Haiti Its History Its Culture and Present Day

Haiti: Its History, Its Culture and Present Day Challenges Louis J. Auguste, MD CHI ETA PHI Sorority Inc. ’s Black History Month Program February 20, 2011

Haiti Center of the Caribbean Archipelago

Haiti – Quisqueya – Bohio Before the Arrival of Colombus Five Kingdoms - 250, 000 inhabitants (Tainos-Arawaks) Guacanagaric: King of Marien Caonabo – King of Maguana Bohechio – King of Xaragua Guarionex - King of Magua Cotubanama - King of Higuey

The First Documented Voyage to the New World Aug. 3, 1492: Colombus sets sail from Spain aboard the Santa Maria, Pinta and Nina (200 sailors) Oct. 11, 1492: lands on Salvador Oct. 21, 1492: reaches Cuba Dec. 5, 1492: sees Haiti and calls it Hispaniola Dec. 25, 1492: A storm destroys the Santa Maria. He builds a Fort with the wreckage Jan. 16, 1493: Returns to Spain

Slavery – Colonialism-Arrival of the French Indigenes forced to dig for gold In 19 yrs, local population down to 14, 000 Bartolomeo de Las Casas pleads for the Indians, gives moral grounds for enslavement of Africans. 1511: Arrival of African slaves Arrival of French Buccaneers on Tortuga Island northern Hispaniola Sep. 20, 1697: Treaty of Ryswick – France gets the occidental part of the island calls it Saint. Domingue 1763: 30, 000 Africans imported per year –Richest colony in the World 93 millions lbs of raw sugar – 70 millions lbs of refined sugar – also coffee – cotton, cocoa

The Color Pyramid European (White) – 30, 000 ……………………………… ………………. . ………………… Quintroon (Octoroon & White) Octoroon (Quadroon & White) Quadroon (Mulatto & White) Mulatto (White & Black) Africans (480, 000)

Legacy of Colonialism In America The Blue Vein Society The Brown Paper Bag Test If you are White, you are alright – If you are brown, stick around – If you are Black, stand Back In Egypt In India In Haiti : The color issue is intimately interwoven in Haiti’s political history

Legacy of Colonialism The colonialist system… was an exploitation of the New Continent, of its inhabitants and of Africa, as a supplier of slaves, in order to transfer capital which was going first to render possible the initial accumulation of riches in Europe and eventually fuel the famous “Industrial Revolution” , i-e, the definitive consolidation of European Capitalism. Andre Charlier, Dec. 2007 In Preface to the 2 nd Edition of Apercu sur la Formation Historique de la Nation Haitienne

Path to Independence 1789: French Revolution Declaration of Human Rights 1791: Slave revolution - Bookman Toussaint Louverture conceives that St Domingue should be autonomous. Fought against the French for Spain who had promised the end of slavery and equal rights Then fought Spaniards and English and occupied the entire island He is named Governor General for Life Constitution of 1801 abolishes slavery. Napoleon sends 45, 000 soldiers to defeat Toussaint 1802: Tousaint deported to France

The Independence and the Aftermaths November 18, 1803: Vertieres battle Napoleon’s Army defeated January 1, 1804: Independence Declaration – Dessalines head of State – then Emperor Orders the erection of Forts around the country to protect against return of the French 1807: Dessalines assassinated Haiti divided in three countries

Map of Haiti Mode of Government: Republic Head of State: President elected for 5 years Population: 9 000, 000 9 Departments + Diaspora Money: Gourdes ( 40 gdes = 1 dollar)

A Glorious Past

Contributions of Haiti to the World Young soldiers and officers fought at Savannah for the Independence of the United States of A. First to fight for the notion that ALL MEN WERE CREATED EQUAL. First successful Slave Revolution Alexandre Petion, first president of Haiti supported Simon Bolivar in his fight to liberate South America from Spain. He gave: Asylum when he was initially defeated Soldiers – Money – Printing Press - Arms & Ammunitions With the sole condition that Slavery be abolished in all the liberated territories

