Dominicans (Dominica)
Dominicans (Dominica)
PRONUNCIATION: dah-men-EEK-uhns
LOCATION: Dominica
POPULATION: 72,514
LANGUAGE: English; kwéyòl (French-based dialect)
RELIGION: Roman Catholicism; small groups of Anglicans, Methodists, Pentecostals, Baptists, and Seventh-Day Adventists, Baha'is, and Rastafarians
INTRODUCTION
Dominica (pronounced dah-men-EEK-uh) is the most mountainous island in the Lesser Antilles. Historically, its rugged terrain delayed foreign settlement, and more recently it has slowed the pace of modernization on the island. Today, Dominica—popularly referred to as "the nature island of the Caribbean"—remains among the world's few locations with virtually untouched tropical rain forests. The island is also home to the Lesser Antilles' largest enclave of the Amerindians from whom the Caribbean takes its name—the Caribs, most of whom live on a reserve on its northeast coast.
The Caribs inhabited the island, which they called Waitikubuli, when it was sighted by Christopher Columbus on a Sunday (dies dominica) in 1493. The Spanish did not attempt to colonize Dominica, which was the object of a political tug-ofwar between the French and British throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, with both nations simultaneously attempting to subdue the Caribs as well. In 1805 the French finally gave up all claims to Dominica, which remained a British colony until it gained its independence in 1978. However, because of the lengthy French presence on the island as well as the proximity of the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, the cultural influence of the French endured.
By 1834, when the British Empire emancipated its slaves, Africans brought to labor on the island's coffee and sugar plantations made up a majority of the population. In 1902 the once-powerful Caribs, reduced to dire circumstances, sought better land and increased recognition from the British and were granted 3,700 acres in the northeast of the island, where they still live on what is known today as Carib Territory. In spite of economic progress under the direction of colonial administrator Henry Hesketh Bell between 1899 and 1905, Dominica remained relatively poor and undeveloped during the first half of the 20th century, its fragile economy vulnerable to the disruptions of worldwide depression and war.
By the 1950s, however, British government assistance, agricultural expansion, and exploitation of the island's abundant hydroelectric resources inaugurated a period of development and relative prosperity. In 1951 universal adult suffrage was granted by the British government, followed by a new constitution in 1960 and complete internal autonomy by 1967. The independent Commonwealth of Dominica came into being on 3 November 1978.
In 1980 Dame Mary Eugenia Charles, head of the Democratic Freedom Party, became the first female head of government in the Caribbean. Reelected in 1985 and 1990, Dame Charles retired in 1995 at the age of 76. Since then, Dominica's citizens have had regular democratic elections.
In 1995, Mary Eugenia Charles was succeeded as prime minister by Edison James who led an ambitious program of economic diversification allowing the creation of off-shore business. In 2000, Roosevelt Bernard Douglas was elected prime minister, but his mandate was extremely brief. After only eight months in the office, Bernard Douglas was found dead in his house. Douglas was replaced by Pierre Charles, who continued his successor program of government. In 2005, Roosevelt Skerrit became the prime minister of Dominica. During his tenure, Skerrit has tightened the relations with China, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Economically, Dominica depends mainly on agriculture and exports bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, and cocoa. During the last decades, tourism has increased notably on the island as the government has promoted Dominica as an ecotourism destination. A fundamental aspect in the marketing campaign of Dominica is to sell its image as a natural paradise. Dominica has been nicknamed "Nature Isle of the Caribbean." One of the principal destinations is the mountainous rainforest where it is possible to find and observe rare species of plants, animals, and birds.
With the objective of attracting foreign investments, Dominica eliminated price controls and privatized the state banana company. The government has been attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is researching Dominica's capability to export geothermal energy.
LOCATION AND HOMELAND
Although usually regarded as the northernmost of the British-speaking Windward Islands, Dominica is actually at the midpoint of the Lesser Antilles and could also be grouped with the Leeward Islands. Facing the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Caribbean Sea to the west, it is nearly equidistant from Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique to the south. Dominica's area of 750 sq km (290 sq mi) is slightly more than four times the size of Washington, D.C. Rainfall on Dominica is extremely heavy, and much of the land is covered by dense and largely unexploited rain forests containing rare wildlife species. Hundreds of rivers and streams flow into gorges, forming natural pools and crater lakes. One of the island's most unusual natural features is the volcanically bubbling Boiling Lake, the second-largest lake of its kind in the world. An egg will supposedly boil within three minutes in its 92°c (198°f) waters.
