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Unearthing Colonial Violence: Griotic Archaeology and Community-Engagement in Guiana

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Abstract

This article intends to address archaeological coloniality and points to the urgent need for epistemological changes within the field. Conceived as an Afroguianese epistemological disobedience, Griotic Archaeology represents an attempt to step away from the disciplinary reiteration of colonial violence. This approach and the engagement of two communities, Moun'Roura and Moun'Wayam, allowed to open space for Afroguianese and Indigenous knowledge, memories, and world-perceptions in the archaeological work conducted at Habitation La Caroline, a site of enslavement in Guiana.

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Acknowledgements

In memoriam of Madanm Hortensia, the Moun’Roura elder who so generously shared her stories, knowledge, emotions and world-perceptions with us before returning to the ancestor realm. My heart feels joyful knowing she is now listening to Moun’La Caroline telling their own stories. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Moun’Roura and Moun’Wayam for their willingness in working with us and sharing so much of their knowledge. I am also thankful to my friends Queiton Carmo dos Santos, Anthony Quintal and Nkem Ike as well as the anonymous reviewers for their critical feedback which challenged me to tell a complex story in more intentional ways. Modupé!

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  1. Department of Anthropology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

    Gabby Omoni Hartemann

  2. Omo Òrìs̩à in the Ilê Axé Iyaba Omi Community, Belém do Pará, Brazil

    Gabby Omoni Hartemann

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Hartemann, G.O. Unearthing Colonial Violence: Griotic Archaeology and Community-Engagement in Guiana. Int J Histor Archaeol 26, 79–117 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10761-021-00596-6

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