Mauritius is a small island located in the Indian Ocean, known for its beaches, lagoons, and reefs. However, the island is also home to a dark history of slavery starting in 1639. On February 1st, 1835 Mauritius was the last English territory to abolish slavery. At this time, slaves accounted for two thirds of the population. Mauritius is also the birthplace of the “Great Experiment,” which was the use of a new form of “free” labor, indentured servitude, that would replace slavery.
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There are photos from Le Morne Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage site on the mountain of Le Morne. This mountain was a used as a shelter by runaway slaves, who created settlements on its summit and in its caves. Le Morne became a symbol of the slaves’ fight for freedom, their suffering, and their sacrifice, through long oral traditions that stem from these people’s origins in mainland Africa, Madagascar, India, and Southeast Asia.
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These sculptures were made in remembrance of the agony, suffering, fear, and anger that fugitive slaves had to go through while seeking shelter in the caves, but also in hope for a better future for Mauritius.