zombi, a sky bound deity is the Supreme Being. Other sky bound deities of Kumina are Obei and Shango. Earth bound deities in Kumina are found in the old testament David, Ezekiel, Moses, Cain and Shadrak and are examples of syncretism with Christianity

"Elizabeth Spence a contemporary Kumina Queen, reported that her spiritual calling was also effected during a period of isolation. She slipped away from home one night to attend a Kumina event near Morant Bay. The drums impelled her to dance, soon after which she was knocked violently tot the ground by a possessing spirit. This was her first experience of Myal. She remained in this state for four days and four nights, neither eating, drinking nor able to get up. When she came back to herself, she saw many different thingsthe ole arrivants taught her the African language and a lot of spiritual wisdom.

The leaders must be able to control zombies or spirits and assume leadership after careful training in the feeding habits, ritual procedures, dances, rhythms, and songs of a variety of spirits, from their predecessor.

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