Angela Labrador and Neil Silberman of Coherit Associates, returned to Grenada on 7th April 2015, to commence a week of training with selected participants for an OAS Heritage Project that will raise the profile of the importance of heritage in the Caribbean as a means of economic and social development.
This outstanding initiative will involve capturing?through the mediums of photography and audio interviews?commentary from local communities about their environment, past, present and future.
The trainees will be taught all the required skills to capture this information so that they can become an integral part of the national archives for present and future generations. An exhibition highlighting their work will be held at the National Museum in 2016.
New York based creative, Stephenson Worme, will be presenting his new book “Grenada, Back Then and Now in Photos” at GBSS Auditorium on Wednesday, 8th April 2015 at 5.30pm.
About the book, Stephenson writes the following:
This is a very unique book which reflects much of Grenada’s past through photos, spanning from the late 1800s to 1990. Subject areas such as: sports, culture, education, politics, the Revolution, the American Intervention, politics, scenic areas, personalities, agriculture, important significant events, postal service, memorabilia and miscellaneous photos are showcased in the book. ?Grenada Back then In Photos? contains more than 1000 photos, with an abbreviated citation for each photo. This is a must read book. If you wish to purchase a copy, please let me know. My cousin Suzanne will have copies in New Jersey. The price is $US35.00.
Island Caribs and French Settlers in Grenada, 1498-1763 is the first detailed look at the early modern history of Grenada and the Grenadines. Like the history after 1763, this period is quite intriguing and offers fascinating insights into many aspects of Caribbean history in general. Island Caribs and French Settlers in Grenada looks at the native Amerindian populations and their reactions to Spanish invasion of the region after 1498, the early European colonization of Grenada with the failed British attempt in 1609 and the successful French settlement in 1649, and the wars of subjugation and ultimately extermination of the native populations. It also chronicles the privateering and colonial wars among the Europeans, the trials of colonial development, the establishment of plantation agriculture, and the creation and growth of African chattel slavery and the impact on economic and social institutions. The 113 years of French colonization is analyzed and discussed in great detail. It is a testament to the French and the foundation that they built between 1649 and 1763 that the British were able to create a prosperous colonial economy in the decades after Grenada?s cession in 1763.
For those based in Grenada, you can purchase the book at the National Museum or Standard Bookshop in Grenville Street, St. George. Online purchasers can click here to go to the Amazon store where they can obtain both the paperback and digital copies.
Celia Toppin, Culture and Heritage, Project Manager for the OAS , will formally introduce Neil Silberman and Dr. Angela Labrador of Coherit Associates, the USA based Technical Coordinators at a media event to officially announce the commencement of an Organisation of American States, Heritage Project of extreme importance to the the Caribbean, titled ?Expanding the Socio-economic Potential of Cultural Heritage in the Caribbean?.
They will deliver a presentation outlining the significance of this flagship project, the leading role that Grenada will play and the benefits that can be nurtured and enjoyed by society as a whole. Following the presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions.
Availability permitting, we will also be inviting the Hon. Brenda Hood, Minister of Culture and Hon. Yoland Horsford-Bain, Minister of Tourism to make brief addresses.
Grenada National Trust selected to lead Caribbean in engaging communities
and the public in sustainable heritage tourism
?A Project of the Culture & Tourism Section, Department of Economic and
Social Development, Organization of American States.?
The Grenada National Trust (GNT) have been awarded a project of major importance to Grenada and regional member countries of the Organization of American States (OAS). The goal of the two year project is to encourage sustainable heritage entrepreneurship through the endorsement of local tourism products and services that safeguard heritage resources and communicate their value to all audiences.
The project is one part of a larger OAS project titled ?Expanding the Socio-economic Potential of Cultural Heritage in the Caribbean?. The specific project component that has been awarded to the GNT is ?A Regional Model for Engaging the Public in Sustainable Heritage Tourism?.
Whilst, the project will be hosted by the Grenada National Trust, it will be overseen on behalf of the OAS by the technical coordinators, Neil Silberman and Angela Labrador of Coherit Associates, who both visited Grenada for several days earlier this month, to familiarise themselves with the environment, project delivery team and key heritage stakeholders. They received a very warm welcome from all involved.
Quoting from a letter written by Mr. Aaron Francois, Permanent Secretary for Culture, on behalf of the Hon. Brenda Hood, Minister of Culture to Mr. Richard Campbell, OAS, Chief of Culture and Tourism, he said the following:
?The minister is pleased to welcome Coherit Associates who will work with the local implementing partner the Grenada National Trust to carry out the goals of the project between January 2015 and January 2017. We are fully supportive of this project that seeks to increase the participation of cultural practitioners and heritage based firms by offering better access to the tourism market for products that meet locally-approved standards of authenticity and sustainability. It will also benefit domestic and international visitors by making available a wider variety of heritage products and services that embody the distinctive culture and traditions of the destination.?
