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UniSey language students learn about Creole identity |19 February 2016

 

Students from the University of Seychelles (UniSey) studying for a Bachelor of Arts in English and French attended a presentation entitled ‘What is a Creole identity’.

The lecture was given by Norwegian anthropologist Thomas Hyllan Eriksen.

Mr Eriksen is currently a professor of social anthropology at the University of Oslo, as well as the 2015-2016 president of the European Association of Social Anthropologists.

The term Creole and its cognates in other languages — such as crioulo, criollo, creolo, créole, kriolu, criol, kreyol, kreol, kriol, krio, etc. — have been applied to people in different countries and epochs, with rather different meanings.

The word ‘Creole’ means different things in different societies, but it is usually related to a history of slavery, plantations, enforced displacement and a Creole language.

Some substance to the term Creole represents a particular kind of social identity emerging out of the history of slavery, emancipation and subsequent independence.

He said the importance of the Creole identity is its openness, creativity and generosity.

“In today’s world the current way of looking at the identity is an alternative to fundamentalist and nationalism because it is open, inclusive and fluid. It can be in fact very important to you to try to export it abroad from the Creole world,” he said.

Speaking about Creole creativity as a peculiar way of creating something new, he indicated some characteristics that Creole territories and peoples have in common.

“What Creole societies have in common is usually their history,  which are mainly found in the Indian Ocean, Caribbean seas and some areas in the deep South of Northern America namely Louisiana,” he said.

The following ethnic groups have been historically characterised as ‘Creole’ peoples: Afro-Brazilian Crioulos, Aku Krio, Belizean Kriol, Cape Verdean Crioulos or Kriolos, Criollo, Fernandino Creole, Haitian Creole, Affranchis, Afro-Honduran, Liberian Creole, Louisiana Creole, Creoles of color, Mauritian Creole, Nigerian Creole, Seychellois Creole and Sierra Leone Creole.

He also pointed out that nearly all our popular music is Creole music.

“It came from that encounter, the meeting of the slaves and the slave owners so it’s African and European. So had it not been for slavery we would not have had jazz, blues or rock and roll,” he said.

Also present at the lecture was the dean of the faculty and lecturers of other courses.

Head of languages at the UniSey, Annie Laurette, said she took the opportunity while Mr Eriksen was in Seychelles to ask him to hold a presentation with the students so that they would better understand what is considered as Creole as it is not only a language but has the culture and identity that go along with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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