Tourism potential of Garifuna Culture to be explored at International Garifuna Summit

Organisers of the upcoming Garifuna summit here are exploring the possibilities of the culture being one of the tourism products of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The sixth International Garifuna Summit was officially launched on February 19, to announce the activities that will be a part of this year’s event. And this year’s activities are being held under the theme “Exploring the Garifuna and Kalinago heritage and culture, cultural survival youth and opportunities in Heritage Tourism.

The events are slated to begin next Wednesday with a Cassava Food Competition for Secondary Schools and continue of Wednesday with a Garifuna Folk Festival.

“…Without a doubt, tourism is one of our major industries in the world and among the biggest creators of employment. Over the last two years, St Vincent and the Grenadines has recorded a dramatic increase in the number of cruise ships visitors to our beautiful shores. Through this programme ladies and gentlemen, we are hoping that heritage tourism can be developed as a major area for educating the world about our culture and heritage as well as for the purpose of employment,” Aldia Gumbs-Dyer, senior curriculum development officer said at the launch.

She said that the ministry was pleased to partner with the Garifuna Heritage Foundation as more students have been motivated to learn about Vincentian traditions.

The senior education officer also said that the ministry plans to enhance the school curriculum to incorporate more local heritage.

Gumbs-Dyer said the cassava programme entails students creating cassava dishes and the ministry hopes it will “create more awareness of the indigenous food, cassava. We want to showcase various ways of utilising cassava and create an interest in many of the children in partaking of this food.

“We want to showcase our students’ creativity and we want to contribute to the enhancement of the heroes and heritage month and of course, this will also heighten national pride,” she said.

Other activities for the Garifuna Summit include an exhibition of indigenous craft, art and artifacts, which is called “From the Orinoco to Exile”. This exhibition begins on March 11 at the Old Public Library and will continue on March 12.

It is free for the public and opens at 9 am.

The 6th International Garifuna Conference will begin on March 13 at the NIS conference room and run for the duration of the day.

Deborah Dalrymple, the head of site at the University of the West Indies Open Campus said that the campus has been partnering with the foundation to host the conference since 2016.

“Our feature speaker is Mrs Vera Ann Brereton, who is a tourism consultant and she would present, giving her own slant including Garifuna culture and heritage with tourism,” Dalrymple said. “It is hope that the conference will create interest and pride in the Garifuna heritage and explore the possibilities of heritage tourism around the Garifuna and Kalinago culture.”

She said that among the objectives of the conference was assisting with opening up areas for possible tourism products based on indigenous and Garifuna culture and encouraging people to have an interest in the culture and heritage.

On March 16, a Garifuna Fashion Show and Tea Party will be held on the grounds of the Girls’ High School and a theatre production titled Mali will take place at the Peace Memorial Hall on April 5, 6 and 7.

David ‘Darkie’ Williams, president of the Garifuna Heritage Foundation, said the foundation has always attempted and continue to reach out to the public to disseminate information and participate in activities that enlighten them about Garifuna culture.

“Generally speaking, the Garifuna and acceptance of the Garifuna History and culture in St Vincent, I would say is about 50/50. There are many people who are thriving to help to uplift and help to revive the culture and those remnants of the culture, to sustain them in St Vincent and the Grenadines,” he said. “ Most Vincentians are appreciative of the effort but some couldn’t care less, whether this history, this heritage mean anything to us. But even for those who appreciate, they do not have information.”

Williams added that the foundation remains dedicated to finding the resources to get that information out to that public that is not appreciated and for those who are, for them to be more greatly enlightened.