Garifuna Foundation to host series of events for Heritage Month

Kingstown and Heritage Square will come alive from March 9 to 12, as The Garifuna Heritage Foundation (TGHF) hosts an exciting series of events as part of its celebration of National Heroes and Heritage month 2016.

On Wednesday, March 9, the International Garifuna Symposium will be held at the Peace Memorial Hall, commencing at 9 a.m.{{more}}

The theme of the Symposium is “Living the Garifuna Heritage and Culture: Yurumei/ Garifuna Diaspora Relationship as A Reflection of the Caribbean Indigenous Experience.”

The keynote address will be delivered by Rawle Gibbons, director, playwright and former head and senior lecturer at the Centre for Creative and Festival Arts, UWI, St Augustine Campus, Trinidad. He will speak on the topic “Arandara: Caribbean Futures in History.”

Following this, there will be a panel discussion on the topic “Revisiting History – The Impact of the 1797 Expulsion of the Garifuna on the Development of St Vincent and the Grenadines as a Nation State.”The three panelists will be Dr Adrian Fraser, Curtis King and Dr Cleve Scott.

The public is also invited to visit the grounds of the Carnegie Building (Old Public Library) to see a traditional Garifuna Village which is being constructed there.

This village will showcase educational booths, display of cultural items and other cultural activities. Huts constructed of indigenous materials (e.g. bamboo, roseaux, thatch) will be used to display coconut and chocolate products, as well as medicinal plants.

Craft work, jewelry, local food and other local products will be available for sale by local artisans at Heritage Square. TGHF is working in collaboration with the Handicraft Unit of the Adult and Continuing Education Department within the Ministry of Education to bring out the talents of our local crafts men and women.

On Friday, March 11, the second national schools Garifuna cultural folk festival will be held. The children of our primary and secondary schools will have their opportunity to share with us their talents at the second National Schools Garifuna Cultural Folk Festival, to be held at the Victoria Park, beginning at 9 a.m.

Over 30 primary and secondary school students from all over the country, including the Grenadines, will participate in a cultural package, as well as a presentation of historical exhibits made by students under the theme “Know Your History.”

This event is being held in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Tourism Sports and Culture.