1492: (The Colonial Encounter and Indigenous Displacement): The decolonized narrative of Ayiti begins by recognizing the island as an indigenous space before…

1492: (The Colonial Encounter and Indigenous Displacement): The decolonized narrative of Ayiti begins by recognizing the island as an indigenous space before it was reimagined by European cartography. Christopher Columbus’s arrival on December 6, 1492, introduced a colonial gaze that sought to categorize the “Very Great Island” as an extractive resource for the Spanish Crown. This moment initiated the systematic erasure of Taino structures and the imposition of a foreign administrative logic that would dominate the territory for centuries. The subsequent mapping of the north coast served as a tool for conquest, setting the stage for the total replacement of native life with a plantation economy. Ultimately, this encounter is viewed as the “historic accident” that eventually led to the forced displacement of millions of Africans to the island.