The Vancouver Numismatic Society
THE ASSERTION OF HAITIAN POLITICAL AND CULTURAL INDEPENDENCE FROM FRANCE by Peter N. Moogk
The 200th anniversary of Haiti's independence in 2004 was an opportunity to issue a series of banknotes celebrating the heroes of the black islanders' war against French rule. It had been a struggle of former African slaves against their European masters. What is remarkable about this series of notes is that they use conventional French texts and parallel ones in the local Creole dialect. Earlier Haitian currency used standard French alone. Creole is the common language of Haiti's population of about ten or eleven million. Its vocabulary is clearly derived from French, as in "Bisantane Endependans Dayiti" (bicentenaire de l'indpependance d'Haiti). The grammar, however, is influenced by West African languages and Creole incorporates some Spanish and Portuguese words. The 1987 constitution gave official recognition to the islanders' everyday speech. Creole was made an official language, whereas French was considered to be the language of educational institutions. The use of Creole on these banknotes was a declaration of cultural independence from France, the past colonial ruler of this Caribbean island.