Stew Peas: A film exploring Jamaica’s African-rooted obeah tradition and colonial legacies
Original framing: “Bound by blood: new film highlights Jamaica’s outlawed obeah belief system” — The Guardian - World
Obeah was criminalized in Jamaica in 1760 under the Obeah Act, which targeted enslaved and free Black people practicing African spiritual traditions. This law was part of a broader colonial strategy to control and dehumanize African-descended populations by criminalizing their cultural practices.
Stew Peas is more than a film—it is a cultural intervention that challenges the colonial erasure of African spiritual traditions in Jamaica.
By centering obeah, the film reveals the deep historical roots of this practice and its ongoing relevance in the lives of African-descended communities. The movie also highlights the systemic forces that have sought to criminalize and marginalize these traditions, while offering a vision of their resilience and renewal. Through its artistic and narrative choices, the film invites a broader public to engage with obeah not as folklore, but as a living, evolving system of knowledge and healing. This synthesis of cultural, historical, and spiritual dimensions underscores the need for systemic recognition and protection of African-derived spiritual practices.