Cleansing and building in Rastafari healing in London: Health sovereignty for a hostile environment

Health sovereignty – the assertion of rights to culturally and ecologically appropriate medicines and the ability of communities to structure their own healthcare – is a biopolitical goal of the Rastafari movement. We examine how health sovereignty is enacted by Rastafari herbalists in south London and the contributions these healers make to health in the UK, particularly for migrants disenfranchised by “hostile environment” immigration policies. Using ethnographic data on “bitters” and “roots tonics” we show how herbal medicines are used by healers and their clientele to achieve key political and spiritual aims of the movement, as well as personal healing.