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28822: Stahl: fear, query on tourism in north (fwd)






From stahlal@earlham.edu

I recently took part in an academic seminar focusing on the Haitian revolution. Of 15 scholars, I was the only person who had set foot in Haiti. Other group members expressed an interest in going and wondered how that might be possible given the (perceived? hmmm. . .) lack of tourist infrastructures. They -- and myself too, since I am the parent of a young child -- also expressed fear of kidnapping.

Much thanks to Bob for addressing that elephant in the room. Conspiracy theory or not, I'm inclined to believe folks in Haiti who observe seeming complicity between the UN forces and the kidnappers (Aren't forces paid by their respective countries? That can't be much for many of them!). I go to Haiti when I've got an urgent and compelling professional reason, and I'm looking for one right now. I've easily gone under other warnings, during elections, when the airport was declared unsafe, etc. And my son, who is not even five, has been there with me three times too. But for the first time, I'm fighting my own fear.

Like others of you, I have concluded that entering Cape Haitian or along the DR border would be a good plan. The beaten path in the Repiblik PaP is the real risk. I am interested in helping to take these scholars at some point, esp. since some are doing valuable work on Haitian history and could benefit from visiting sites in the north and from learning about any archival resources there while others might eventually (ann espere) lead their own groups of students to Haiti.

My question: Are there archives of any sort to be visited in Okap? Are there still horses to be had for the climb to La Citadelle? Is ANY tourism -- internal included -- happening these days? What do you think "blan" writing about colonial Saint-Domingue and the revolution ought to see in a short visit to Ayiti?

Aletha Stahl


Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies

Earlham College
801 National Road West
Richmond, IN 47374-4095
765-983-1338

stahlal@earlham.edu