Fort-de-France (global-adventures.us): During the last 500 years, most Caribbean islands changed hands several times. The British, French, and Spanish navies fought it out most of the time, but the Swedes, Danes and later the Americans did get involved occasionally. On many of the 7,000 islands, islets, and reefs that form the West Indies, the struggle for political and/or economic independence continues.
Guadeloupe and Martinique are no exceptions. When Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492, the Spanish described the local Arawak population as peaceful and primitive. Since Spain had little interest in the islands, they were claimed by France in 1635 and ruled by the French and British with a short Swedish stunt throughout history. La Désirade east of Guadeloupe was used as leper colony for two centuries. The leprosarium, run by the Catholic Sisters of Charity, closed in 1954. A chapel, a cemetery east of Baie Mahault, and some dark stories are the only reminders of the plague.
In 1946, Guadeloupe and Martinique became overseas departments of France and as such, are part of the European Union. The inhabitants are French citizens with full political and legal rights, and the Euro is the legal tender. With a per capita GDP of Euro 19,607 (2008 figure), the islands enjoy a higher standard of living than most Caribbean countries.
Nevertheless, strikes have rattled Guadeloupe and Martinique in recent years and questions were raised about their future. The strikes exposed deep ethnic, racial, and class disparities, and tourism suffered greatly during this time. The béké or beke, a Creole term used to describe descendants of the early French settlers, continue to control most local economic activities. A documentary directed by Romain Bolzinger, titled “The Last Masters of Martinique,” aired February 5, 2009 on French national TV station Canal+ and sparked a controversy that rattled the Caribbean and parts of Europe.
During a visit to Guadeloupe in June 2009, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that "Guadeloupe is French, and will remain French.” While ruling out full independence, Sarkozy offered Martiniquans a referendum on the island's future status. In January 2010, voters in the French Caribbean territory overwhelmingly rejected the option of greater autonomy. However, tensions will remain high in a Caribbean paradise where about 70 percent of the residents in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe's largest city, live in public housing.
Exploring the islands where diverse ecosystems, active volcanoes, a modern infrastructure, and famous French cuisine attract tourists, but unemployment and poverty rates remain double those found in metropolitan France is the focus of the photography project “The last béké of Martinique.” Our partner site Imagine Your World (IYW) has started a Kickstarter initiative to get this project off the ground. Funds donated will be used to document the day-to-day life on the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Throughout the expedition, IYW will post photographs, life reports, and short movies on www.imagine-your-world.com when an Internet connection becomes available. The unique culture of the French West Indies will be highlighted in an e-book after the trip.