In response the Coherit Associates had this to say:
?We?re delighted that Grenada has been chosen as the site of this important project,? noted Labrador,?a specialist in community-based heritage programming.? ?The culture is so rich and there is so much untapped potential for people from all walks of life and all parts of the country to benefit.?
Silberman, a heritage expert who has worked in the US, Europe, and the Middle East, was overwhelmed by the local response to the project.??The Culture Ministry, the Grenada Tourism Authority, and, of course the Grenada National Trust,?have been enthusiastic about the impact that Sustainable Heritage Tourism can have on Grenada?s economy and cultural identity.? Along with?the specialists and students from SGU, we really have a??dream team? to make this project a great success and a model for the entire Caribbean region.?
?Grenada is in?a perfect position to become a world leader in this new vision of cultural heritage.?The places, traditions, and stories from the past belong to everyone.? And everyone here– not only the experts– has a story to tell,? Silberman observed.
Neil Silberman and Angela Labrador will return to Grenada, on 6th April 2015 to take part in the official press conference that will kickstart the implementation stage and also commence training for specific members of the project delivery team.
Darryl Brathwaite, President of the Grenada National Trust stated that
?It was truly uplifting to finally give heritage a platform within Caribbean culture. Raising the profile of heritage in new and innovative ways is going to be a challenge, but one we at the GNT will embrace enthusiastically for the benefit of our beautiful and valuable islands.?
As heritage around the world starts to command more audience on the world stage as a lucrative and viable tourist product for less developed countries, we revisit Grenada’s Amerindian heritage.
We have provided a couple of links below, one from the Florida Museum of Natural History back in 1990 and the other the observations of a visitor. We hope you find them interesting.
Florida Museum of Natural History
Carib’s petroglyphs / Amerindian remains in Grenada
The GNT will lead the effort to protect these sites and others yet to be discovered, with the creation and enforcement of robust legislation, by lobbying the government of Grenada.
On Wednesday, the 21st of January 2015, Professor Corinne Hofman of Leiden University and the Ministry of Culture and the Grenada National Trust signed an MOU, agreeing scientific and cultural cooperation as part of the ?Nexus 1492 ERC-synergy? project.
Nexus 1492 ERC-synergy objectives
The ambition of NEXUS 1492 is to rewrite a crucial and neglected chapter in global history by focusing on transformations of indigenous, Amerindian cultures and societies across the historical divide of 1492. It investigates the impacts of colonial encounters in the Caribbean, the nexus of the first interactions between the New and the Old World.
Objective 1: Provide a new perspective on the first encounters between the New World and the Old World by focusing on the histories and legacies of the indigenous Caribbean across the historical divide and by addressing the complex intercultural interactions over the ensuing centuries.
Objective 2: Raise awareness of Caribbean histories and legacies, striving for practical outcomes in future heritage management efforts with implications for local communities, island nations, the pan-Caribbean region, and globally.
The first objective will be addressed by creating (1) a multi-scalar temporal (AD 1000-1800) and regional (pan-Caribbean) approach to Amerindian archaeology, specifically addressing the historical divide and thereby bridging the gap between pre-colonial and colonial histories, (2) a trans-disciplinary research design targeting the intercultural nexus of colonial encounters and Amerindian-African-European dynamics, and (3) a systematic approach to apply and develop cutting-edge multi-disciplinary methods and techniques.
The second objective will be reinforced by the involvement of Caribbean scholars and local communities in the proposed research agenda, enhancing international cooperation and a sense of ownership. Furthermore, a joint heritage agenda will be designed to mitigate loss of indigenous cultural remains caused by natural and human forces, and to raise historical awareness on local, regional, and global scales.
NEXUS 1492 addresses two main research questions:
- What are the immediate and lasting effects of the colonial encounters on indigenous Caribbean cultures and societies and what were the intercultural dynamics that took place during the colonisation processes?
- How can the study of indigenous Caribbean histories contribute to a more sophisticated awareness and to the design of a heritage programme that will speak to multiple and perhaps competing stakeholders at local, regional, pan-regional, and global scales?
Professor Hofman was also invited to give a lecture during a session at the Grenada National Museum on the Nexus project and its significance for Grenada.
During late March and Early April 2015, Grenada Museum Curator, Angus Martin will visit Leiden University to progress project.
