Nan Latibonit...

By definition; Creolization means: Any African child or Les Engagées’ (European men/women working on the Colonies to repay their debt to the Colonial Empire, Europe) child, born on a Colony. Also, the Language, Creole (in relation to the language of the Diasporic Communities) is a broken down language derived from the languages of the masters (ex: French, Spanish, Portuguese, English etc...) Also, see: The Black Jacobins, by C.L.R. James and, They Came Before Columbus by Eric Williams for more facts on Caribbean/Afro-Haitian History. 

Historically speaking, the origin of the Creole language started after the invaders kidnapped and brought the African people to the so called “New World.” While on the stolen territories, the African Ancestors (mentally) fought to figure out the language (s) of the masters. And naturally in time, they began to phonically consume the foreign sounds of the kidnappers. And as natural born "GRIOTS" (one who orally has been passing down his or her culture), they gradually interchanged the unknown language of the colonies. They use their own native intelligence to orally quilt a way to communicate with other enslaved Africans from many different tribes, Creoles, Africans born on the colony, and slave masters. Fundamentally, it was due to the Ancestors’ talent and system of weaving and quilting words and signs, and sounds that a new form of phonetic language was formed. 

Our Ancestors' Legacy:

Our African Ancestors gave birth to a "non-standardized" Creole. Just like cutting sugar cane on the plantation, they wisely and verbally decapitated the French/Spanish languages and cleverly redesigned it, and placed it into their own vessels (brain, body and spirit) for the purpose of verbal communication and relations.

On Today's Plantation:

Let Me Jump to The Attitude of “Inappropriateness or "Out datedness" of Our Ancestors Phonetic Spelling in Haitian Literature.

Back in the Years of our Ancestors, while they were in physical and/or mental captivity, there were no separate or special western alphabets or software to use in order to "standardize" our Ancestors spelling systems to make their Creole “proper” or, so called “acceptable” by the “refined” class of the West. Our African Ancestors (those who could read and write) just phonetically spelled the words as they heard the French words drummed into their ears. But today we are told (by language specialists) that our original way of spelling the Haitian Creole is primitive and "outdated", therefore, it must be wiped out from our Creole texts.

But when is it okay to consider a people’s written language, “outdated?" And who should be in charge of such decision if the majority of the people in that culture can't read or write? Or, is it the outsiders (the children of the settlers) who should be in charge of such decision? Or, is it the "educated" minority who should decide for the mass and control the spelling systems of our Creole for their own personal gain?

In fact, a West African borrowed word Kob is originated in Nigeria. It means money. Our Ancestors spelled it Kob. However, today, there is a Creole alphabet and software invented for the conversion, the re-spelling, the conforming of such a word including many other words in our old texts. The process is similar to the conversion of religion because the purpose of conversion (in the flesh) is to wipe away a people's history, old systems or to refine it and bring the people's identity into an “institutionalized state." By that I mean, in the eyes of those who only adopted the "new orthographies"; such old spelling (phonetic spelling) of KOB (without the accent on top of the o,) is seen as a “fault,” a "misspell" or “improper.” So, due to the institutionalized, the controlled way of spelling words in Creole, a new class of ism (favoritism) or prejudice is born, just like the favoritism of the system of French written words over Creole written words.  

Here’s an example of what is happening when our Ancestors' orthographies are controlled by those who don't value the Legacy: 

Some Creole speaking children/adults in the Diaspora are academically misjudged, and are not taken seriously simply because they don’t wish to use or they don’t know how to use institutionalized Creole. Therefore, in the eyes of the new masters, they do not shine when they write in non-standardized Creole. In fact, there are numerous discussions on the subject of the Diasporic/Creole Literature, its spelling systems, identity, politics, history etc. Personally, I think it is clear that social acceptance is significant in any society; however, I have many questions:

Why is it NOT equally important for our children and adults to proudly maintain the importance of their ancestors’ non institutionalized systems of writing the Haitian Creole?

