In watching the stop motion short film for this week’s reading, I found the video to be quite pleasant to watch, the colors in the film were very soothing and comforting. The story being told is of African Slaves traveling the middle passage via ship. On this slave ship, there is a point in which the slaves, the majority being pregnant women are thrown into the Ocean, where they are saved by Omambala and turned into mermaids. Their children are soon born of seashell clams. The title of this film, “The Water Will Carry Us Home,” stood out to me. In retrospect, everyone has their perception and definition of “home,” to some people, it is their own house, for others, it can be their hometown or where they grew up. The title using the word home led me to the question: Is the Ocean our home? For many indigenous cultures theirorigin stories begin in the water. Another indigenous origin story I can think of is Turtle Island. In indigenous North American Folklore, their origin story consists of a turtle who holds the world on its back. This being the second origin story I’ve consumed, it has led me to believe why there is a difference in origin beliefs. If so many indigenous cultures share beliefs in coming or beginning in the ocean, where and why did Christians believe in something completely different?

Going back to the language of home, it kind of was comforting to me that Home might be the Ocean. Although it can be scary for some to think about, for most people who enjoy the Ocean and the beach, it was a nice thought to have. Before this video, if I were to think of home I would probably think of a concert place, this short film allowed me to shift my terra-centric form of thinking in regards to what I consider and call my “home.”