"HERITAGE PERSPECTIVES" ST. KITTS VOICES OF THE CARIBBEAN

By Marlene Phillips April 15th 2015 8:15 am

Are we doing enough to preserve Our Caribbean Heritage?  Or do other people see more value in Our past than We do?

St. Kitts Department of Culture - Research and Documentation Unit (RDU) collaborated with Leiden University(Netherlands) on a project titled “Heritage Perspectives”.  A variety of Heritage Stakeholders from St. Kitts National Community were interviewed and shared their opinion on the following heritage sites; Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, Charles Fort, and Bloody Point. 

Dr. Sjoerd Van der Linde, Assistant Professor World Heritage Faculty of Archaeology – Leiden University is conducting research activities about indigenous Amerindian Cultures and Societies in the Caribbean Region under the “Nexus 1492” project http://nexus1492.eu/ that seeks to show how stakeholders in Caribbean Islands relate and value different kinds of heritage.  While in St. Kitts, Dr. Van der Linde and his team of archaeologists engaged Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society, St. Christopher National Trust and St. Kitts Department of Culture to find out more about heritage sites Brimstone Hill Fortress, Charles Fort and the Kalinago (Carib) presence in Challengers Village.

Marlene Phillips and Michel Raheem -
 Thatcher, RDU- St. Kitts Dept. of Culture
http://www.nevispages.com/pep-makes-
right-connection-for-computer-savvy-intern/

During the week of August 18th to 22nd 2014 Marlene Phillips, Research & Documentation Specialist, Raheem Thatcher, Assistant to St. Kitts Department - RDU and Project Assistant Dakeza Samuel worked with Dr. Sjoerd Van der Linde and Dr. Jimmy Mans- Leiden University and Vida Rawlins, Provida Multi-Media Video Productions to conduct interviews with the following Stakeholders; Former Minister of Culture, Honourable Marcella Liburd, Antonio Maynard – Secretary General St. Kitts and Nevis Commission for UNESCO, Historian Sir Probyn Innis – Former Governor St. Kitts and Nevis (1975 -1981), Melnecia Marshall Products/Standards/Cruise – St. Kitts Ministry of Tourism,Graeme Browne - Physical Planning & Environment, Cosbert Manchester – Executive Director, St. Christopher National Trust, Cameron Gill – C.E.O. Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society, Dr. Sjoerd van der Linde – Faculty of Archaeology Leiden University, Dr. Jimmy Mans – Faculty of Archaeology Leiden University, Maurice Widdowson – Owner, Caribelle Batik/Island Hopper, Greg Pereira – Owner, Greg’s Safaris, 

Vida Rawlins, Film Maker
Provida Multi- Media Video Prod.

Lucinda Phillips – Owner, Kalinago Karbay Challengers Village, Perry Peats - Stone Fort Heights,Emile Davis - Stone Fort Heights,Lloyd Cranston - Stone Fort Project, Adolphus King – Old Road,Winston Caines – Old Road,Oliver Spencer, Old Road,Lionel Stevens - Sandy Point, Debbie Thomas – Sandy Point, and Ben Culp – Lower Bourryeau Estate, St. Kitts West Indies. A Documentary will be produced in by Film Maker Vida Rawlins in the future, but in the mean time you can view the individual interviews she produced at the following link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAImdMd9oxY&list=PLeCAdMqf1rUtB81SIt9CMId__hjh5IEm0

Dr. Sjoerd Van der Linde,
Leiden University - Netherlands

Dr. Sjoerd Van der Linde gives a synopsis on the objectives of the video component of the "Heritage Perspectives" project. “Generally, the project tries to document, archive and present the different perspectives on the multi-varied and complex heritage of the Caribbean, focused specifically on Amerindian Heritage in relation to other forms of heritage, and within the framework of the research undertaken in the EU Nexus 1492 Project. The videos will be available in a searchable and publicly accessible database of the Nexus Project.

In addition, the project seeks to inform local heritage management practices by visualizing the value and perspectives of stakeholders surrounding specific heritage sites in need of management, and by raising the awareness of sites though integration in local web platforms and through short documentaries screened on TV and dissemination through social media.

On several islands, short video interviews will therefore be collected about sites and projects that are locally significant and relate as well to the research of the Nexus staff, showing how different stakeholders on the islands relate to and value different kinds of heritage. Broadly speaking, this way a better understanding can be gained about the current identifications with Amerindian heritage, (in relation to colonial and modern heritage), informing critical research on the multi-valor nature of heritage. The research will start with a pilot study on St Kitts, and is expected to be continued on other islands in the region".

For More information about "Heritage Perspectives" contact St. Kitts Department of Culture - RDU Email: stkittsculture@gmaill.com