ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the ways in which the temporal associations invoked by the term independence may change over time. Propagating new meanings of independence often involves shifting the timeframes of commemoration and adopting a new periodisation of the nation-state's history. The fixedness of moments of independence comes under increasing scrutiny from those seeking to consolidate or challenge power relationships resting at least partly on a sense of a shared past. The term 'independence regained' thus became the standard phrase in all commemorations of the 1960 declaration of independence and related events. 'A national identity is built on powerful symbols, etched in people's memories and passed on from generation to generation in order to create a lasting sense of belonging to a nation', declared the Malagasy Prime Minister, General Albert Camille Vital, in his address at the opening of an exhibition entitled 'Independence in Former Times'.
