Final answer:
Santería is an example of syncretism in the Americas, merging African spiritual beliefs with Catholic practices as a method of cultural preservation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Syncretism is the blending of different cultural or religious beliefs and practices. In the context of the Americas, syncretism often involves the merging of Indigenous, African, and European elements to form new, hybrid traditions. An example of syncretism in the Americas as a method of cultural preservation is Santería. Santería originated in the Caribbean and is particularly evident in Cuba, where African-based spiritual entities are syncretized with Catholic saints. This religion demonstrates how enslaved Africans, under the repression of slavery and forced conversion to Christianity, managed to preserve elements of their original spiritual beliefs by blending them with the new religious context.