Eloquent bodies : Rituals in the Context of Alleviating Suffering

In English It seems that the revitalization of traditional rituals has been an
effective way of developing a new embodiment and identity. The ability of
the Canadian Mi'kmaq Indians to rework the cultural body, historically
imposed on them by the dominant society, opens the way to weeding out
destructive patterns unconsciously or consciously embedded historically in
their bodies. The ritual opens up opportunities to explore new habitus and
to employ the body in a domain shared with like-minded peers so as to
facilitate new ways of approaching the world. The rituals thus provide
redemptive opportunities for bodies that have been disempowered by
hegemonic contexts, and simultaneously offer social affirmation of the new
way of being in the world.