A central mountain ridge runs from Cape Melville in the north to the island's southern cliffs. Its highest point, Morne Diablotins, rises to 1,448 m (4,747 ft), the second-highest mountain in the Lesser Antilles. Several national parks surround the mountains, most notably the Morne Trois Pitons National Park in the southern part of the island. One geographical feature that has been of great consequence to Dominica is its location just west of the chief point of origin of the hurricane belt. Hurricanes David and Frederick in 1979 caused more than 40 deaths and 2,500 injuries, leaving two-thirds of the population homeless and causing extensive crop damage.
Estimates of Dominica's population vary from 72,000 to around 80,000. About one-third of the country's residents live in the capital city of Roseau and the surrounding area. With a population density of about 37 people per sq km (95 people per sq mi), Dominica is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the Caribbean region. The majority of Dominicans is of African or mixed descent, with smaller minorities of Carib or European ancestry. The Carib population numbers approximately 3,400, most of whom live on a 3,700-acre reserve in the northeast called the Carib Territory. Bataka is the largest of its eight hamlets, and other settlements include Sinecou and Salybia.
The Caribs, whose language is no longer spoken, are striving to preserve the remaining vestiges of their culture, which has been eroded by intermarriage and the introduction of Western religion and customs to the island. They do not celebrate the nation's November 3rd Independence Day because it also commemorates the date in 1493 when Columbus first sighted the island, an event that ultimately led to their political, economic, and cultural decline. Most of Dominica's remaining Caribs are of mixed ancestry—full-blooded Caribs are said to number 50 or fewer.
LANGUAGE
While English is the official language of Dominica, most of the population also speaks a French-based patois, or dialect, called kwéyòl (derived from the word "Creole"). While kwéyòl is a distinctive language unique to Dominica, it has elements in common with the dialects spoken on St. Lucia and other islands with French-influenced cultures. Kwéyòl is a source of pride among Dominicans and is increasingly being used in print. A kwéyòl dictionary was published in 1991. Cocoy, a type of Pidgin English, is spoken in the villages of Marigot and Wesley in northeastern Dominica, which were originally settled by freed slaves from Antigua.
KWÉÒL (PRONOUNS) | STANDARD ENGLISH |
mwen/mon | I |
ou | you (singular) |
I | he/she/it |
nou | we |
zò | you (plural) |
yo | they |
Simple sentences: | |
Sa ki non'w? | What is your name? |
Non mwen sé Paul. | My name is Paul |
Bon jou, Misyé. | Good day, sir |
Bonn apwé midi. | Good afternoon |
Bon swé. | Good night |
Mon swèf. | I am thirsty |
Mon fen. | I am hungry |
Mon pa fen. | I am not hungry |
Jodi sé yon bèl jou. | Today is a beautiful day |
Lapli ka tonbé. | It is raining |
Byenvini. | Welcome |
FOLKLORE
According to a Carib legend, a giant boa constrictor called the Master Boa has lived for centuries in a hole on Morne Diablotin. The Escalier Tête-Chien (Master Boa's Staircase), a basalt formation near Sineku, is said to be the spot where the snake crawled onto the island from its original home at the bottom of the sea. Looking at the Master Boa is supposed to be fatal unless a person has abstained from both food and sex for a certain number of days beforehand.
Many Dominicans believe in obeah, a collection of quasi-religious beliefs and practices derived from Africa. Obeah is believed to have the power both to heal the sick and harm one's enemies, and its practices include the use of herbal potions.
Flying witches called suquiyas are the subjects of a number of Dominican proverbs.
RELIGION
The historical French influence on Dominica left the island's population predominantly Roman Catholic. About 80% of Dominicans belong to the Catholic Church. Smaller groups belong to the Anglican, Methodist, Pentecostal, Baptist, and Seventh-Day Adventist churches, and the Baha'i and Rastafarian religions are represented as well. The Caribs' religious practices combine features of Christianity, such as belief in Jesus, the saints, heaven, and hell, with the nature worship inherited from their ancestors.
MAJOR HOLIDAYS
Dominica's public holidays are New Year's Day (January 1), Carnival (February 14–15), Good Friday and Easter Monday (late March or early April), May Day (May 1), Whit Monday, August Monday (August 1), National Day—also called Independence Day (November 3), Community Service Day (November 4), and Christmas Day and Boxing Day (December 25 and 26). The main religious holidays are Christmas and Easter. Tou Saintes (All Saints' Day) is celebrated on November 1. The country's largest festival is Carnival, which occurs on the two days preceding Ash Wednesday and is marked by masquerades, calypso contests, feasting, street dancing ("jump ups"), and parties. In keeping with the history of Carnival as an "anything goes" affair, slander and libel laws are suspended for the duration of the festivities.
