Navigating New Waters: Sub-Saharan Africans in Quebec (Canada) Negotiating Spirituality, Ecology, and Identity

• In Event: African Spiritualities across waters

Description for Program

This presentation explores the intricate connections between spirituality, ecological perspectives, and identity formation among Sub-Saharan Africans of Christian and Muslim faith, living in Quebec, Canada. Drawing on 15 in-depth qualitative interviews conducted in 2023 and 2024, my research examines how participants navigate the complexities of maintaining traditional beliefs and practices related to nature and spirituality within a francophone secularized and Canadian colonial context. I draw from Afrocentricity (Masgoa & Shokane, 2023) to center African epistemologies, and Eco-Spirituality (Onebunne & Okechukwu, 2021; Kanu, 2022) as theoretical frameworks to capture how participants' understandings of ecological balance, often rooted in ancestral knowledge and spiritual worldviews, influence their daily lives and adaptation processes. Furthermore, the presentation examines how these immigrants negotiate potential tensions between their traditional ecological practices and dominant environmental discourses in Quebec, amidst growing public awareness of Turtle Island (Canada) Indigenous rights. By highlighting the diverse ways in which Sub-Saharan Africans from diverse religious faiths and spiritual beliefs engage with nature and spirituality, this research contributes to a nuanced understanding of immigrant integration, ecological belonging, and the ongoing dialogue between culture, spirituality, and the environment.

Author

• Diahara Traore, Université de Montréal