Traditional African/African American Beliefs

"When I meet the Great Water

she who the Raven call Yemaya

I close my eyes and feel her fingers

pull me out toward her circle"

-"How to Say Goodbye to the Ocean"

Sacagawea

When Winter Come, like many other works of African American historical fiction, intertwines African and African American beliefs into the narrative to help create an alternate history. 

In this novel, Native American beliefs and culture are used to help flesh out the characters that have often been marginalized in American history. 

The following are examples of non-western beliefs that are incorporated into the narrative:

Gye Nyame

"except for God"

symbol of the supremacy of God

This unique and beautiful symbol is ubiquitous in Ghana. It is by far the most popular for use in decoration, a reflection on the deeply religious character of the Ghanaian people

Ile-Ife

spiritual capital of Yorubaland, center of creation

Also known as Ife or Ife-Lodun, it is the holy city of the Yoruba people who live in Nigeria in West Africa. 

Ile-Ife appears in myths as the birthplace of creation and the location where the first humans took form. 

Watkuweis

"She who returned from a far-way country"

"Watkuweis Speaks" tells the story of Watkuweis, the Nez Perce woman who probably saved the lives Lewis and Clark's party. The poem states that she stopped her tribe from killing the white men because she was mesmerized by York and did not know "what destruction his death would earn us."

However ... other accounts state that members of the party may have actually helped Watkuweis escape from captivity, therefore giving her a legitimate reason to protect them.

For more information on the story of Watkuweis, click the following link:

Watkuweis