Interview with Maria Fernandez - Borderland Spirituality

Interview with Maria Fernandez: Borderland Spirituality and Daily Resistance

Interviewee
Maria Fernandez
Location
Dajabón, Dominican Republic
Date
March 15, 2023
Duration
42:18
Language
Spanish / Haitian Creole
Keywords
Vodou, Border Trade, Identity

Maria Fernandez, a 67-year-old market vendor and spiritual practitioner, discusses the complex realities of living in the border town of Dajabón. Born to a Haitian mother and Dominican father, Maria navigates the daily tensions of border politics while maintaining spiritual practices that connect both sides of the island. In this intimate conversation, she shares stories of cross-border solidarity, the challenges of documentation and citizenship, and how traditional healing practices serve as a form of cultural resistance against divisive narratives.

The interview takes place in her home near the Massacre River, a site of historical trauma that continues to shape present-day relationships between the two nations. Maria reflects on how border communities have developed their own systems of mutual aid and conflict resolution that often transcend official diplomatic channels.

Cultural Context
The 1937 Parsley Massacre (El Corte) resulted in the deaths of thousands of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent ordered by Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo. The Massacre River (Río Masacre) that forms part of the border got its name from this event. Today, border communities like Dajabón maintain complex relationships that both acknowledge this history and seek to overcome its legacy through daily cooperation.