Latinx Indigeneities and Christianity

Abstract

This chapter posits that despite five hundred years of colonialism, indigenous Latinx America continues and even thrives. These rhythms continue in unique ways. They may constitute the metaphysical foundation from which this population draws in order to make sense of the world; they may constitute features of religious practice, conceptualizations of the soul, and sacred relationships to the land and to community. While one cannot generalize here and say this is the experience of all Latinos in the United States, these dynamics make a compelling case for the existence of Latinx indigeneities in diaspora. Moreover, for Latinx communities in the United States who continue to experience the everyday violence of marginalization and racial stigma, this kind of inner agility may mean the difference between thriving and despair. Christianity mediates these religious expressions; but they are not quite “Christian.” They are something more, something unique—something entirely of their own. They evince strategic survivals of Native metaphysical worlds that continue with and for the people.