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'''Mauritian Creoles''' are the people on the islands of [[Mauritius]],[[Rodrigues]],[[Agaléga]] and [[Chagos Archipelago|the Chagos Archipelago]] and in the wider overseas Mauritian diaspora who trace their roots to Africans who were brought to Mauritius under slavery from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Fregel|first1=Rosa|last2=Seetah|first2=Krish|last3=Betancor|first3=Eva|last4=Suárez|first4=Nicolás M.|last5=Calaon|first5=Diego|last6=Čaval|first6=Saša|last7=Janoo|first7=Anwar|last8=Pestano|first8=Jose|date=2014-03-27|title=Multiple Ethnic Origins of Mitochondrial DNA Lineages for the Population of Mauritius|journal=PLOS ONE|language=en|volume=9|issue=3|pages=e93294|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0093294|issn=1932-6203|pmc=3968120|pmid=24676463|bibcode=2014PLoSO...993294F|doi-access=free}}</ref> The majority of these enslaved people came from Mozambique and Madagascar (with significant minorities from other parts of Africa and even some from Asia) <ref> The African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean by Shihan de S. Jayasuriya, ‎Richard Pankhurst·2003·Page 71</ref>. The 'creole' people group (of which Mauritian Creoles form part) can be found on other islands in the Mascarene Archipelago (including Reunion island and the Seychelles) and these groups all share cultural and linguistic connections with one another stemming from the common heritage of their African ancestors. It can also refer to and include members of the island's mixed race or Métis community, especially if they are Christian.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hylland Eriksen |first1=Thomas |title=Communicating cultural difference and identity |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/enwiki/static/5c03b76b96e76fd25bee32fe/t/5c640e8a971a1873ceac7e37/1550061196641/Communicating+cultural+difference+and+identity.pdf |website=www.hyllanderiksen.net |publisher=Oslo Department of Social Anthropology |access-date=2021-03-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Pyndiah |first1=Gitanjali |title=Decolonizing Creole on the Mauritius islands: Creative practices in Mauritian Creole |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/310506025 |publisher=Centre for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths University of London, U.K.Island Studies Journal, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2016, pp. 485-504 |access-date=2016-11-15}}</ref> In government records, creoles along with [[Franco-Mauritians]] form part of the broader group known as [[General Population (Mauritius)|Population Générale]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reddi |first1=Sada |title=General Population and the Issue of Representation |date=27 August 2018 |url=http://www.mauritiustimes.com/mt/general-population-and-the-issue-of-representation/ |publisher=Mauritius Times |accessdate=2018-08-27}}</ref>
'''Mauritian Creoles''' are the people on the islands of [[Mauritius]], [[Rodrigues]], [[Agaléga]] and [[Chagos Archipelago|the Chagos Archipelago]] and in the wider overseas Mauritian diaspora who trace their roots to Africans who were brought to Mauritius under slavery from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Fregel|first1=Rosa|last2=Seetah|first2=Krish|last3=Betancor|first3=Eva|last4=Suárez|first4=Nicolás M.|last5=Calaon|first5=Diego|last6=Čaval|first6=Saša|last7=Janoo|first7=Anwar|last8=Pestano|first8=Jose|date=2014-03-27|title=Multiple Ethnic Origins of Mitochondrial DNA Lineages for the Population of Mauritius|journal=PLOS ONE|language=en|volume=9|issue=3|pages=e93294|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0093294|issn=1932-6203|pmc=3968120|pmid=24676463|bibcode=2014PLoSO...993294F|doi-access=free}}</ref> The majority of these enslaved people came from Mozambique and Madagascar (with significant minorities from other parts of Africa and even some from Asia) <ref> The African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean by Shihan de S. Jayasuriya, ‎Richard Pankhurst·2003·Page 71</ref>. The 'creole' people group (of which Mauritian Creoles form part) can be found on other islands in the Mascarene Archipelago (including Reunion island and the Seychelles) and these groups all share cultural and linguistic connections with one another stemming from the common heritage of their African ancestors. It can also refer to and include members of the island's mixed race or Métis community, especially if they are Christian.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hylland Eriksen |first1=Thomas |title=Communicating cultural difference and identity |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/enwiki/static/5c03b76b96e76fd25bee32fe/t/5c640e8a971a1873ceac7e37/1550061196641/Communicating+cultural+difference+and+identity.pdf |website=www.hyllanderiksen.net |publisher=Oslo Department of Social Anthropology |access-date=2021-03-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Pyndiah |first1=Gitanjali |title=Decolonizing Creole on the Mauritius islands: Creative practices in Mauritian Creole |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/310506025 |publisher=Centre for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths University of London, U.K.Island Studies Journal, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2016, pp. 485-504 |access-date=2016-11-15}}</ref> In government records, creoles along with [[Franco-Mauritians]] form part of the broader group known as [[General Population (Mauritius)|Population Générale]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reddi |first1=Sada |title=General Population and the Issue of Representation |date=27 August 2018 |url=http://www.mauritiustimes.com/mt/general-population-and-the-issue-of-representation/ |publisher=Mauritius Times |accessdate=2018-08-27}}</ref>


Nowadays, a significant proportion of Mauritian Creoles have African ancestry with varying amounts of [[Franco-Mauritian|French]] and [[Mauritians of Indian origin|Indian]] ancestry. [[Rodrigues|Rodriguais]], [[Agaléga|Agaléans]] and [[Chagossians]] are usually incorporated within this ethnic group.
Nowadays, a significant proportion of Mauritian Creoles have African ancestry with varying amounts of [[Franco-Mauritian|French]] and [[Mauritians of Indian origin|Indian]] ancestry. [[Rodrigues|Rodriguais]], [[Agaléga|Agaléans]] and [[Chagossians]] are usually incorporated within this ethnic group.

