As a result of colonization, enslaved Africans were forced to adopt Catholicism. So in order to preserve their religious identity, they aligned their Orishas (deities) with the Catholic saints. So, Saint Barbara is associated with Shango, the Orisha of thunder and war, for instance. This allowed them to continue to syncretically practice their beliefs within a Catholic framework.What is Santeria, and how does it blend African, Catholic, and spiritual traditions?