CULTURE
St. Lucia's culture has evolved from
the intermingling of the many different groups of people who have
participated in its history. Each has brought different beliefs
and traditions, all of which are reflected in the life of the
island today. A visitor is likely to drive on the British side
of the road to an Indian restaurant in a French town, greeted
all along the way in Creole patois.
One of the most accessible expressions of St. Lucia's rich cultural
heritage is its cuisine. The fertile, volcanic soil of the island
yields an enormous supply of produce, and the island is one of
the leading banana exporters in the Caribbean, with six different
varieties available. In addition to bananas, St. Lucia's abundant
tropical fruits include mangoes, papayas, pineapples, soursops,
passionfruit, guavas, and coconuts. Local chefs combine the island's
fresh produce with a wide variety of equally fresh seafood to
create tantalizing curries, Creole-style entrees, and pepperpot
stews. Callaloo soup, made from a leafy green similar to spinach,
is the national dish. The island's outstanding cuisine has recently
gained international recognition by garnering several gold medals
in the regions most prestigious culinary competitions.
But St. Lucia's culture extends far
beyond the table, as the island has long held a reputation for
its intellectual and artistic talents. St. Lucia has produced
two Nobel Prizewinners: the late Sir W. Arthur Lewis, who won
the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1979, and poet Derek Walcott,
who won the 1992 Nobel Prize for Literature.
To understand as well as enjoy St.
Lucia's culture is largely a matter of gaining some sense of the
various peoples who have contributed to it. The first of these
were the Arawaks and the Caribs, Amerindian peoples indigenous
to the entire Caribbean. They were expert hunters, farmers, fishermen,
and skilled artists. Their primary crops were cassava, yams, sweet
potatoes, all of which still play a central role in the island's
food. The Amerindians were decimated by the arrival of the Europeans,
and only a small number of St. Lucians can still trace their roots
back to this group. Some of the few particular aspects of Amerindian
culture that survive include farina and cassava bread, fish-pots
and other local craft items. Some villages still practice the
ancient art of fishing in dug-out canoes.
The next group to arrive on the shores
of the island were the Europeans, primarily the British and the
French. Though the Europeans didn't settle St. Lucia in large
numbers, they had an incalculable impact on the island's history
and culture. The British and French influences seem to weigh equally,
despite the fact that the French lost the island in 1814. To St.
Lucia's complex cultural mosaic, the British contributed their
language, educational system, and legal and political structure.
French culture is more evident in the arts--music, dance, and
Creole patois, which stands alongside the official language of
English.
At the same time that the Europeans were bringing their own cultures
to St. Lucia, African culture was becoming established through
the arrival of slaves for European plantations and, later, indentured
labourers. Their descendants constitute the largest percentage
of the island's population, and their proud heritage has had an
enormous impact on St. Lucia's character as a nation. African
traditions have survived the repressions of slavery and servitude
to become the strongest element in St. Lucian culture today.
After the abolition of slavery, East
Indians came to St. Lucia as indentured servants. Most worked
in the large sugar factories in the Cul-de-Sac, Roseau, and Mabouya
valleys and in Vieux Fort, where there is still a significant
East Indian community. In comparison to other immigrant groups,
their numbers were small. Although their traditional culture has
almost disappeared, the East Indians have had a notable and lasting
influence on the island's fine cuisine.
