Replacing Indigenous Sacred Sites by Churches and Cultural Resilience among Cheha Gurage of Ethiopia: An Ethnographic Perspective

Abstract

This article explores the processes leading to replacement of sacred sites of indigenous religion with Christian churches in the Cheha area of south-central Ethiopia. In particular, it shows the deconstruction of indigenous religion and the dispossession of its sacred sites. It also explores new discourses and aspects of the resilience of indigenous religion. The article is based on empirical field data collected through ethnographic fieldwork at the sacred site of Ogepecha and its surroundings. The data reveal the processes of replacing the sacred site of Ogepecha of the Waq deity with St. George Church of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (EOTC). The article argues that the replacement of indigenous sacred sites with churches represents a complex intersection of religious, cultural, and historical dynamics. It highlights the impacts of dominant religious expansion, religious assimilation, and the struggle for cultural preservation among the local people.

Keywords: Sacred sites; churches; deconstruction; resilience; indigenous religion; Cheha Gurage

DOI: 10.7176/JAAS/83-02

Publication date: January 31^st 2024