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"Only one fear was greater than the fear of black rebellion in the new American colonies. That was the fear that discontented whites would join black slaves to overthrow the existing order."
-Howard Zinn
Haiti Local is a web-based travel municipal guide project based on the wiki model, launched in 2016. The site is a multidisciplinary effort that aims to cover all of the country's cities, towns, subdivisions, and geograhpical features. This site is mainly centered around the Geography of Haiti.
In 2019, the site was expanded and later included DR-Local, a separate site that explores the localities of DR. The site's newest addition, Hayti Local is under construction. Hayti Local is the result of a collaboration of the former two, using the island's original name.
In 2025, the site expanded further to include a non-profit called the Haiti Assistance Local Outreach (HALO) that is focused on community-based work that places resources directly in the hands of local leaders.
Who, what, when, where, and why[]
Who: The intended audience are members of the diaspora who know little about the country, other than the 1804 independence and the delicious food. Diaspora means people that trace their contemporary ancestry to Haiti.
What: Not enough productive information about Haiti is widely available. That's the basis of this site.
Where: Currently, this site covers the municipal geography of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Information of the latter can be seen at DR-Local.
When: Haiti Local was launched in 2016; DR-Local in 2019; HALO in 2025.
Why: The sharing of information to achieve goals that encourage environmental sustainability.
Whose kid is this?
Letter from the Editor[]
What are Haitians really?[]
Note by Carlos Dominguez
A Haitian refers to an individual who is either born in Haiti or has a Haitian mother or father but was born outside of Haiti. Haitians represent the first free majority black nation in the world to achieve freedom by abolishing slavery and rejecting white supremacy. In fact, no major European power (including England, Spain, Germany, France, and the United States) was able to dominate, enslave, or control Haitians as they did with the rest of the world. In the United States, Haitians and the Haitian diaspora form one of the most educated and successful professional minorities, comprising a significant number of doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers, entrepreneurs, businessmen, professional athletes, actors, singers, fashion designers, and philanthropists.
Haitians come from a strong, rich, warm, polite, and complex Latin American culture. The majority of Haitians residing in Haiti are primarily of African descent. Nevertheless, a significant number of Haitians, both in Haiti and worldwide, possess a genetic ancestry that reflects a blend of African, Spanish, British, French, Arab, German, Indian, Chinese, Jewish, Polish, and Italian heritage. Contrary to the portrayal by CNN, it is not possible to identify Haitians solely based on their appearance, as they exhibit a wide range of skin colors, tones, and combinations, ranging from pale Northern European white to the deep, rich ebony found in some African nations.
One method to identify a Haitian is by their language. Haitians represent the sole Latin American nation that did not embrace the language of their European colonizers. (In contrast to every other Caribbean and South American country). The majority of Haitians communicate solely in Haitian Creole (Kréyol), a language derived from a blend of French, Spanish, Portuguese, English, and African influences. It is a distinctly unique and captivating romantic language. Nevertheless, French also serves as the national language of Haiti and is utilized by the more educated populace who were born in Haiti prior to the 1990s. Additionally, many Haitians are proficient in Spanish and English, both on the island and internationally. It is not rare to encounter a bilingual or even trilingual Haitian, depending on their social class and level of education.
In contrast to popular belief, the majority of Haitians are devout practicing Catholics. Additionally, there exist small communities of Baptists, Protestants, Christians, Muslims, and a tiny population of Jews. It is important to note that not all Haitians engage in Voodoo; in fact, it is primarily the impoverished and uneducated Haitians who do so. However, similar trends can be observed among the underprivileged populations of other Latin American nations (such as Santeria), Europe (with Paganism/Mythology), Jewish communities (like Kabbalah), Japanese traditions (including kitsune-tsukai and kitsune-mochi), and Indian practices (such as Hindu Magic), among others. Nevertheless, Haitians have been unfairly stigmatized with the negative stereotype of being Voodoo devil worshippers. This stigma arises as a consequence for rejecting / denying European control and for taking pride in and recognizing their black African roots.
Haitian cuisine is distinctive and exceptionally flavorful. The diet consists of a typical Caribbean and Latin American selection, including plantains, rice, beans, seafood (such as fish, conch, shrimp, and lobster), various meats (including chicken, pork, beef, goat, quail, boar, and rabbit), numerous soups, cornmeal, vegetables, legumes, pastries, tropical fruits, coffee, and a variety of teas and beverages, all infused with a rich Creole flavor and spiced with a touch of French culinary elegance. It is important to note that they do not consume trees, cats, or dirt, contrary to popular media portrayals.
Haitian dance and music bear a resemblance to Dominican merengue but are more graceful, romantic, and slower, featuring a salsa-like rhythm.
