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At the time that Christopher Columbus arrived in Haiti in 1492, the island was occupied by Arawak Indians who referred to their island as “Hayti,” which means “mountainous land.” Haitian culture has a relatively violent history that imbeds slavery, rebellion, imperialism, but also an early independence. France ruled the island and drained it of wealth until 1791, when slaves revolted. In 1804 the island became the world’s first independent black nation; however, for the next century and a half the country was ruled by dictators. Although long-term regimes have failed to rule Haiti during the late 1900s, the country continues to be impoverished and politically unstable. Native Haitians are known for their artwork, in particular their paintings. Our holdings consist of intricately carved wooden sculptures. (information on Haiti from www.medalia.net/Hhistory).
Slavery, Voodoo, & Modern Culture
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The French held
Haiti for several centuries, and they depended heavily on slaves from
Africa to maintain an economic base.
Africans brought voodoo with them, which created a religious
division between slaves and Catholics accentuating existing cultural
differences. Eventually a class system
became entrenched distinguishing light-skinned Catholic French speaking
people from dark-skinned, voodoo-worshipers who spoke Creole.
Slavery shaped modern Haitian culture as much as it has any in the world. This heritage is found today in a proud culture. For example, the wood carving to the left is a common form depicting a rising slave with a chain around his ankle. Other carvings held by the museum reflect either slave history or native elements of culture. For example, our carved turtle boxes likely reflect native Taino artistic influence; turtles symbolize their ancestral mother. Information from from www.medalia.net/Hhistory). |
Click on the links below to see our Haitian material culture collection and a map of Haiti.
| Map of Haiti |
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Haitian Material Culture |  |
