Napoleon's Legion of Honour: A bloodstained symbol for colonized peoples May 1, 2024

The award of Chief Raoni Metuktire with the French Legion of Honour has reignited a crucial debate about the colonial legacy and the hypocrisy of colonizing nations. 

For many, the medal has a macabre sheen, tainted by the blood of millions of victims of Napoleonic brutality!

More than 3 million people died in the Napoleonic wars, a figure that puts into perspective the magnitude of the suffering caused by this expansionist regime. In addition to the human devastation, France colonized and enslaved populations in various corners of the world, imposing its culture and exploiting its resources.

The Legion of Honor, created by Napoleon in 1802, was originally designed to reward military bravery and public service. However, the list of recipients includes controversial figures such as actor Gérard Depardieu, accused of rape and sexual assault.

In 2018, France's Culture Minister Françoise Nyssen questioned Depardieu's retention in the Legion of Honor, sparking a political crisis. President Emmanuel Macron, amid the rise of the far right, defended the actor, denouncing a "human hunt".

The Depardieu affair exposes the hypocrisy of the Legion of Honor. How can we celebrate the "honor" of a man accused of such serious crimes? How can we reconcile honoring an indigenous leader who fights for the preservation of his people with glorifying a colonizer who subjugated and massacred others?

The struggle of indigenous peoples is not limited to symbolic recognition. It demands concrete actions: land demarcation, respect for culture, an end to predatory exploitation, and justice for the crimes of the past.

The true "honor" that indigenous peoples deserve does not lie in medals or titles awarded by their former oppressors. The real "honor" lies in recognizing their rights, repairing the damage caused, and building a future of mutual respect and collaboration.

It's time to look at history with critical eyes and recognize the contradictions and hypocrisies that permeate relations between colonizers and colonized. The Legion of Honor, a symbol of Napoleonic power, cannot be used to erase the wounds of the past or to mask the inequalities of the present.

Join the struggle of the indigenous peoples! Support their causes, demand their rights, and help build a world where true "honor" is respect for diversity, justice, and human dignity.

Jennyffer Bransfor