Voices and Perspectives

Throughout this book, you'll encounter a chorus of voices:

- Sylviane Telchid, a Guadeloupean writer who champions Creole literature, explains: "When I write in Creole, I'm not just using different words. I'm accessing a different way of thinking, feeling, and being in the world."

- Henri Petitjean Roget, a Kalinago elder from Dominica, shares: "People think we Indigenous peoples disappeared. We're still here, still speaking our language, still practicing our traditions, but we've also adapted. Survival requires both memory and innovation."

- Aminata Diallo, whose grandmother came from Senegal and grandfather from Tamil Nadu, reflects: "In Martinique, my family celebrates Diwali and Tabaski. We eat colombo and thiéboudienne. This isn't confusion—it's richness."

- Father Michel Longtin, a Catholic priest in Saint Martin, observes: "The church here has had to learn humility. We share the spiritual landscape with many traditions, and often they blend in ways that would surprise outsiders."