A landscape of Martinique.
(Illustration) -
Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP
The Martinique round skiff was included on Thursday in the register of “good practices for safeguarding intangible heritage” by Unesco.
This small boat in solid wood was originally used by fishermen on the island of the Antilles.
But since the 1980s, skiff regattas have multiplied and become popular in the overseas region.
So much so that the tour of Martinique of round skiffs organized each year at the end of July has become one of the most popular events in the territory.
An atypical boat
Without rudder, without ballast and without keel, the fishing boat is balanced thanks to “erect bwa”.
These look like beams that are stretched over the sides of the skiff and over which the crew leans.
The boat had already been registered in 2017 in the inventory of French intangible cultural heritage held by the Ministry of Culture.
An application was sent to Unesco the same year, before being presented in 2019.
A "decisive recognition"
According to Unesco, the register in which the round skiff now appears makes it possible to “share successful experiences of safeguarding” heritage.
It also provides information on "the challenges encountered during transmission".
The polyphonic caravan of the Greek region of Epirus, the Venezuelan tradition of the blessed palm tree or the culture of the Belgian carillon are also part of this list.
The Department of Cultural Affairs of Martinique in a press release welcomed this "decisive recognition".
"We have something which belongs to us and which belongs to us all alone in the world",
for his part congratulated Maurice Antiste, senator former mayor of François.
It is also in this city considered a bastion of the discipline that the players of the skiff met Thursday morning to celebrate the news.
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Boat
Unesco
Patrimony
Martinique
Culture