Decolonization and Independence Movement in the Americas

The Impact of Haiti's Independence After losing most of Canadian territories to the British Ended France’s ambition to establish an Empire in America 1812: The Louisiana Territory was sold to the U. S. A. , doubling the size of the country

Response of the World To Haiti's Independence Thomas Jefferson refuses to recognize Haiti’s Independence Embargo on Haiti until The American Civil War – No access to American ports Haiti disinvited to 1 st Pan-American Congress – 1821 1838 -Haiti forced to pay indemnity to France =90, 000 gold francs ($21, 000, ooo) 1862: Recognition by the US: No taxes on US ships in Haitian ports Haiti humiliated repeatedly by US - Germany American Occupation – 1915 -1934

Haiti - the enemy The American Occupation FDR: If we can keep the Haitian with shoes fighting against those without shoes, we have nothing to fear from Haiti Reinforcement of Color Segregation Four mulatto presidents : Dartiguenave–Borno–Roy–Vincent After the Occupation: Lescot only promotes light skin officers and his cabinet includes almost exclusively mulattos Attack on Haitian identity Anti-superstition campaign – destruction (Theft) of Taino figurines 1937: Slaughter of 20, 000 Haitian and Haitiano-Dominican farmers on the Border Zone – No reaction in US or Haiti

New Hope for Haiti 1946: “Black” Revolution 1946: Dumarsais Estime is elected President of Haiti 1947: The Indemnity to France is paid (122 years) New Beginnings for Haiti Modernization of downtown Port-au-Prince Bicentennial of Port-au-Prince World’s Fair Participation of France, US, Italy, etc… Marian Anderson performs at the Theatre de Verdure Ambitious Agro-Industrial projects and Power plant Haiti is with Cuba the top touristic attraction of the Caribbean

Peligre Dam and the Development of the Artibonite Valley

Irrigation of the Artibonite Valley For Rice Production Enough rice to feed the population and export

Socio-Economic Impact of Rice in Haiti ODVA – 1/3 of the population in Artibonite region (Organization for the Development of the Artibonite Valley) Number of Farming Families Engaged in Rice Production 93, 000 Families (20% of population) Other Groups involved in the Rice Sector Supplemental agricultural workers =22, 000 Local traders = 8, 000 (buy paddy, dry it and mill it) Millers = 400 (process paddy to produce white rice) Venders i. e Madan Saras = 300 (bring rice to markets or sell to retail traders)

The destruction of Haitian Economy 1939 -1960 Replacement of Food crops by Cash Crops 1981: African Swine fever epidemic – destruction of all local Creole pigs –Replacement by US porkers )four footed princesses) The cost of the return of J-B Aristide Reduction of the tariffs on rice to 3%(the lowest) Interdiction by IMF to subsidize rice farmers Destruction of the poultry industry (market is flooded with US chicken claws, necks and gizzards) The repatriation without trials of all illegal immigrants to US Consequences: Farmers migrate to the cities(slums) Boat People to Florida and the Bahamas Migration to the Bateys in DR

Tariffs on Rice Trade Imposed by IMF Year Tariff Bound Tariff 50 % Dominican Rep 40% Haiti 1986 35% CARICOM 1999 25% Haiti 1995 3% Price Comparison of Local Variety to Imported Rice Fiscal Year 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Mme Gougousse 2. 2 4. 2 5. 8 8. 4 7. 2 6. 7 7. 3 Imported 2. 2 3. 7 5. 4 5 5. 6

The Roots of the Problem • Environmental Degradation • Unsustainable Agricultural techniques • Deforestation • Soil Erosion • Oil Embargo (Aristide-Clinton) • Economic Policies: Local and International • Lack of Access to Capital • Lack of Mechanization • Lack of Transportation • Lack of Storage Facilities • Inability to purchase high yield rice seeds • Land Tenure System • Lack of Governance • Poor condition of Irrigation Canals • Lack of Access to education and health care • Lack of security for farmers • Societal Factors • Lack of Support of Haitian Farmers

