Imposing Faith: The Catholic Campaign Against Indigenous Belief Systems

In French Guiana, indigenous tribes possessed well-established religious belief systems prior to French colonial rule. These belief systems were primarily based on animism and shamanism. Rituals and ceremonies were closely linked to the cycles of nature, and communities sought to live in harmony with natural forces.

With the advent of French colonialism, a process of religious hegemony was imposed. The arrival of French authorities was accompanied by the Catholic Church, which launched extensive missionary campaigns aimed at Christianizing the indigenous population. Specific measures were taken to undermine the spiritual authority of shamans, and this religious transition was often enforced through coercion and violence.

Despite these pressures, indigenous populations did not entirely abandon their traditional beliefs. Animist rituals were frequently maintained in secrecy and gradually blended with Christianity, giving rise to distinct forms of religious syncretism. One such syncretic belief system that emerged from this process is Vaudou (also known as Vodou or Voodoo).

The Pilou-Pilou: A Banned Dance of Memory and Resistance

Since 1853, when this island archipelago became a French colony, a systematic policy of assimilation was pursued against the culture of the indigenous Kanak people. As a result of...

Penal Colonies: The Forced Labor Foundations of New Caledonia

From the mid-nineteenth century onward, New Caledonia became for France not merely a remote island in the Pacific, but one of the central pillars of its imperial penal policy. Following the official a...

1877: The Abolition of a Reserve and the Theft of Kanak Land

The land exploitation affecting the villages of Pierra and Mérézi constitutes a clear example of France’s colonial policy of land confiscation and dispossession in New Caledonia. This policy involved...

Colonial Gold: The Montagne d’Or Project and Lasting Exploitation in French Guiana

Group (AMG) is one of the leading French companies operating in the gold-mining sector in French Guiana. Sources such as the French Geological Survey (BRGM) and the journal Mining provide statistical...

Tests, Lies, and Legacy: Radioactive Colonialism in French Polynesia

French Polynesia, a tropical archipelago located in the South Pacific, is known not only for its natural beauty and cultural richness, but also for having been the site of some of the darkest nuclear...

Colonial Contamination: Gold Mining and Environmental Degradation in French Guiana

In French Guiana, gold mining is particularly widespread. The mining process involves the use of heavy metals such as mercury, which leads to the contamination of water bodies and soil. As mercury is...

Kanak Ossuary: A Funerary Artifact of Architectural Reuse

The term “ossuaire” refers to places or containers used for the storage of human bones, particularly where skeletal remains are gathered and preserved. Ossuaries are typically found in ...

The Saponé Headdress: From Enthronement Ritual to Protected Heritage

The “Saponé” headdress is a traditional accessory made from woven straw and decorated with leather. It takes its name from the village of Sapone, where it is primarily produced. Sapone is located appr...

Bogolan: A Malian Textile Woven with Earth and Symbolism

“Bogolan” – African Textile Art (Mali)The term “Bogolan” literally means “made with earth” in the Bambara language. This centuries-old technique originated in Mali. Although it has also been adopted i...

Gwoka: The Seven Rhythms of Memory and Resistance

Gwoka music is a musical genre performed on percussion instruments by people of African descent living in Guadeloupe. Gwoka emerged during the period of slavery and is composed of ...

From Forbidden Fabrics to Forced Assimilation: Colonial Dress Code

French Guiana, as a region with a rich and diverse ethnic composition, has for centuries been home to a wide range of Indigenous and African-descended peoples who developed distinctive cultural expres...

Salouva and Batik: Dismantling a Heritage Through Clothing

The peoples living on this island have, for centuries, possessed distinct cultural traditions and customs, with traditional clothing forming an inseparable part of their identity. However, a...

From Slave Resistance to Creole Identity: Réunion's Cultural Tapestry

The national cultural heritage of Réunion Island encompasses a rich legacy shaped by the interweaving of African, Indian, Malagasy, and European cultures. Traditional decorative objects include basket...

The Dimitile Maroons Museum: A Memorial to Freedom in the Mountains

The Dimitile Maroons Museum (Musée du Marronnage de Dimitile), located on Réunion Island, is both a site of historical memory and a symbolic space of anti-colonial resistance. The museum is situated i...

The 2017 General Strike: Guiana's Awakening Against Colonial Neglect

The “Pou Lagwiyann Dékolé” movement (“Let Guiana Take Off”) was a large-scale popular uprising that emerged in March–April 2017 in French Guiana, in response to deep-rooted social,...