The African Woman who Trained Dessalines

[anansi]

Meet the warrior woman from Dahomey who trained Haitian revolutionary hero Dessalines.

[ Adbaraya Toya is celebrated as one of the bravest women in Haitian history for her great influence on the many that fought in the Haitian Revolution. Popularly known as Victoria Montou in Haiti, a name she is believed to have been given after arriving in Haiti from Africa to work as a slave like the many other Africans who were forced out of their lands into the new world.

Adbaraya Toya was abducted from the Dahomey Empire which is now modern Benin. Several sources indicate that before her abduction, Adbaraya was a soldier and member of the council of women in the Kingdom. She was also a healer.

Her high position in the Dahomey Kingdom as a member of the women’s council and soldier suggests that Adbaraya Toya was a member of the warrior group Dahomey Amazons which fought to protect the Dahomey kingdom. The Dahomey warriors were traditionally called the N’Nonmiton, which means “our mothers” in Fon, the language of the Fon people of Dahomey, now in present-day Benin. Some European historians and observers called them the Dahomey Amazons as they reminded them of the mystical and powerful all-women’s army called Amazons in Greek mythology.]
face2faceafrica.com/article/meet-the-warrior-woman-from-dahomey-who-trained-haitian-revolutionary-hero-dessalines
Klik here^ for her full story and great art.

Women played no small role in the Haitian revolution, matter of fact they played no small role in resistance throughout the Americas, but while I tip my hat to her fierce resistance , I can't help but sigh! ironically that as an Amazon or
N’Nonmiton, she would have been engaged in slave hunting herself..but hey to became the mother of an independent Black republic is nothing short of amazing.
African history is very complex.

[zarahan]

Nice find. This seems to indicate that some of the revolts or military
activities did not reinvent the wheel, but drew on military traditions from
the African continent. I wonder of she had influence in creation of the Haitian flag.
Looking at the topic, one book- "Fragments of Bone" by Patrick Bellegarde-Smith, says that the dark blue on
the Haitian flag symbolizes female energy- female maternal love and collective welfare.
If so this puts a different perspective on the common narrative that a union of black
and brown, etc etc is represented in the flag.

Another book relates a speech given by Dessalines, "Jean-Jacques Dessalines: Words from Beyond the Grave"
By Jean Sénat Fleury where he gives her credit and indicates links with African tradition, saying:
"From her, I learned the military profession according to the Guinean tradition."

Do you have any info on specific techniques that might have been passed on, taught or developed
based on the Guniea tradition?

[anansi]

Hmmm interesting note on the flag, I've never actually done any research on it, the specific Guinea links l'll have to look into also, but I thought she was of the Benin ppl, so sayz the article.
Or perhaps Guinea was just a catch copy word that marked that region of Africa at that time..not sure tho.

[Tukuler al~Takruri]

Mar 23, 2019 5:48:11 GMT -5 anansi said:

Hmmm interesting note on the flag, I've never actually done any research on it, the specific Guinea links l'll have to look into also, but I thought she was of the Benin ppl, so sayz the article.
Or perhaps Guinea was just a catch copy word that marked that region of Africa at that time..not sure tho.

Yes. Guinea is like Sudan, generic and specific.
You probably remember Guinea derives from Gnawa, an aMazigh word.
It connotes "blacks" the same as sudan denotes blacks in Arabic.
Bambara are a prime example of Gnawa (ie non-taMazight speakers south of taMazgha).

When NW Mediterraneans and W Euros got in on the gold trade
they then minted superior gold coins later Brits called theirs Guineas.


Euros invented Guinea and, just as sloppily as Arabics with Sudan, applied it to a region and a specific country assuring confusion for context ignorers.

Another similar generic-specific term is Takruri.

Tekrour
Takrur
Takruri