Independence Day on November 3 commemorates the date in 1978 when Dominica became an independent nation with speeches, parades, and calypso music. On Creole Day, usually the Friday before Independence Day, Dominicans celebrate and display their Creole heritage by wearing traditional costumes; conducting all business in kwéyòl, their native dialect; eating distinctly Dominican dishes such as crapaud (frogs' legs); and listening and dancing to Dominican folk music.
RITES OF PASSAGE
Major life transitions, such as birth, marriage, and death, are marked by religious ceremonies according to each Dominican's faith community.
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS
The majority of Dominicans are of African descent. Some of them have European, Syrian, and Caribbean blood. Dominica is the only island with a distinctive group of Carib Amerindians, descendants of the aborigines that inhabited the territory before the Spanish conquest. Today, this pure-blooded community lives in a Carib Reservation.
Dominicans are known for being more reserved than some of their neighbors in the Caribbean, and they place a high value on good manners. A common greeting is "Cakafete," the equivalent of "How are you?"
LIVING CONDITIONS
Dominica is one of the poorest nations in the Caribbean. Many Dominicans live in single-story wooden houses with corrugated iron roofs, typically protected from the island's heavy rainfall by wide overhangs and an absence of porches. Average life expectancy is 74 years for males and 80 years for females, and the infant mortality rate is 9.9 deaths per 1,000 live births. Health care is provided at local clinics, 12 health centers, and the 136-bed Princess Margaret Hospital in Roseau. There are also hospital facilities at Portsmouth, Marigot, and Grand Bay.
Dominica has about 700 km (435 mi) of roads, of which 370 km (230 mi) are paved and much of the rest is blacktopped. In spite of the relatively good condition of the roads following major improvements in 1986, travel can be tortuous on these narrow, winding mountain thoroughfares: it commonly takes up to 40 minutes to travel the 10 km (6 mi) from the capital city of Roseau to the nearby fishing village of Scott's Head. Roseau is the country's main port. There are plans for the construction of a new international airport to encourage expansion of the tourist industry.
In 2000, the unemployment rate was about 23% and, two years later, 30% of Dominicans were living under the poverty line.
FAMILY LIFE
In addition to formal marriages, Dominicans also enter into common-law relationships (living together—with or without children—without being married) and "visiting unions," where the man and woman live apart (essentially, female-headed households).
CLOTHING
The Dominicans wear modern Western-style clothing. However, on Creole Day and other special occasions women still wear the traditional national costume: the brightly colored jupe (a skirt with lace petticoats), la wobe douilette (a wide blouse), and a madras hat called tete case.
FOOD
Dominican cuisine combines French, English, and African influences. Dietary staples include fish, yams, and other vegetables. The ti-ti-ri is a tiny whitefish found in Dominican rivers and served fried with garlic and lime. The most distinctive local food in Dominica is probably mountain chicken, which is not actually chicken but rather the legs of the crapaud, a local species of frog. Other regional favorites include crab backs (stuffed crabshells), boija, a coconut-cornmeal bread, and funchi, a cornmeal-and-okra pudding. Cassava bread is a staple among the Carib population. One popular beverage is a sea-moss drink—made from vanilla, algae, and milk, and resembling a vanilla milkshake—which is also a favorite in Grenada. Another local drink, Bwa bande (brewed from the bark of the tree of the same name), is reputed to enhance male sexual potency.
EDUCATION
The adult literacy rate in Dominica is approximately 94%. Historically, the Catholic Church has played an important role in education. Widespread access to public education was not attained until the 1960s. By the 1980s, all but 2 of the nation's 66 primary schools were government-operated, and the secondary schools (which currently number 10) were equally divided between the government and the church. Before the 1960s, few students received a secondary education because rural areas had no secondary schools, and the island's mountainous terrain and precarious roads prohibited traveling to cities or towns to attend school.
Primary and secondary education is based on the British system of grade levels called "forms." Children attend school from age 5 to 15, at which point they are in the third form (equivalent to eighth grade in the United States). As of the late 1980s, there were no laws making school attendance mandatory. While family circumstances make it necessary for a number of school-age young people to work part- or full-time, families and communities place a strong emphasis on academic achievement as one of the few means of social and economic advancement available on the island.
