New Orleans Voodoo History and New Orleans Voodoo Information ~ The History of Voodoo in New Orleans by Voodoo Priestess, Ms. Kalila Smith
New Orleans Voodoo and New Orleans Voodoo History ~ Ms. Kalila Smith, native New Orleans Voodoo Priestess and practitioner, provides us a glimpse into the history of Voodoo in New Orleans. The roots of Voodoo have been traced all the way back to Africa thousands of years ago. In his book, A Brief History of Voodoo: Slavery & the Survival of The African Gods, Mr. Andy Antippas gives an overview of this fascinating history. The Yoruba people of Southwestern and eastern Dahomey and Togo/Nigeria founded a great city called Ife. It is from the religious beliefs of Ife that Voodoo as we know it today has evolved.
In 1799, a slave uprising in Haiti brought the Free People of Color and their Voodoo religion. These people had no reason to believe that they could not come to this city and worship freely. The first Voodoo Queen in New Orleans was Sanite’ DeDe, a young woman who bought her way to freedom, she would later be teacher and mentor to the most famous Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau! She would hold rituals in her courtyard on Dumaine (the same street Erzulie’s is located) and Chartres Streets, just blocks away from the Cathedral.