Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 02, 2016 (SKNIS): The month of February is designated as History and Heritage Month in St. Kitts and Nevis and Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris has joined the nation to commemorate the prestigious event.
On Sunday, January 31, Prime Minister Harris made an address to launch the month-long observance.
“I consider it an honour and a privilege to address you as our Federation begins its annual 30-day ritual of showcasing the advancement and evolution of our people via the History and Heritage Month celebrations being organized by the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society,” he said. “Throughout the entire month of February, the Society and its strategic partners would have expended considerable effort and expense promoting, reminding and sensitizing the public on the rich and diverse culture, history, value systems, challenges, achievements and social underpinnings that have come to characterize the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
PM Harris highlighted that History and Heritage Month was in its tenth year and described the observance as an ideal opportunity for citizens and residents of a relatively young nation to remember where they came from, their current status and future ambitions, whether individual or collective.
“St. Kitts and Nevis is a country that has been independent for just over 32 years,” said Dr. Harris, while adding that as the Mother Colony of the British West Indies, the nation has secured an indelible place in the world’s history as the focus of British settlement in the Caribbean following the arrival of Sir Thomas Warner in 1624.
He added that one can never discount the critical developmental role of the nation’s first inhabitants, namely the Amerindian population of Kalinago (Caribs) and Tainos (Arawaks), who would have called the islands “home”, and sustained their existence via the rich resources of the land and the sea. Prime Harris pointed out that remarkable credit must be given to the nation’s resilient African ancestors, “on whose backs the former sugar-based economy of St. Kitts and Nevis would have been developed over 200 years of British slavery.”
The St. Kitts and Nevis leader said as citizens and residents consider the rich past of the country, one must be mindful of the cultural and ethnic influences that have helped to not only define nationals, but also aided in colouring the cultural complexity of the nation that is evident in art forms, food, customs and conventions, and oral traditions. By doing this, he said one would acknowledge the role played by other European immigrants such as the French and Portuguese who contributed greatly to the development of agriculture and small business development in St. Kitts and Nevis.
History and Heritage Month 2016 will showcase a wide selection of programmes and activities designed to promote awareness and appreciation for the history, culture and heritage of the Federation. Such include dual lectures by Sir Tapley Seaton Q.C., Governor General – one in Nevis at the Red Cross Building and in St. Kitts at the UWI Open Campus, as well as a Primary School Quiz Series in both Nevis and St. Kitts, with the finals scheduled for March 01. There will also be a Senior Citizens’ Social at Matheson House in St. Kitts. A number of post events are also scheduled for the month of March, including a Cultural Fair at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College.
Prime Minister Harris encouraged all citizens and residents to participate in the month-long activities, and urged that they use them as opportunities to teach the youth about the nation’s collective history and the journey towards the Federation’s advancement as a small island developing state (SIDS).
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