Most students end their secondary schooling in the fifth form (equivalent to tenth grade), except for a relative few who continue their studies in order to qualify for admission to a university. Dominica has a teacher training college, a nursing school, and a technical college, and the University of the West Indies also offers programs on the island. Many qualified Dominican students have been unable to attend college for financial reasons. The United States, Great Britain, Canada, and France have offered assistance by making scholarships and other forms of financial aid available to Dominican students.
CULTURAL HERITAGE
Dominican-born novelist Jean Rhys (1894–1979) is mostly associated with Europe, where she spent much of her life. However, West Indian speech patterns figure in several of her short stories, Caribbean scenes appear in her 1934 novel, Voyage in the Dark, and her last work, Wide Sargasso Sea (1966), is set in the Caribbean. Phyllis Shand Allfrey was a poet and novelist who returned to Dominica in the 1950s after being educated in the United States and England. In addition to writing The Orchid House, her only completed novel, she was an editor of two Dominican newspapers and served as a cabinet minister in the short-lived West Indian Federation of the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Orchard House was adapted for film by British television in 1990. Lennox Honychurch, author of The Dominica Story: A History of the Island and Our Island Culture, is a well-known contemporary Dominican historian, folklorist, and painter.
Alwin Bully, co-author of Speak Brother Speak, is a well-known Dominican playwright and founding member of the Peoples' Action Theatre. He has also written radio plays and musicals. Dominica also has a School of Dance and a professional dance troupe, the Waitukubuli Dance Company, whose name is based on the island's original Carib name. The Carib Territory is home to several notable visual artists, including Faustulus Frederick and Jacob Frederick.
WORK
The Dominican labor force totals about 25,000 people, of whom an estimated 40% are employed in agriculture (including food processing), while industry and commerce employ 32%, and the rest work in other sectors of the economy. The standard work day is eight hours long. Officially unemployment is at 10%, but the actual figure is thought to be closer to 15%, and a number of Dominicans have sought work on St. Thomas and other nearby islands.
Per capita income on Dominica is the lowest of any country in the Antilles. Earnings are low for workers in agriculture and commerce alike. The distribution of land on the island favors the operators of large estates, which are located on deep soil near the coast, rather than small farmers, who often have to contend with erosion-prone plots on the steep terrain of the island's interior. They traditionally call these small plots gardens.
SPORTS
The nation's most popular sports are cricket and football (soccer). Major cricket games draw thousands of fans, and the game is especially popular in the Carib Territory. Other favorites include volleyball, basketball, and squash.
ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION
Dominican men, like their counterparts in other parts of the Caribbean, enjoy whiling away their leisure hours playing dominoes in one of the many rum shops on the island. Popular music on the island embraces a number of styles—reggae, zouk, cadance, and others.
FOLK ART, CRAFTS, AND HOBBIES
Traditional Dominican dances include the quadrille, jing-ping, heel-and-toe, and bélé. The typical jing-ping band consists of an accordion, a bass instrument called a boom-boom, and a percussion instrument called a shak-shak. The Carib Territory has 16 craft shops that turn out intricately woven and colorful-ly dyed straw hats, baskets, and other woven goods. The Caribs are also known for their carved canoes. Other crafts on Dominica include mats woven from a special grass called vertivert.
SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Dominica's already sparse water supply is further threatened by pollution from agricultural chemicals, untreated sewage, and industrial waste. Dominica has been used by international drug traffickers as a transshipment point for narcotics.
GENDER ISSUES
Even though the government of Dominica ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1989, economic resources for accomplishing this task remain minimal. Domestic violence cases are common, but there are no specific laws criminalizing spousal abuse. In addition, the law does not prohibit sexual harassment, which is a significant problem for Dominican women.
While there is little open discrimination against women, cultural instances of discrimination exist. Also, property ownership continued to be deeded to heads of households, who are usually male. When the male head of household dies without a will, the wife may not inherit or sell the property, although she may live in it and pass it to her children.
Regarding labor, the law establishes fixed pay rates for specific civil service jobs, regardless of gender. However, women account for 53% of unemployed in the country, which results partly from the continuing decline of the banana export industry. Although there are some women in managerial or high-level positions, most women work as shopkeepers, nurses, or in education.
Dominican women are underrepresented in positions where they can sufficiently influence the power and decision-making process. This is apparent at all levels, from the highest political level to local government and managerial positions. On an average there is about a 30% female membership in local authority. There are six women who head village councils, and there were only two women in the 30-seat legislature: an elected parliamentary representative who also serves in the cabinet and a senator appointed by the president.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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———. Our Island Culture. Roseau, Dominica: Dominican National Cultural Council, 1988.
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—revised by C. Vergara