Le Marron Inconnu , The Unknown Maroon, also called Neg Marron or Nèg Mawon in Haitian Creole, is a bronze statue of a runaway slave, better known as a maroon. Completed on September 22 1967 by Haitian architect Albert Mangonès, the statue is regarded as a symbol of black liberation; commemorating in particular, the rallying cry that sparked the Haitian Revolution and the abolishment of slavery. It was commissioned by President-for-Life François Duvalier.
Borrowed from Spanish, the term “maroon” described the return of domestic animals to the wild. From 1540 onwards, this word was used to refer to fugitive slaves.
It depicts in bronze a near-naked fugitive black man, kneeling on one knee, his torso arched, his opposite leg stretched back, and a broken chain on his left ankle. He holds a conch shell at his lips with his left hand, his head tilted upward to blow it, while the other hand holds a machete on the ground by his right ankle.
The Champs de Mars, where the monument is situated, was badly damaged in the 2010 earthquake and has not recovered. The National Palace, depicted in this photo, was destroyed by the quake.
