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Ritual

How This Southern Woman Found Her African Roots

Season 2 Episode 3 | 11m 17s

A lot of us wonder where we come from. But what happens when you actually find out, and the answer is bigger than you imagined? Meet Queen Nqwamary, a Gullah Geechee woman whose search for her roots led her to a royal African lineage. Tank joins her for a powerful ceremony and learns how she continues to honor that connection today.

Aired: 10/08/26
Funding for RITUAL is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Extras
Watch • 10:01
Ritual
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Tank Ball explores the history of second lines in New Orleans.
Episode: S2 E2 | 10:01
Watch • 14:29
Ritual
Inside One of the South’s Oldest Rituals
Tank Ball meets duck hunters and reexamines one of humanity’s oldest rituals - the hunt.
Episode: S1 E8 | 14:29
Watch • 11:01
Ritual
Inside the Revival of an Ancient Indigenous Ritual
Tank Ball learns about the sacred Green Corn Ceremony practiced by Indigenous communities.
Episode: S1 E7 | 11:01
Watch • 12:55
Ritual
Border Ballads: The Revolutionary History of Tejano Corridos
Tank Ball explores the musical tradition of corridos at the U.S. - Mexico Border.
Episode: S1 E6 | 12:55
Watch • 14:27
Ritual
How River Baptisms Shaped Black Musical Tradition
Tank Ball discovers the significance of river baptisms for the Black community.
Episode: S1 E5 | 14:27
Watch • 12:07
Ritual
Uncovering the Power of Hoodoo: An Ancestral Journey
Tank Ball explores the spiritual practice of Hoodoo and the ritual of ancestral worship.
Episode: S1 E4 | 12:07
Watch • 13:31
Ritual
Inside Black New Orleans' Most Sacred Ritual
Tank Ball explores the Super Sunday ritual of Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans.
Episode: S1 E3 | 13:31
Watch • 12:48
Ritual
Why Does This Soup Symbolize Freedom for Haitians?
Join Tank Ball as she explores the Haitian Independence Day ritual of making soup joumou.
Episode: S1 E2 | 12:48
Watch • 11:56
Ritual
How Did Black Graveyards Become Battlegrounds of Resistance?
Host Tank Ball explores the history of Louisiana’s forbidden Black burials.
Episode: S1 E1 | 11:56
Latest Episodes
All
  • All
  • Ritual Season 2
  • Ritual Season 1
Watch • 10:01
Ritual
Second Lines: Poetry In Motion
Tank Ball explores the history of second lines in New Orleans.
Episode: S2 E2 | 10:01
Watch • 10:16
Ritual
Code Switching: Survival Ritual In Plain Sight
This episode expands the definition of ritual into communication.
Episode: S2 E1 | 10:16
Watch • 14:29
Ritual
Inside One of the South’s Oldest Rituals
Tank Ball meets duck hunters and reexamines one of humanity’s oldest rituals - the hunt.
Episode: S1 E8 | 14:29
Watch • 11:01
Ritual
Inside the Revival of an Ancient Indigenous Ritual
Tank Ball learns about the sacred Green Corn Ceremony practiced by Indigenous communities.
Episode: S1 E7 | 11:01
Watch • 12:55
Ritual
Border Ballads: The Revolutionary History of Tejano Corridos
Tank Ball explores the musical tradition of corridos at the U.S. - Mexico Border.
Episode: S1 E6 | 12:55
Watch • 14:27
Ritual
How River Baptisms Shaped Black Musical Tradition
Tank Ball discovers the significance of river baptisms for the Black community.
Episode: S1 E5 | 14:27
Watch • 12:07
Ritual
Uncovering the Power of Hoodoo: An Ancestral Journey
Tank Ball explores the spiritual practice of Hoodoo and the ritual of ancestral worship.
Episode: S1 E4 | 12:07
Watch • 13:31
Ritual
Inside Black New Orleans' Most Sacred Ritual
Tank Ball explores the Super Sunday ritual of Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans.
Episode: S1 E3 | 13:31
Watch • 12:48
Ritual
Why Does This Soup Symbolize Freedom for Haitians?
Join Tank Ball as she explores the Haitian Independence Day ritual of making soup joumou.
Episode: S1 E2 | 12:48
Watch • 11:56
Ritual
How Did Black Graveyards Become Battlegrounds of Resistance?
Host Tank Ball explores the history of Louisiana’s forbidden Black burials.
Episode: S1 E1 | 11:56