The Downward Spiral 2004 - Aristide sent to exile - Haiti declared failed state – under UN control Haitian Government marginalized Bill Clinton and Paul Farmer = Rulers of Haiti January 12, 2010: 7. 1 (rs) destroys Port-au-Prince and surrounding localities

Hatian Culture : Two Components African Contribution French (European) Contribution Results: Language: Creole Normand French Syntax Vocabulary: French, African, Taino, Spanish, English Religion : Vodou – (Makumba- Santeria – Obia) West African religious rituals (Fon, Ewe) Catholicism imposed by the Europeans and adopted in order to preserve ancestral practices Religious Syncretism

Mardi-Gras/Carnival

The Arts: Pre-Colombian Era Taino Sculptures and Cave paintings

The Arts Painting” “Naïve” or Primitive School Dewitt Peters - 1943 Centre d’Art – 1944 Best known: Prefete Duffaut, The Obin Brothers(Seneque and Philome), Castera Bazile, Jean-Baptiste Bottex Favorite themes: Voodoo -Landscapes – Rural Markets- Historic events

Modern Haitian Artists They are painters with artistic education. They are artists who have been educated, trained, and learned from other masters on how to refine their crafts. Most of those artists were molded in the French tradition. H. Lesser, Curator of Exhibits at the Charles Summer School Museum and Archives in Washington, D. C. , pointed out that although there is the European influence in those that went abroad, "the Haitian elements are also visible". Today, modernism transcends into vivid colors, renowned artistic styles such as surrealism, pointilism, and impressionism.

The new Generation of Artists Jean-Claude Garoute Christ Patrick Vilaire Paper Cut-Outs

The Plastic Arts Pottery Ceramic Wood Carving (Mahogany) Stone Carving Metal (copper jewels)

Music and Dance Double tradition: African: Drum at the center Other instruments: Vaksin – Maniboula, Tcha-Tcha, Tambou marengwen Ibo, Petro, Congo Twoubadou (Troubatour) Catherine Dunham European: Piano and Violin Waltz, Minuet, Quadrille Composer: Ludovic Lamothe Lina Mathon Blanchet

Music and Dance Fusion – Original Haitian Carmen Brouard Lynn Rouzier – Lavinia Williams Meringue: Issa-El-Saieh, Jazz des Jeunes Compas Direct: Nemours Jn-Baptiste Kompa: Mini-Jazz

Assault on Haitian Identity 1825: Youth Education entrusted to French Clerics Our Ancestors were Barbarians Anti-Superstition Campaign Lescot 2010 - Creation of School in Haiti (Labadee ) teaching in Esperanto 2010 - Creation of University teaching in Spanish Pat Robertson: Haiti’s problems stem from pact they made with the Devil to secure their independence Dominicans: We are White and God-fearing Catholics; Haitians are Blacks and Devil-worshippers

Assault on Haitian Identity Media portrayal – always slums and political strife Ever seen a positive image of Haiti on TV or in the Constant repetition of key phrases: Haiti the poorest country of the western Hemisphere Young Haitian-Americans ignorant of their ancestral past and ashamed of their country of origin

The Dessalinian – Haiti National Anthem Pour le pays Pour les Ancetres Marchons unis (bis) Dans nos rangs, point de traitres Du sol, soyons seuls maitres Marchons unis(bis) Pour le pays Pour les ancetres Marchons, Marchons unis Pour le pays Pour les ancetres For the country For our forefathers Let’s walk together (bis) Within our ranks, no traitor Of our soil, let’s be the only masters Let’s walk together (bis) For the country For our forefathers Let’s walk (ter) together For the country For the forefathers