Martinique

Often referred to as the Paris of the Caribbean, the heavily Catholic island of Martinique is the largest of the Windward Islands, surrounded by the Caribbean Sea to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the islands of Dominica and St. Lucia to the north and south, respectively. The islands’ residents are French citizens with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of French nationals, including military duties, and at the beginning of the 21st century, nearly one third of all Martinicans reside in France. More than 90% of the population are of African or mixed descent, with about 5% of the population White and the remainder Indian and/or Chinese. About 2,500 residents are direct descendants of the original French settlers known as békés. Békés have long constituted an island élite, while Whites from France are regarded as “outsiders.” More than 86% of the population identify themselves as Roman Catholics, though church attendance is relatively low. Pockets of Protestant, Hindu, Rastafarian, and syncretic Afro-Caribbean Quimbois practitioners are found also on the island. A variant of 19th-century Hinduism—brought to Martinique by South Indian immigrants via the West Indies—survives, but many Hindus and quimboiseurs also consider themselves Roman Catholics.

French settlers first came to the island in 1635 and established a plantation economy based on African slavery. Slavery was not abolished until 1848, after which Chinese and Indian laborers were brought to the island to replace African slave labor. The Catholic Church was established with the first French settlers in Martinique, and the first missions were started by members of the Dominican, Jesuit, and Capuchin orders. In 1909, the island was placed under the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith at the Vatican, which transferred the responsibility for Martinique to the Holy Ghost Fathers. At the beginning of the 21st century, an archbishop administered 47 parishes and more than 60 priests. In 1946, the National Assembly in Paris voted to make Martinique an overseas department of France; thereafter, Martinique became one of the 100 départements (states) of the French Republic and one of the 5 overseas departments (DOMs). The island sends four deputies (representatives) to the National Assembly.

As noted, Roman Catholicism has long been the dominant religion on Martinique. But recently, [Page 750]other religions (e.g., Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Baha'i, Judaism, Mormonism, and Islam) have grown in influence. Protestant denominations, for example, increased their membership from 3% of the population in 1983 to 12% of the population in 1998. The Seventh-Day Adventist Church began missionary work on the island in 1924, with Evangelical Baptists and Jehovah's Witnesses beginning work following World War II. Martinique has a small community of Orthodox Jews in Fort-de-France and a synagogue in Schoelcher. A Baha'i assembly was opened in the 1960s. There are currently about 300 Muslims and 80 Mormons in Martinique. As on other Caribbean islands, the Ancient and Mystical Rosicrucian Order has established a number of lodges.

A parallel system of belief and practice, known locally as quimbois, has long existed alongside Christianity. Deeply embedded in popular culture, Quimbois encompasses a variety of plant and herbal remedies, sorcery, and various forms of spiritual healing. Government documents suggest that European medicine has largely supplanted traditional medical practices and that traditional healers (guérisseurs) are less prevalent than in the past. Belief in sorcery and the “evil eye” is said to be declining. Still earlier beliefs persist, including belief in zombies (“the living dead”) and vampires.

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