FROM TAINO SUNS TO PHOENIX FLAMES

Clermont, a Haitian American judge, chronicles the layers of Haiti’s culture from the indigenous Taíno to the 20th century in a tribute to the island nation that also serves as a call to action.

The story lovingly portrays the mythology, agriculture, trade, and spiritual practices of pre-colonial Haitian society, calling it a “symphony of ecological intelligence, spiritual reverence, and social cohesion” and introducing historical figures, including Taíno poet Anacaona and Guarionex, the cacique of Maguá. This idyllic society is brutally interrupted by the arrival of Christopher Columbus, described as a “storm masquerading as salvation.” No detail is spared in viscerally recounting the atrocities of Columbus and the French colony that followed. Clermont juxtaposes the ideals of the Europeans with their actions, calling attention to the hypocrisy of Enlightenment ideology as renowned figures of the time “betrayed their own principles in pursuit of wealth, status, or national pride” and “Governors quoted Rousseau while drafting plantation ordinances.” He also explores the racism of those who theorized that Africans were “durable enough to survive plantation economies.” As Clermont recounts life under colonial oppressors, the 1791 uprising of enslaved people that would eventually lead to the founding of the country of Haiti feels inevitable and necessary. Historically important Haitian revolutionaries, such as Toussaint L’Ouverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and military general Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, make appearances, and the author emphasizes the influence of Haiti and Haitians on the wider history of the Americas, including the American Revolution, the liberation of Venezuela, the Louisiana Purchase, and the founding of Chicago. The brief mentions of what happens to the nation after its independence may compel readers to additional sources, as some events and ideas are mentioned multiple times without elaboration. Overall, however, this unflinching look at colonialism offers an important perspective. The author’s passion for his subject is clear, and its recommendations of how Haiti might thrive again are carefully considered.

A fine reference about Haiti’s past and a guide to building its future.