Gonaïve

Lakou Souvenance, in Gonaïve (département de l’Artibonite) is one of the most sacred sites of Haitian Vodou. Souvenance was founded in 1815 by Jean-Baptiste Bois, and for more than 200 years it has been a site of devotion to the spirits brought to the island by the formerly enslaved. Residents of Souvenance claim the Lakou has a direct line to ancestral spirits from the Dahomey Kingdom of West Africa. The celebrations at Souvenance have been central to Haiti’s revolutionary history. Haiti’s independence from France in 1804 was declared in Gonaïve not far from where Souvenance stands. The region was also a site of resistance and refuge during the dictatorship years. These photos were taken in 2018.