Mauritius Independence Day 2011

Today Mauritius celebrate  its 43rd anniversary of independence.

Rosabelle Boswell, Le Malaise Creole: Ethnic Identity In Mauritius

ROSABELLE BOSWELL, Le Malaise Creole: ethnic identity in Mauritius. New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books. 2006.

Le malaise Creole (the Creole malaise) refers to the persistence of poverty, social problems and political marginalization amongst Creoles of mixed, African or Malagasy descent, who comprise 29 per cent of the Mauritian population (the remainder is 66 per cent Indo-, 3 per cent Sino-, and 2 per cent Franco-Mauritian). Boswell examines four established (and interdependent) interpretations of the phenomenon through the lens of her ethnographic research amongst Creoles in Mauritius. In the first interpretation, le malaise Creole is seen as a consequence of dispossession and physical and psychological violence under slavery, which had a fragmenting impact upon identity, solidarity and economy (although, as Boswell goes on to argue, this fails to account for the continuing Creole evocation of both primordial and hybrid identities). In the second interpretation, le malaise Creole is a social pathology resulting from the lack of a pre-existing, underlying Creole identity (as Boswell points out, this does not explain the existence of other, more positive Creole responses to oppression). Third, Boswell outlines the claim that the African heritage and hybridity of Creoles (rather than their experiences of colonialism and slavery per se) has resulted in their destructive tendencies (a primordialist and essentialist claim that Boswell is quick to refute). Finally, Boswell outlines the suggestion that le malaise Creole is a concept deployed by Creole political and socio-cultural groups to homogenize and mobilize Creoles (she notes that this view fails to recognize the continuing impact of slavery on Creoles' access to resources in Mauritius).

buy

Père Laval

Father Jacques Desiré Laval (known locally as Père Laval) was born in France in 1803 and brought up in strict religious atmosphere, qualifying as a medical doctor before becoming a priest. In 1841, he arrived in Mauritius as a missionary converting thousand of recently freed slaves to catholism. But his popularity amongst the Mauritian people was based on his campaign for better working and living conditions to the Creoles becoming known as the Apostle of the blacks. He lived with the Creoles, learned the language, fasted when supplies were short, and slept in a packing crate. His medical training was useful to his ministry, as he worked to improve conditions in agriculture, sanitation, medicine, and science.

He died on 9 September 1864 and was beatified in 1979 and is regarded as the Island national Saint. He is venerated by followers of all faith who attribute miraculous healing power to his name. Throughout September people of all around the world flock in Sainte-Croix to join the yearly pilgrimage in his honour.