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Abstract
The construction of memory in landscapes is a complex process which is embedded in webs of political and economic power. Often history is twisted and bended to better serve the current interests of the hegemonic forces at play. In this paper I attempt to explore how memory is at work in three different sites in Santiago Island, Cape Verde: an old fort and a historical town; a concentration camp; and a global resort. The three sites participate in the erasure, maintenance and creation of memory in different ways, forging new forms of collective identity, which are embedded in local as well as global forces and processes. Through an analysis of the changes taking place on these sites, this paper suggests that while the country lives on foreign aid and attempts to embrace neo-liberal practices, it fails not only to provide basic services to the population but to engage critically with its history and geography.
L'interprétation de la mémoire dans les paysages est un processus complexe qui est implanté dans les réseaux de pouvoir économique et politique. Souvent l'Histoire est déformée et tordue pour mieux servir les intérêts actuels des forces hégémoniques en cours. Dans cet article, j'essaie d'explorer comment la mémoire intervient dans trois sites différents en l'Île Santiago, Cap-Vert: un ancien fort et une ville historique; un camp de concentration; et un complexe hôtelier mondial. Les trois sites participent dans l'effacement, maintenance, et création de mémoire de trois façons différentes, en créant des nouvelles formes d'identité collective, qui sont implantées dans des forces et des processus tout aussi locaux que mondiaux. Avec une analyse de changements qui occurrent sur ces sites, cet article suggère que pendant le pays vit aux dépens des pays étrangers et essaie d'adopter des pratiques néolibérales, il échoue non seulement à donner les services basiques à la population mais aussi à avoir un engagement critique sur son histoire et sa géographie.
La construcción de memoria dentro de paisajes es un proceso complejo del cual está incrustado en redes de poder político y económico. Con frecuencia la historia está retorcido y doblado para mejor servir los intereses actuales de las fuerzas hegemónicas presentes. En este artículo intento explorar como la memoria se trabaja en tres sitios diferentes en la isla de Santiago, Cabo Verde: un fuerte viejo y un pueblo histórico; un campo de concentración; y un resort global. Los tres sitios se participan en el borrado, mantenimiento y creación de memorias en maneras diferentes, avanzando nuevas formas de identidad colectiva, del cual están incrustados en fuerzas y procesos locales también como globales. A través un análisis de los cambios ocurriendo en estos sitios, este papel se sugiere que mientras el país se sostiene en ayuda exterior y se intenta abrazar las prácticas neoliberales, se falla no sólo mantener servicios básicos a la población sino también involucrar críticamente con su historia y geografía.
Acknowledgements
I particularly value the advice and friendship of Denis Linehan and I am immensely grateful to him for his observations and suggestions. Thanks also to the anonymous referees who made helpful comments.
Notes
1 In 1731, out of 30,850 inhabitants in Cape Verde, 68.5 per cent were black (29 per cent mestizos and 2.5 per cent white), the majority (51.5 per cent) were forros (born on the land) and the number of slaves was already declining (17 per cent). For a detailed history of Cape Verde see the three-volume work by CitationAlbuquerque and Santos, published between 1991 and 2002.
2 A Semana Online ( < http://www.asemanaonline>, accessed 14 September 2007).
3 The UNESCO World Heritage List presently includes 851 properties (660 cultural, 166 natural and 25 mixed) in 141 countries ( < http://whc.unesco.org/en/list>, accessed 25 June 2008).
4 The group was formed in 1995 by survivors and families of victims of the political conflict of South Africa's apartheid. It was ‘set up in response to the pending Truth and Reconciliation Commission by victims who felt the Commission should be used to speak out about the past to ensure that such violations never occur again’ ( < www.khulumani.net>, accessed July 2008).
5 Diário do Governo, I Série, number 94, 23 April 1936.
6 In 1961 the Portuguese government decided to open another concentration camp—São Nicolau—in Angola, in the desert of Moçâmedes, province of Namibia.
7 The New State was a right-wing dictatorship that ruled Portugal from 1926 to 1974.
8 PIDE (Polícia Internacional e de Defesa do Estado—International Police of State Defence) was replaced in 1969 by DGS (Direcção Geral de Segurança—General Administrative Office of Security).
9 This fort, built in 1557 and reinforced in 1645, was visited by the Italian architect Filippo Terzi in 1589, the architect who was responsible for the building of the Fort São Filipe in Ribeira Grande.
10 Casa Group Plc corporate website ( < www.casaplc.com>, accessed June 2008).
11 See < www.capeverdeinfo.org.uk> (accessed June 2008).
12 See < http://www.sambaladevelopments.com/>.
13 Casa Group Plc corporate website ( < www.casaplc.com>, accessed June 2008).
14 Accessed April 2008.
15 Until recently, Electra's capital was dominated by the Portuguese company Águas de Portugal, International. Due to the latter's poor financial record, the company was the target of a public audit which clarified not only the substantial debts involved, but that these results were partly the consequence of the company being used as a weapon of external policy by the Portuguese government (Público Citation2008).