ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the Fond Gens Libre indigenous community which is strategically situated at the foot of one of Saint Lucia's iconic twin mountains the Pitons. Fond Gens Libre is a small, remote, rural community situated in the southwest region of the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, near the town of Soufriere. Literally translated from the local Creole language as 'valley of the free people', Fond Gens Libre is an old settlement dating back to the 1700s and is known to be home to the descendants of the Brigands. Fond Gens Libre is located within the Pitons Management Area (PMA) which was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. The PMA is one of the five sites in the Caribbean that is categorised as a natural site. Fond Gens Libre has traditionally encountered a relatively high level of poverty along with limited opportunities for improvement in the residents' livelihoods.
