Corsican Native Culture

Erosion of tribal culture in Corsica began with loss of language in the 1950s and 1960s, when school children were forbidden to speak Corsican, of which there are several different dialects on the island. Today the language paradoxically has a high status, and is used by the elite of the island to exclude poorer natives and migrants - kind of a secret password language for the upper echelons of Corsican society. However, these few Corsican words always exist within a colonial context - playing second fiddle to the French language of the island's invaders.

Corsica's cultural renaissance seems to consist mostly of exotic and colonial-friendly symbols of native "culture", with native icons being romanticised in much the same way as the didgeridoo in Australia. Corsica's leading families use language and culture in this way to foster a dominant tribal elite, designed simultaneously to exclude peripheral classes and minorities, and to stir nationalistic pride in the hope of attracting home prodigal sons and daughters who have enjoyed financial success on the mainland. Read more here about how this situation has led to racism on the island.