Prof. Roland The Caribbean in Post-Colonial Perspective ANTH 1115
Fon (Benin/W. Africa) Catholicism (French)
Bondye (“Good God”) Distant/Unapproachable Loa/Lwa Ancestrally linked spirits Interact w/ humans Damballa, Erzulie, Legba, Ogoun Houngan/Mambo Priests/Priestesses
RADAPETWO (ALSO CALLED CONGO) Family spirits Relatively happy/peaceful 95% of Vodou practice atch?v=_lkyqLhLXQ4 atch?v=_lkyqLhLXQ4 Angry/Mean Lwa “Black magic” Vodou Source of Hollywood’s “voodoo” atch?v=yZAY-78zhmw atch?v=yZAY-78zhmw
Boukman’s dream Ogoun inspired slave uprising Duvaliers (Papa & Baby Doc) exploit popular beliefs for power
Religion as a cultural construct Reflects believers understanding of the world Vodou responds to terrors slavery Reenacts domination & resistance Day-to-day survival in hands of others Pay penance No use fighting “the power” Bow & Serve
From Slavery to Peasantry 1848 abolition of slavery Slow rise of peasantry as plantations divided into plots for ex-slaves
Independent farms not enough Soil depleted over time Irregular/seasonal employment Urbanization Emigration Gendered experiences
33-tier racial structure Békés/white elite CClosed community “Colored” middle stratum SSome Western education Black creole masses SSlow upward mobility through education
1946 Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana overseas departments of France equal w/ mainland departments Cultural Identity? Local ID (island specific) Regional ID (Antillean) National ID (French) EU Status in 1993? Overseas products lose value on open EU market Caribbean “Reality Check” Return to peasantry?