Mauritius

The Block

Based on a design by Serge Nina, a colourful variety of cottons blended with a few specialty fabrics, , creates a tropical scene reflective of Mauritius’ climate. In the background, the central plateau of the island rises over the crystal clear waters of the Black River. Its highest peak, Mont Piton, reaches 828 metres in altitude. In the foreground a dodo bird, artfully embroidered by Bernice Michaud, sits on her egg, which would typically be laid in a ground nest. Dodos, nearly the size of a swan and weighing up to 50 pounds, once abundantly inhabited the island forests. However, when settlement of the island began nearly 500 years ago, many were killed for food both by humans and the animal species they had introduced to the area. By 1681 the unique dodo bird had become extinct. Research has shown that one species of trees coincidentally stopped reproducing around the time the birds became extinct. It seems that dodos ate the tree’s fruit and it was only by passing through its digestive tract that the seeds became active and could grow. So, as a direct consequence of the dodo’s extinction, this tree species will soon also cease to exist. Today dodo birds are prominently featured on Mauritius’ national coat-of-arms.

Cultural Profile

Mauritius (also called ‘The Star of the Indian Ocean’ and ‘The Island of Rainbows’) is an independent island republic located in the southwestern Indian Ocean. Part of the Mascarene Islands (with Réunion and Seychelles) it is comprised of the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues, the Agalega Islands, and the St. Brandon Group (also known as the Cargados Carajos Shoals). The main island––from which the country name is derived–– was formed from a volcano that has been extinct for 100,000 years. It is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs. Mauritius was originally settled by the Dutch who named the country in honour of Prince Maurice of Nassau. It was renamed Île de France in the 18th century while under French rule, but reverted to its former name when taken over by the British in 1810. Mauritius attained independence in 1968 and became a republic within the Commonwealth in 1992. Four main groups (Indo-Mauritian, Creole, Sino-Mauritian and Franco-Mauritian), living together peacefully while maintaining their own cultural, religious and family traditions, make up Mauritius’ population. Eid, Diwali, Chinese New Year and Christmas are all public holidays in Mauritius, which gives a good idea of the multicultural character of the islands. The official languages are English and French, although Creole (a French patois) is widely used. The production and export of sugar traditionally dominated Mauritius’ economy. It is still grown on roughly 90 percent of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25 percent of export earnings. Vanilla, tea and coffee are now grown on the island as well. Textiles and tourism now play a larger role in the country’s economy. Tourism has galvanized the production of island crafts such as weaving, basket making, knitting, leather-work, coral jewelry and the building of model ships, some of which may take up to 400 hours to construct. One of Mauritius’ most unique art forms is the sega, which involves both song and dance. During the years of French rule, African and French rhythms merged, accompanied by percussion such as the ravane (a drum covered with goatskin), a maravane (a box filled with stones) and a triangle. During this dance, dancers move with shuffling steps, finally ending up sitting on the floor. Sega is said to come from the Swahili word sega, which means ‘lifting one’s clothes’, a typical movement of sega dancers. Sega songs have been recorded since the early 20th century, making it a well-documented genre. It is sometimes merged with reggae or hip hop by modern musicians. Mauritians have been coming to Canada since the 1970s for many reasons, including education, job opportunities or to join their families. They have settled mainly in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec. They have integrated well into Canadian society while maintaining cultural traditions, which they share with others through such as organizations as Ottawa’s Canada-Mauritius Cultural Association and Toronto’s Club M. As of 2011, they were close to 6,700 people of Mauritian ancestry living in Canada.

Sponsor: Elizabeth and Chris Nurse, in memoriam Wanda Nurse