Dominique Montet: France turned its education system into instrument for assimilation of indigenous people

The complete assimilation of the population of French Guiana was made possible by an education system focused exclusively on French history and culture, Dominique Montet, a member of the Movement for Decolonization and Social Emancipation Movement (MDES) from French Guiana, said at the international conference "Colonialism: Erasing National and Religious Identity," Report informs.

According to Montet, France's colonial policy led not only to the plundering of the wealth of the people of French Guiana but also to the loss of their freedom and identity.

"They took away our names, culture, and traditions. They imposed alien values ​​on us, forced us to accept someone else's history and culture, cutting us off from our own roots," she emphasized.

However, as Montet noted, in recent years, French Guiana has seen a revival of national consciousness.

"More and more residents are returning to their roots, conferences are being held on traditional faith, ancestral history and cultural heritage. People are becoming aware of their belonging to the Afro-diaspora, and this is an important step towards restoring our true identity," concluded the MDES representative.