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The Black Carib Wars: Freedom, Survival, and the Making of the Garifuna

Christopher Taylor

This book offers a thoroughly researched history of the struggle of the Garifuna people to preserve their freedom on the island of St. Vincent. Today, thousands of Garifuna people live in Honduras, ... More

This book offers a thoroughly researched history of the struggle of the Garifuna people to preserve their freedom on the island of St. Vincent. Today, thousands of Garifuna people live in Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and the United States, preserving their unique culture and speaking a language that directly descends from that spoken in the Caribbean at the time of Columbus. All trace their origins back to St. Vincent, where their ancestors were native Carib Indians and shipwrecked or runaway West African slaves—hence the name by which they were known to French and British colonialists: Black Caribs. In the 1600s they encountered Europeans as adversaries and allies. But from the early 1700s, white people, particularly the French, began to settle on St. Vincent. The treaty of Paris in 1763 handed the island to the British, who wanted the Black Caribs’ land to grow sugar. Conflict was inevitable, and in a series of bloody wars punctuated by uneasy peace the Black Caribs took on the might of the British Empire. Over decades, leaders such as Tourouya, Bigot, and Chatoyer organized the resistance of a society that had no central authority but united against the external threat. Finally, abandoned by their French allies, the Black Caribs were defeated, and the survivors deported to Central America in 1797. The book draws on extensive research in Britain, France, and St. Vincent to offer a compelling narrative of the formative years of the Garifuna people.Less

Carnival Is Woman: Feminism and Performance in Caribbean Mas

Frances Henry and Dwaine Plaza (eds)

What is most intriguing in the Carnivals today is the substantial increase in the number of women who play mas’ with some figures estimating as much as 70% of all players. This volume, probably the ... More

What is most intriguing in the Carnivals today is the substantial increase in the number of women who play mas’ with some figures estimating as much as 70% of all players. This volume, probably the first of its kind to concentrate solely on women in Carnival, normalizes the contemporary Carnival especially as it is playedin Trinidad and Tobago by demonstrating not only their numerical strength but the kind of mas’that is featured. The bikini and beads or bikini and feathers or 'pretty mas' is the dominant mas’ in today’s Carnival. The players of today, mainly women, are signifying or symbolizing by this form of mas’, their own newly found empowerment as females and their resistance to the older cultural norms of male oppression. Several chapters discuss in detail the commoditisation of Carnival in which sex is used to enhance tourism and provide striking visual images for magazines and websites. Several put the emphasis on the unveiling of the female body and the hip rolling sexual movements called “winin” or sometimes just “it” as in “use your it.” What most of these chapters have in common however is the emphasis on the performance of scantily clad female bodies and their movements and gyrations. This volume provides a feminist perspective to the understanding of Carnival today.Less

Haiti and the Americas

Carla Calarge, Raphael Dalleo, and Luis Duno-Gottberg (eds)

Haiti has long played an important role in the global perception of the western hemisphere, but ideas about it often appear paradoxical. Is it a land of tyranny and oppression or a beacon of freedom ... More

Haiti has long played an important role in the global perception of the western hemisphere, but ideas about it often appear paradoxical. Is it a land of tyranny and oppression or a beacon of freedom as the site of the world’s only successful slave revolution? A bastion of devilish practices or a devoutly religious island? Does its status as the second independent nation in the hemisphere give it special lessons to teach about postcolonialism, or is its main lesson one of failure? This book brings together an interdisciplinary group of essays to examine the influence of Haiti throughout the hemisphere, to contextualize the ways that Haiti has been represented over time, and to look at Haiti’s own cultural expressions in order to think about alternative ways of imagining its culture and history. Thinking about Haiti requires breaking through a thick layer of stereotypes. Haiti is often represented as the region’s nadir of poverty, of political dysfunction, and of savagery. Contemporary media coverage fits very easily into the narrative of Haiti as a dependent nation, unable to govern or even fend for itself, a site of lawlessness that is in need of more powerful neighbors to take control. Contributors to the book present a fuller picture, developing approaches that can account for the complexity of Haitian history and culture.Less

In Search of Ancient Kings: Egúngún in Brazil

Brian Willson

This book offers a rare glimpse into the Egúngún Society of Brazil, the Yorùbá-based society of ancestor worship, venerated through invocation of ritually clothed spirits. Existing contemporaneously ... More