Reference[]
What are Haitians really? - Carlos Dominguez, Quora [1]
Other features of the site[]
HALO Non-Profit[]
Click here to visit the Non-Profit page. Additional info can be found at the Hayti Local Foundation homepage.
Category Pages[]
The Category pages display information that is sorted by category.
- Cities and towns of Haiti has a list of each city and town in Haiti.
- Production Page has a list of category pages relative to natural resources. From coffee and tobacco to honey and gold, this page provides economic information on most of these resources, as well as the scientific name, the indigenous uses throughout history, and the parts of the country where these items may be located.
- Haitian People has a list of prominent figures that have influenced Haitian society.
- Haiti Hydro is the category page of bodies of water and waterways. The coast of the Republic of Haiti contains many gulfs, many of which, deep and well-protected, are natural ports. Haiti is watered by hundreds of rivers and streams and is broadly divided into three drainage areas; the North Coast (Atlantic Ocean), the Gulf Coast (Gulf of Gonave), and the South Coast (Caribbean Sea).
- Haiti Road Network category page rolls out a list of the numbered routes and highways that link Haiti's rural villages to the larger urban networks. This category page was inspired by a prayer request that was found while combing through the web conducting research to launch this website.
- Landforms of Haiti is where you can find information about the mountains, plains, and other topographical features that make up Haiti's landscape.
- Timeine of Haiti is a chronological count of the events that have shaped Haitian history.
The Recycling Program is a promotional campaign designed to encourage volunteers to keep a community free from litter.
"It is one of those places American media tells you not to go to because they want you to be scared and keep your moustache like that" -Russell Peters
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Elevate your wisdom and knowledge.
(Ogmante sajès ou ak konesans ou.)[]
- Click here to visit the free online library. Klike la a pou vizite bibliyotèk gratis online la.
- Book #1 (Translated to Kreyol from English)
- Book #2 (Translated from English to Kreyol)
ekstrè: - Antrepriz America pa gen anyen plis pase yon plantasyon esklav modèn. Li se menm bagay la, men jis sajèsman plis modènize pou tan modèn.
Olye pou yo vyann kochon ak farin mayi, ou jwenn yon ti chèk pou pote lakay ou nan fanmi ou grangou. Olye de trimès esklav ki gen anpil moun, yo te ba ou lojman ki gen anpil moun anndan vil la. Olye pou yo bat pou yo pa yon bon ti "esklav nègro", ou jwenn bat pou yo pa yon ti "nègro esklav". Oswa si w gen chans, w ap jis jwenn revoke nan travay ou epi yo pral mete non w sou fil antrepriz la kòm yon "moun ki bay pwoblèm", pou pèsonn lòt moun pral anboche ou nan vil sa a. Ou se yon esklav antrepriz.
Tout lavi ou vire toutotou travay ou. Ou reveye, prepare w pou travay, ale nan travay, gade revèy la tout jounen an, kite travay, vini lakay ou, manje dine, prepare pou travay nan demen, ale nan dòmi, reveye, epi kòmanse tout ankò. Ki sa ki nan lanfè kalite lavi sa a?!?! Se lavi yon esklav. Ou se yon esklav korparte, epi sistèm edikasyon an "sètifye" ki nivo yon esklav ou pral ye.
- Chapit 28
Onore Juneteenth[]
Ki sa ki Juneteenth?[]
Juneteenth (Jen-zyem) make jou 19 jen 1965, lè esklav yo nan Galveston, Texas, te aprann emansipasyon yo, plis pase dezan apre Pwoklamasyon Emansipasyon an te pibliye nan dat 1ye janvye 1863. Malgre libète legal yo, esklavaj yo te kenbe enfòmasyon sa yo kache. Premye selebrasyon Juneteenth la te fèt nan Texas an 1866, ki te rekonèt fen esklavaj Ozetazini.
Poukisa Juneteenth Enpòtan
Juneteenth se plis pase yon etap enpòtan istorik; se yon jou pou onore kilti Nwa Ameriken, eritaj, ak kontribisyon nan sosyete nou an. Li sèvi kòm yon opòtinite pou edike tèt nou sou sot pase a, selebre pwogrè, ak defann yon avni ki pi enklizif ak ekitab.
What is the ethnic composition of Haiti?[]
Other links[]
| 8 December 1941 | Haiti declared war on Japan. | ("In view of the unjustifiable aggression of the Japanese Government against American possessions in the Pacific the Republic of Haiti, faithful to its policy of friendship and complete understanding with the United States of America and in accord wster republic in declaring war against the Japanese Empire." Bulletin, p. 495.) |
| 17 March 1949 | Haiti supported Israel during the 1947 UN statehood vote. | Haiti officially recognized Israel in 1949 and established diplomatic relations. Haiti was one of the countries that supported the UN plan to partition Palestine, which proposed dividing the region into separate Arab and Jewish states. |