Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:

African and African American cosmology both have treated water with reverence and as sacred. Water is not only considered the giver of life but is also home to a pantheon of their gods. In the realm of spirituality, water itself is a living entity, as such can punish (droughts) and bring lushness to villages (floods). There are many rituals and ceremonies that pay homage to the water spirits as places of purification, healing and regeneration that guide everyday life. In the seven African Orishas, two have dominion over aspects of water.

In this presentation, Angela led the audience through common African practices with water, told gripping stories of her encounters with healers and a "hereditary rain queen" in South Africa, and left the audience with their own water for a ceremony.

Angela da Silva is a St. Louis-based cultural preservationist, independent historian, educator, playwright, performer, and pioneer of Black history tourism, launching the National Black Tourism Network in 1998.

Featured Image: Angela DaSilva in costume as "Lila," her slave persona in her presentation “Lila, the Life of a Missouri Slave.”

This presentation originally took place on March 10th, 2026 at the Riechmann Indoor Pavilion in Stephens Lake Park, Columbia, MO.

Hosted by Missouri River Relief