This book offers a rare glimpse into the Egúngún Society of Brazil, the Yorùbá-based society of ancestor worship, venerated through invocation of ritually clothed spirits. Existing contemporaneously with the tradition of Candomblé, the work posits that the cult’s survival since slave times is a miracle of retention. Thriving initially only on the island of Itaparica, its geographical isolation enabled the society to maintain its ritual orthodoxy. Egúngún has historically been labeled masquerades, but the text argues against the use of this term. In three parts, the book first presents the author’s experiences and edited field notes from Brazil, a bold attempt to document the transmission of a West African indigenous heritage through the lens of a participant, culminating in the author’s initiation at a sanctioned temple in Rio de Janeiro. The text outlines the author’s forty-year involvement with African Diasporic religious traditions. Part two is a necessary historical overview of Egúngún in Yorùbáland and Brazil; the text compares and contrasts the society on both continents, supporting the thesis of African continuity. Part three is an historical reconstruction of Egúngún ritual lineages of Itaparica from the early 1800’s, and an interview with the author’s godfather, a high-ranking Ojé, who was initiated into Egúngún heritage through a prophetic letter from his grandfather whom he never met. The book argues for the propagation of Egúngún as a crucial element in African Diaspora spiritual practices, as perpetuated by the author’s original godmother in the US. The text contains affecting Yorùbá devotional poetry, and multiple photographs.Less

The Indian Caribbean: Migration and Identity in the Diaspora

Lomarsh Roopnarine

This book tells a distinct story of Indians in the Caribbean—one concentrated not only on archival records and institutions, but also on the voices of the people and the ways in which they define ... More

This book tells a distinct story of Indians in the Caribbean—one concentrated not only on archival records and institutions, but also on the voices of the people and the ways in which they define themselves and the world around them. The book explores previously marginalized Indians in the Caribbean and their distinct social dynamics and histories, including the French Caribbean and other islands with smaller South Asian populations. It pursues a comparative approach with inclusive themes that cut across the Caribbean. In 1833, the abolition of slavery in the British Empire led to the import of exploited South Asian indentured workers in the Caribbean. Today India bears little relevance to most of these Caribbean Indians. Yet, Caribbean Indians have developed an in-between status, shaped by South Asian customs such as religion, music, folklore, migration, new identities, and Bollywood films. They do not seem akin to Indians in India, nor are they like Caribbean Creoles, or mixed-race Caribbeans. Instead, they have merged India and the Caribbean to produce a distinct, dynamic local entity. The book does not neglect the arrival of nonindentured Indians in the Caribbean since the early 1900s. These people came to the Caribbean without an indentured contract or after indentured emancipation but have formed significant communities in Barbados, the US Virgin Islands, and Jamaica. The book contributes a thorough analysis of the Indo-Caribbean, among the first to look at the entire Indian diaspora across the Caribbean.Less

Island at War: Puerto Rico in the Crucible of the Second World War

Jorge Rodríguez "Beruff and José L. Bolivar "Fresneda (eds)

The Caribbean played an important military and strategic role during the Second World War that has not been sufficiently acknowledged in the numerous studies of that global conflict. They generally ... More

The Caribbean played an important military and strategic role during the Second World War that has not been sufficiently acknowledged in the numerous studies of that global conflict. They generally focus on major theatres of combat such as Europe or the Asia-Pacific region. However, the Caribbean also played a vital role in this conflict. Despite the importance of the topic, published scholarship on Puerto Rico’s involvement in the global conflict and its domestic impact was scarce until recently. Indeed the editors believe that Puerto Rico’s postwar transformation cannot be grasped without tracing its roots to the war years. However, most of this research has been published in Spanish and has not been readily accessible to English language readers. This book, though not a history of the war years in Puerto Rico, aims at providing readers with important insights on the multifaceted impact of the war, while opening a window to recent scholarly research. The authors of Island at War approach the war years in Puerto Rico with emphasis on military, political and economic aspects, but they also make reference to the relevance of cultural, social and human aspects. The essays, though representing diverse perspectives, are closely interrelated. Taken together, they provide a broad view and valuable insights on the crucial importance of the Second World War for Puerto Rican history and US-Puerto Rico relations.Less

The Legacy of Eric Williams: Into the Postcolonial Moment

Tanya L. "Shields (ed.)