Revision as of 05:36, 18 August 2024

This article is about the Mauritian ethnic group. For the language, see Mauritian Creole.
Mauritian Creoles
Regions with significant populations
Mauritius, Australia, France, United Kingdom
Languages
Mauritian Creole, French
Religion
Christianity with elements of Rastafari (To a lesser extent Hinduism and Islam)

Mauritian Creoles are the people on the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agaléga and the Chagos Archipelago and in the wider overseas Mauritian diaspora who trace their roots to Africans who were brought to Mauritius under slavery from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century.[1] The majority of these enslaved people came from Mozambique and Madagascar (with significant minorities from other parts of Africa and even some from Asia) [2]. The 'creole' people group (of which Mauritian Creoles form part) can be found on other islands in the Mascarene Archipelago (including Reunion island and the Seychelles) and these groups all share cultural and linguistic connections with one another stemming from the common heritage of their African ancestors. It can also refer to and include members of the island's mixed race or Métis community, especially if they are Christian.[3][4] In government records, creoles along with Franco-Mauritians form part of the broader group known as Population Générale.[5]

Nowadays, a significant proportion of Mauritian Creoles have African ancestry with varying amounts of French and Indian ancestry. Rodriguais, Agaléans and Chagossians are usually incorporated within this ethnic group.

Mauritian Creoles along with their Rodriguais, Agaléan and Chagossian counterparts make up 28% of the Mauritian population living in the Republic of Mauritius.[6] There is also significant representation of Mauritian Creoles within the overseas Mauritian Diaspora.

Mauritian Creoles have made a significant contribution to the development of Mauritian culture including the development of the islands iconic sega dance and music genre.[7][circular reference][8] Sega dance and music are cultural artifacts shared within the broader community of 'Creoles' in the Mascarene islands.[9]

French based, Mauritian Creole is also the most commonly used local language in Mauritius and is unique to the island, having evolved from its use in the creole community of Mauritius at the time of slavery and prior to the arrival of indentured labourers from India.[10] The Mauritian Creole language is very similar to other French Creole or Kreol languages in the Mascarene islands such as Reunion Creole and Seychellois Creole. These creoles languages are mutually intelligible and speakers are able to cross islands and speak with little difficulty. [11]

Origins

The African ancestors of this community were captured by slave traders and brought in to work in the plantations of Mauritius, Agaléga, Rodrigues and the Chagos Islands. They were Bantus mostly brought from East Africa (notably Mozambique) and Madagascar. The Creole population also encompasses those who are a product of the admixture of African and non-African communities and who retained or adopted Christianity. Genetic analysis has confirmed significant South East Asian ancestry via the Malagasy roots [12]

See also

References

  1. ^ Fregel, Rosa; Seetah, Krish; Betancor, Eva; Suárez, Nicolás M.; Calaon, Diego; Čaval, Saša; Janoo, Anwar; Pestano, Jose (2014-03-27). "Multiple Ethnic Origins of Mitochondrial DNA Lineages for the Population of Mauritius". PLOS ONE. 9 (3): e93294. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...993294F. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0093294. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3968120. PMID 24676463.
  2. ^ The African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean by Shihan de S. Jayasuriya, ‎Richard Pankhurst·2003·Page 71
  3. ^ Hylland Eriksen, Thomas. "Communicating cultural difference and identity" (PDF). www.hyllanderiksen.net. Oslo Department of Social Anthropology. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  4. ^ Pyndiah, Gitanjali. "Decolonizing Creole on the Mauritius islands: Creative practices in Mauritian Creole". Centre for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths University of London, U.K.Island Studies Journal, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2016, pp. 485-504. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  5. ^ Reddi, Sada (27 August 2018). "General Population and the Issue of Representation". Mauritius Times. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  6. ^ "Creoles". 19 June 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Sega (Genre)".
  8. ^ "The roots of the Séga". IndianOcean.com. 22 May 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  9. ^ The African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean by Shihan de S. Jayasuriya, ‎Richard Pankhurst·2003·Page 72
  10. ^ Mufwene, Salikoko. "Mauritian Creole". Britannica. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  11. ^ The African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean by Shihan de S. Jayasuriya, ‎Richard Pankhurst·2003·Page 72
  12. ^ Fregel, Rosa; Seetah, Krish; Betancor, Eva; Suárez, Nicolás M.; Calaon, Diego; Čaval, Saša; Janoo, Anwar; Pestano, Jose (2014-03-27). "Multiple Ethnic Origins of Mitochondrial DNA Lineages for the Population of Mauritius". PLOS ONE. 9 (3): e93294. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...993294F. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0093294. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3968120. PMID 24676463.
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