Complex landscape biographies: palimpsests of Fort-Liberté, Haiti

Abstract

Historically, the cultural landscape of northern Haiti has been severely impacted by Amerindian, Spanish, and African cultures. Historical accounts often consider only the transformations that left visible imprints in the environment, neglecting or overlooking other social changes. This research provides a new set of data, built upon results from mainly archaeological surveys. A landscape biographical approach is applied to capture the historic development of the Fort-Liberté region, Haiti. The discussion shows that the history of the region can be understood as a landscape palimpsest resulting from complex relations between different cultural groups over time.

Engaging with Colonial Archaeological Sites in Haiti

“…Besides the existing literature about the terms, we got insight into the different names from different localities in the South and North of Haiti. The immovable colonial remains demand a whole series of terms that reflect precise and varied concerns and objectives, including vye mazi (old hovel), bitasyon (dwelling), kay zansèt yo (house of the ancestors), vye ansyen kay (old houses), vye bagay ansyen (old thing), lakou (courtyard), pijiri (sugarcane purge), eritaj (heritage), vestiges, and ruins (De Cauna, 2013;Jean et al, 2021;Michel, 2021).…”

“…These relationships can take forms from recovering some of a site's components to build new houses, to maintaining its state for transmission to future generations-considering that it is heritage-to performing spiritual ceremonies at the sites. Considering how such sites are perceived in the community, archaeological studies of colonial plantations are able to bring out other narratives related to the past in the present day, namely those narratives related to historical memory and contemporary social practices related to eritaj (Haitian Creole) (Jean et al, 2021). Traces of ceremonial activities can also be observed at both colonial and postcolonial structures.…”

“…According to Rachelle Charlier-Doucet, in recent years, remains from the Indigenous and colonial periods seem to have suffered what she calls "the great indifference to places of memory in Haiti" (Charlier-Doucet, 2001, p. 58). The latter have been subject to looting, reusing, and appropriation for various purposes by individuals and members of contemporary communities (Jean et al, 2021). This is despite a strong interest in Haiti's historical heritage over the last three decades.…”

“…This paper proposes to study how certain remains of colonial plantations are reused in Haiti (Jean, 2019;Jean et al, 2021;Michel, 2021). Ancient colonial plantations places are subject to a process of "patrimonialization" (Michel, 2021) that takes on diverse and variable forms in time as well as in space; the process first concerns vestiges, monuments, and objects, then extends to intangible elements such as cultural and cultic practices.…”

Cuba: Arqueología y Legado Histórico, Ediciones Polymita SA. Ciudad de Guatemala, 2018, 230 págs., ISBN: 9929 667164

“…Los estudios sobre el patrimonio y su trascendencia para las historias y culturas del Caribe han cobrado mayor auge en las últimas décadas. Estos han ganado en diversidad de temas (Carrasquillo, 2018;Jean, Sonnemann & Hofman, 2021;Siegel & Righter, 2011;Timothy & Nyaupane, 2009), además de proliferar estudios con enfoques multidisciplinarios ligados a las importantes transformaciones y aperturas experimentadas por las Ciencias Sociales (Hofman, Ulloa Hung, Herrera Malatesta, Jean, Sonnemann & Hoogland, 2018;Hofman & Ulloa Hung, 2019).…”