Sentence:  The significant distinction from Glissant in chamoiseau's novel, however, comes from the fact that the béké masters have been replaced with black policemen; the French power structure allows the various strata of Martinique to <WSD>self-colonize</WSD>  through their language use. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To regain power (by indigenous people) after having been under colonial rule by another country, typically with the adoption of some of the culture of the former colonizers.