BROKEN SHACKLES

Photo by Kimara Dyer      -The 'Neg Mawon' Monument, Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica 

The ‘Neg Mawon’ (Dominican French Patois) monument in English to be known as the Black (Negro) Maroons monument is a historic sculpture located at the roundabout, on the corner of Turkey Lane, Victoria Street and Castle Street, Roseau, Dominica.  The monument depicts the Neg Mawon Emancipation movement on the island in 1838. It symbolizes the victory over hardship and a mark of resilience and force. The sculpture honors Dominica’s African Ancestors and the contribution to the diverse culture. This is elaborated in the articles of Kerns (1993) and Kostof (1991) as they speak about the design of urban spaces, how these urban spaces were influenced by history, and the impact that it has on contemporary culture.

The statue is carved in the shape of a male human being. This sculpture portrays a man who was once enslaved but now has been freed due to the Emancipation Act of 1838. With only a pair of short pants up to the knee indicates the dressing of the slaves in the past. Carved on the wrists of the hands are broken shackles which reveals that the slaves were once chained but are now broken and allows us to be free today.  The sculpture also exemplifies the influence of the colonial rule on the islands culture. The slaves from Africa came to Dominica with their original beliefs and practices from their homeland. However, while working on the plantations under the control of the British and French, these beliefs and practices have been mixed and altered as time progressed. As a result, one main area of Dominica’s culture which is a result of this combination is the language. Though the dominant language spoken is English, the Dominican population speaks fluent French patois as well. French patois is the language of ‘broken French’ which has been influenced when the island was ruled by the French. It was developed to create a language different from the Europeans for effective communication against the Europeans.

Additionally, the conch shell was carved in this monument as it has a significant historical meaning. The conch shell is used as a horn because of the loud sound given off when blown. It is used as a means of communication to alert the entire community that something is taken place. The conch shell has been a part of the rich culture of the island as it is used to create music by local band such as WCK. It is also used by fishermen. After capturing fish, the fishermen walk through every nearby community blowing the conch shell alerting that fresh fish is for sale. It is still a common practice in villages today! When placing the conch shell next to the ear, it elicits the sound of the surrounding environment where it is found, and most often that reflects the waves of the Caribbean Sea/ Ocean.  

The Neg Mawon Monument was constructed by Mr. Franklyn Zamore, a retired local welder on the island of Dominica. August 1^st 2015 marked the 177^th Anniversary of Dominica’s emancipation from slavery.

The video clip below plays a popular ‘bouyon’ (local band music) song from one of Dominica’s local bands-'WCK'.  The music has a combination of the French patois and English as well as the conch shell used as an instrument. This music is most prominently played throughout the carnival season.

(Throughout the song, Conch Shell Instrument played most prominent at 4:23 and French Patois sung most prominent at 1:20)

References:

Kostof, Spiro. 1991. The city shaped: Urban patterns and meanings through history. Thames and Hudson.

Kearns, Gerry, and Chris Philo. 1993. "Culture, history, capital: A critical introduction to the selling of places." Selling places: The city as cultural capital, past and present 1-32.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bhHyrpKxZE