Ti Memenne of La Gonâve facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ti Memenne |
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Queen Ti Memenne in the 1920s.
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| Queen of La Gonâve | |
| Reign | ? – 1929 |
| Co-monarch | Faustin II |
| Born | La Gonâve, Haiti |
| Died | La Gonâve, Haiti |
| Religion | Haitian Vodou |
Queen Ti Memenne of La Gonâve was an important leader on La Gonâve, an island near Haiti. Even though the main government of Haiti did not officially recognize her as a queen, she was the political, economic, and spiritual leader for the people of her island.
She was arrested because of her Vodou beliefs. However, an American military officer named Faustin E. Wirkus helped her. Because of his help, and because he shared a name with a former Haitian emperor, Ti Memenne and her people believed he was a new version of the old emperor. They crowned him as a co-ruler, meaning he shared power with her over La Gonâve.
Life of Queen Ti Memenne
Ti Memenne was a strong leader for groups on La Gonâve where women held important roles in society and business. Even though the main Haitian government no longer had kings or queens, the people of La Gonâve saw Ti Memenne as their true political and spiritual leader.
When she was younger, American military officers arrested Ti Memenne during the time the United States was in Haiti. She was accused of minor Vodou-related actions. An American sergeant named Faustin E. Wirkus, who was stationed on La Gonâve, helped her. He sent her to the capital city of Port-au-Prince with a note asking for her to be treated kindly.
For the next year, Ti Memenne and Wirkus became friends. He gave her advice on how to handle government and community matters. Because of his help, and because his name was Faustin, like the former Haitian emperor Faustin I, Ti Memenne and her people believed he was a new version of the emperor. They held a special Vodou ceremony and crowned him Faustin II. He then shared power with Queen Ti Memenne over La Gonâve for three years, from 1926 to 1929.