This book provides an indispensable and significant understanding of Eric Williams’ contributions to the now independent nation of Trinidad and Tobago and his impact on the broader international ... More

This book provides an indispensable and significant understanding of Eric Williams’ contributions to the now independent nation of Trinidad and Tobago and his impact on the broader international understanding of the Caribbean. This book stands out because of its simultaneous investigation into Eric Williams as a scholar/intellectual, a political leader, and, most importantly, a key postcolonial figure. The book confronts the relevance of postcolonialism in understanding Williams’ role both in post-independence Trinidad and Tobago and in newer understandings of Caribbean globalization. The book divides into three broad sections. “Becoming Eric Williams” provides background on Williams and the Caribbean’s ontological quest, addressing what it means to be West Indian and Caribbean. “Political Williams” engages with his policies and their consequences, describing the impact of Williams’ political policies on several areas: integration, color stratification, and labor and public sector reform. Williams’ far-reaching political influence in these aspects cements his legacy as one of the main public intellectuals responsible for creating the modern Caribbean. “Textual Williams” examines his scholarly contributions from a more traditional academic perspective. These sections allow for a comprehensive understanding of Williams as a man, a scholar, and a politician.Less

Made in Mexico: Tradition, Tourism, and Political Ferment in Oaxaca

Chris Goertzen

This book examines the aesthetic, political, and sociopolitical aspects of tourism in southern Mexico, particularly in the state of Oaxaca. Tourists seeking “authenticity” buy crafts and festival ... More

This book examines the aesthetic, political, and sociopolitical aspects of tourism in southern Mexico, particularly in the state of Oaxaca. Tourists seeking “authenticity” buy crafts and festival tickets, and spend even more on travel expenses. What does a craft object or a festival moment need to look like or sound like to please both tradition bearers and tourists in terms of aesthetics? Under what conditions are transactions between these parties psychologically healthy and sustainable? What political factors can interfere with the success of this negotiation, and what happens when the process breaks down? With Subcommandante Marcos and the Zapatistas still operating in neighboring Chiapas and unrest on the rise in Oaxaca itself, these are not merely theoretical problems. The book analyzes the nature and meaning of a single craft object—a woven pillowcase from Chiapas—thus previewing what the book aims to accomplish in greater depth in Oaxaca. It introduces the book’s guiding concepts, especially concerning the types of aesthetic intensification that have replaced fading cultural contexts, and the tragic partnership between ethnic distinctiveness and oppressive politics. The book then brings these concepts to bear on crafts in Oaxaca and on Oaxaca’s Guelaguetza, the anchor for tourism in the state and a festival with an increasingly contested meaning.Less

The Sacred Language of the Abakuá

Lydia Cabrera

Ivor L. Miller and P. González Gómes-Cásseres (eds)

In 1988, Lydia Cabrera (1899–1991) published La lengua sagrada de los Ñáñigos, an Abakuá phrasebook that is to this day the largest work available on any African diaspora community in the Americas. ... More

In 1988, Lydia Cabrera (1899–1991) published La lengua sagrada de los Ñáñigos, an Abakuá phrasebook that is to this day the largest work available on any African diaspora community in the Americas. In the early 1800s in Cuba, enslaved Africans from the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon created Abakuá societies for protection and mutual aid. Abakuá rites reenact mythic legends of the institution’s history in Africa, using dance, chants, drumming, symbolic writing, herbs, domestic animals, and masked performers to represent African ancestors. Criminalized and scorned in the colonial era, Abakuá members were at the same time contributing to the creation of a unique Cuban culture, including rumba music, now considered a national treasure Translated for the first time into English, Cabrera’s lexicon documents phrases vital to the creation of a specific African-derived identity in Cuba and presents the first ‘insiders’ view of this African heritage. This text presents thoroughly researched commentaries that link hundreds of entries to the context of mythic rites, skilled ritual performance, and the influence of Abakuá in Cuban society and popular music. Generously illustrated with photographs and drawings, this volume includes a new introduction to Cabrera’s writing as well as appendices that situate this important work in Cuba’s history.Less