Le Morne Brabant
Encyclopedia
Le Morne Brabant is a peninsula at the extreme south-western tip of Mauritius
and the most windward side of the island. It is highlighted by an eponymous single standing basaltic rock with a summit of 556 metres (1821 ft.) above sea level, the most imposing sight on Mauritius. The summit covers an area of more than 12 hectares. There are many overhanging caves on the steep slopes. It is surrounded by a lagoon and is a famous tourist attraction. It is also one of the last three refuges of one of the rarest plants in the world, the Mandrinette
. Another rare plant which grows only on the sides of the mountain is Trochetia boutoniana
.
This hill became well-known in the 19th century when runaway slaves used Le Morne Brabant as a hideaway. After the abolishment of slavery on Mauritius, a police expedition traveled to the rock on 1 February 1835 to tell the slaves that they are free people. However, the slaves misunderstood the expedition and jumped to death. Since then, this day is celebrated by Mauritian creoles as Annual Commemoration of the Abolition of Slavery.
The peninsula of Le Morne benefits from a micro-climate.
Le Morne Brabant Mountain was submitted to the candidate list of the World Heritage site
s in 2003. In 2008, the nomination process concluded when UNESCO
inscribed the site on the World Heritage List.
, the first WH site of Mauritius, in a perfect setup to further a discussion of Slavery
vs. Indenture
, two historic systems that shaped modern Mauritius.
It is a unique conjunction in the Indian Ocean and abroad, and Unesco has promoted a symbolic meeting of those two systems, to foster a better understanding among the descendants of those two dark pages of History. It is a unique occasion to enable them to overcome the "competition of memories" traditionally attached to those episodes.
Mauritius indeed needs this dialogue between imaginaries and cultures framed in the colonial plantation system.
Writers have already engaged in this necessary task, in order to prevent the use of those two sites for mutual exclusion.
Poet Khal Torabully
, who developed the concept of coolitude, springing from intercultural strata of his native island, dreams that the memories of indenture and slavery will enhance debate on identity in Mauritius and elsewhere. For him Le Morne Brabant and the Aapravasi ghat have to be considered as two characters of a collective narrative that will enhance openness and exchanges between cultures and dispel exclusive and sectarian views of identities.
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
and the most windward side of the island. It is highlighted by an eponymous single standing basaltic rock with a summit of 556 metres (1821 ft.) above sea level, the most imposing sight on Mauritius. The summit covers an area of more than 12 hectares. There are many overhanging caves on the steep slopes. It is surrounded by a lagoon and is a famous tourist attraction. It is also one of the last three refuges of one of the rarest plants in the world, the Mandrinette
Mandrinette
The Mandrinette is an extremely rare endemic shrub only known from steep slopes of the mountains Corps de Garde and Le Morne Brabant on Mauritius and from two further plants on Rodrigues...
. Another rare plant which grows only on the sides of the mountain is Trochetia boutoniana
Trochetia boutoniana
Trochetia boutoniana also known by its native Mauritian name Boucle d'Oreille is a shrub from the Trochetia genus endemic to Mauritius. Traditionally included in the family Sterculiaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the APG and most subsequent systematics.-Description:It can reach a...
.
The peninsula of Le Morne benefits from a micro-climate.
Le Morne Brabant Mountain was submitted to the candidate list of the World Heritage site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
s in 2003. In 2008, the nomination process concluded when UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
inscribed the site on the World Heritage List.
Cultural and aesthetic impact
With this inscription on the WH List of Unesco, one has to bear in mind that Le Morne comes with the Aapravasi ghatAapravasi Ghat
The Immigration Depot is a building complex located in Port Louis, on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, which was the first British colony to receive indentured, or contracted, labor workforce from India. From 1849 to 1923, half a million Indian indentured labourers passed through the...
, the first WH site of Mauritius, in a perfect setup to further a discussion of Slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
vs. Indenture
Indenture
An indenture is a legal contract reflecting a debt or purchase obligation, specifically referring to two types of practices: in historical usage, an indentured servant status, and in modern usage, an instrument used for commercial debt or real estate transaction.-Historical usage:An indenture is a...
, two historic systems that shaped modern Mauritius.
It is a unique conjunction in the Indian Ocean and abroad, and Unesco has promoted a symbolic meeting of those two systems, to foster a better understanding among the descendants of those two dark pages of History. It is a unique occasion to enable them to overcome the "competition of memories" traditionally attached to those episodes.
Mauritius indeed needs this dialogue between imaginaries and cultures framed in the colonial plantation system.
Writers have already engaged in this necessary task, in order to prevent the use of those two sites for mutual exclusion.
Poet Khal Torabully
Khal Torabully
Khal Torabully is a Mauritian and French poet, who has coined the concept of "coolitude." Born in Mauritius in 1956, in the capital city Port Louis, his father was a Trinidadian sailor and his mother was a descendant of migrants from India and Malaysia....
, who developed the concept of coolitude, springing from intercultural strata of his native island, dreams that the memories of indenture and slavery will enhance debate on identity in Mauritius and elsewhere. For him Le Morne Brabant and the Aapravasi ghat have to be considered as two characters of a collective narrative that will enhance openness and exchanges between cultures and dispel exclusive and sectarian views of identities.
Morcellement Cambier
Located on the northern face of Le Morne Brabant is Morcellement Cambier. Morcellement Cambier is a private society of residential villas with stunning views across the lagoon. Morcellement Cambier is managed by a residents' association. It is guarded at both entrances to ensure privacy and generally is not open to the public.Further reading
- Dominique Auzias, Jean-Paul Labourdette: Maurice, Rodrigues Le Petit futé. Country guide (Online)
- Rosabelle Boswell: Le Malaise Créole: Ethnic Identity in Mauritius Berghahn Books, 2006. ISBN 1845450752