Haiti

1. Haiti High Land in the Caribbean

2. Agenda Number 2 for Today • Haitian Background • A troubled economy • Linguistics in Haiti • Voudon • Modern issues in Haitian Migration

3. Background • Right around the corner from us here in Florida • Once a rainforest paradise • Now the environment has been altered with devastating results • Very rugged and mountainous landscape • Recorded history only begin with the arrival of Columbus

4. The Original Haitians • Earliest settlers are relatively unknown • Came from Northern South America in canoes most likely • Were eventually displaced by…. • The Taino • Name of the island derived from the Taino’s native language • Arawak • South American in origin • Very artistic • Produced extremely fine ceramics • As usual, the population was decimated by the presence of Europeans • Used for slave labor in mines, plantations, and other economic ventures

5. African Influences • Over 30,000 African slaves were brought to the island to supplement the indigenous slave labor • Accounts for many of the African influences that can be seen in modern Haitian culture and art

6. An Island Divided • The year was 1697 • Treaty of Ryswick • Among other things: • The western half of Hispaniola was given to the French • Called Saint - Domingue • The eastern half was still ruled by the Spanish • Called Santo Domingo

7. Pre Revolution Social Divisions • French slave owners • ~35k of them • African Slaves • ~500k • Biracial individuals (mulatto’s) • ~28k • Also a class of individuals called Affranchi • Officially ‘Free’ but have no rights or equality within society • Token gesture

8. Toussaint • Originally a Spanish General • Switched his loyalty to the French when slavery was abolished in its colonies • Proclaimed Saint Domingue independent • Napoleon didn’t care for this and he was eventually captured and died in a French prison

9. Dessalines • Subordinate of Toussaint • Took over after Toussaint died • Responsible for renaming Saint Domingue to Haiti • Declared independence once again in 1804 after driving out a French expeditionary force • This is the first independent nation in the Western hemisphere after the United States • Assassinated eventually

10. Dictators • 22 came into power after Dessalines assassination • Most either murdered or fled after their brief rule passed • Coup after coup • Decimated the economy, the population and any hope of a stable political system, which was sorely needed

11. The US Interest in Haiti • Because of Haiti’s location next to Cuba it was of interest to the United States • Strategically important because of the Windward Passage • Allowed access to the Panama canal for the US • Germany (during WWI) also interested in Haiti from a military perspective

12. The US Interest in Haiti • US began to take control of Haiti • Increased funding for the non-existent economy • The US is now criticized for using forced prison labor and for taking land from the lower classes to institute infrastructural reforms • Resulted in a rebellion that was quickly stopped by the USMC

13. Francois Duvalier • Urged Haiti to abandon European and American influence • Reduced the influence of the army after he came into power • Allowed him more freedom from having to worry about the military overthrowing him, like the many other rulers before • Eventually his policies were met with a great deal of resistance • Fled the country to avoid being killed

14. Current President • Rene Preval • US backed President • Mainly concerned with economic reform • Also tried to begin investigations into possible human rights abuses that may have occurred during the reign of past rulers

15. Economy • Extremely impoverished • Rampant illiteracy • Very few job opportunities • Most of the countries seven million residents practice subsistence agriculture • Extremely difficult due to the rough terrain and poor soil conditions • Investors are wary of Haiti because of the political instability

16. Economy • Because many Haitians practice subsistence agriculture there is a great reliance upon domesticated animals • Pigs in particular • This huge source of food was destroyed by African Swine Fever during the 1980s

17. AIDS • An outbreak of AIDS on the island brought the last part of the economy to its knees • Tourism totally stopped • All of the industries that relied upon tourist money disappeared • The stigma of AIDS still prevents many tourists from even considering Haiti as a vacation destination • Huge blow to the economy

18. Linguistics • Two languages are primarily spoken in Haiti • French and Creole • The upper classes are really the only members of society who speak French • Although most still speak Creole as well • Everyone else speaks Creole • Combination of English, French and Spanish • Sentence structure and organization is also West African in origin

19. Voudon • Duality very important in Haiti • Catholicism and Voudon both practiced • Centered around a pantheon of deities • Lwa • These deities will possess the body of an individual during voudon rituals • All lorded over by the supreme creator • Great Master

20. Voudon • Animal sacrifice is a central theme surrounding the negative connotations of the religion • As with all of the cultures we study the CONTEXT of these specific aspects of the religion should be taken into account • Only a small part of the rituals practiced • Some people see a conflict between Voudon and Catholicism • Most of the people who actually observe and practice both see no conflict

21. Modern Problems • Immigration to the United States was really the only option for many Haitians • Florida only 600 miles from Florida • US prevented the migration of thousands of Haitians • Economic and not political refugees • Many also fled to Canada • The family unit is the basis for Haitian migration • One person goes ahead of everyone else and lays down the initial infrastructure needed to bring in the rest of the family • Very wide support network • Many have continued to embrace their cultural roots while still in the US and being exposed to Western culture • This does not always happen with individuals immigrating from very different locations with different cultural norms