Seychellois Creole people
The Seychellois Creole people are residents who are native to Seychelles, irrespective of ancestry.[1]
The majority of the people living in the Seychelles are referred to as creole. They are mainly of East African and Malagasy origin. However, some are also of mixed East African, Malagasy, Indian, Chinese and French Origins.
Origins
Originally, East Africans and Malagasy people were brought to Seychelles as slaves to work on sugar and coffee plantations. These slaves were the last to be introduced to the Indian Ocean. Their origins lie in East Africa, and to a lesser extent, Madagascar and North Africa.
Distribution
Today, Creoles are dispersed throughout Seychelles. They number roughly 76,000, which is more than 70% of the entire Seychellois population. Creoles are the dominant group in politics.
The Seychellois music genre of Sega is known as Moutia.
Seychellois Creoles are proud of their African heritage and set up a Creole institute in Mahé to help promote their culture and to help others understand it. Unlike Mauritius, where Creole has no official status, the Seychelles have made Creole one of their three official languages, along with French and English.
Demographical factors
Like most of the country's population, the majority of the Creoles identify as Christians. Most of them are Catholic, with Protestant, Anglican, Adventist and other Christian denominations in the minority. The remainder of the population are either Hindu or Islamic. Seychellois Creole is the commonly language spoken, but French and English are also widely understood.
References
- ↑ Robert Chaudenson (2001(of translation)). Creolization of Language and Culture. CRC press. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-203-44029-2. Check date values in:
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