My Navel String Buried Right Here: Posthumous Body Repatriation in Barbados

The phrase “my navel string buried here” refers to the traditional practice of burying the umbilical cord of a newborn, in the family garden after a home birth. This practice, tied to ethnic identity, has evolved, but the use of the phrase in its contemporary manifestation carries a meaning more akin to “I am Barbadian/Caribbean/African by birth.” Historically, in-ground burials were prevalent due to Christian beliefs. Barbados is now witnessing a shift towards emigrated return burials and cremations. Death is the final act in the emigration process as the connection to home remained. The decision to provide one last loving act is taking them home and burying them with their own family members. Contemporary changes include cremating and scattering their ashes in the homeland. There is still a homecoming and belonging and the connection to family remains and may assist in the grieving process. This chapter delves into both traditions and new rituals and explores these funerary changes, including the emotional act of returning the deceased to their ancestral home with insights from oral historiography and interviews with funeral directors and stakeholders, shedding light on how death maintains a connection to one’s roots and family.