Why must they blindly and only accept the new way of spelling in Creole and trash or convert from the old way of writing Creole in order to be considered by a small group or a social class of people who writes Creole "well?"

Do these people have our own interest in mind when they aim to silence the achievements of our Ancestors in our texts?! If so, why must we eliminate part of our language history in order to be acknowledged in a modern day plantation?

Basically, I am asking; what’s wrong with phonetic spelling?

Why and who have the right to call our spelling systems "outdated?" or "primitive" or "expired?"

Well, the Universe is old (outdated?) should we then invent software to wipe it out? Or, convert it into something else? What is so "poor" about the Ancestors' spelling systems?" Is it fair to say that, the attitude against the so-called "outdated" form of spelling the Creole words is the same attitude of those who believe that speaking/writing French is superior to speaking/writing Creole? Isn't it fair to identify this way of thinking as a manifestation of the William Lynch' syndrome: "to divide & conquer" a people’s culture/history? Moreover, if my own attitude regarding this issue is wrong, then, why chant that I am proud of my roots, yet I don't fight to preserve this heirloom (our roots) for the next generation? Why must we allow a small group of people to create more social division in our culture by cleverly humiliating and erasing our Ancestors' orthographies from our Creole texts?

I am a writer who was born and partly schooled in Haiti, I write Creole by routine (by that I mean, I write Creole the old way--by sounds) and I am extremely proud of it. By definition, I am one Creole (African child born on the colony of Haiti) who deeply appreciates the foundation of my ancestors’ history and language of survival (past and present) in the Caribbean and particularly in Haiti. I welcome and I value wholeheartedly the origin of Creole by sounds. In fact, rejecting or dismissing the foundation of the Creole language, equates to rejecting and dismissing truth in our African/Caribbean history and culture.

Furthermore, I argue that there is tremendous treasure in preserving and promoting the origin of our "old" Haitian Creole in our texts, for the old spelling system survived slavery on the old colonies, and today needs to be free in the new plantation. I believe it is wonderful to be able to invent new thing, however, is it for the purpose of conversion and rule? Isn't it possible for a one to create to unchain without chaining other people's creation?

In my eyes, everything that forms the Creole language is valuable. Our Ancestors made that major accomplishment to our history. We must not debase it! We must not be ashamed of it. We must not wipe it out of our books because of greed, politics or because we want to quench our thirst for mainstream's approval! We must preserve and promote the art of Phonetic spelling of the Haitian's Creole; the sound of our Ancestors' Creole (all form of Creole in the Diaspora) must remain phonically free. Don't control it. Let the Creole sound echo through the modernized world as we remember our Elders who fought and died for its existence! We must cherish everything about the origin of our Creole-- even if others don't value it! 

As a child of the Ancestors, I aim to promote Creole by phonics. And even though evolution is part of life, I refuse to consume the mentality that our "old orthographies" must be silenced in order for the "new spelling system" to rise in the modern territory in Creole literature. I do believe that life is not always led by a one way mentality; however, in this case, it is imperative that the Creole children of the Diaspora press through the pressure and advocate for the total freedom of our Ancestors' language and its original spelling systems. It is our duty to keep the spirit of our Ancestors alive!

Well, I know that in the eyes of many people out there, I am being “politically incorrect,” but I prefer to stand “historically correct.” I want to be on the side where the trials and tribulation of my Ancestors lie. Hence, I cannot dismiss any contribution of our tradition? I shall not discharge or downgrade the roots of writing in Creole. I wonder, if our Ancestors were here today in this modern plantation and witnessing how some of us (their children) are degrading and oppressing their contributions to black history, what would they say? Would they be happy about it?

Just a Dream:

Will there ever be a point in time, when every child of Africa in the Diaspora will be spiritually and physically free to phonically spell and speak the Ancestor's Creole language without shame or fear of being lynched by the linguistic masters of the modern society?