Petroglyphs are priceless national relics, not ruins!

Editor: It was with great interest I noted an advertisement by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Trust, promoting an Annual Lecture “To commemorate the life and work of Dr. I. Earle Kirby (1921 – 2005)” to be held on September 27th, 2007, on “Specially Protected Areas and the Development of the Eco-tourism Product in St. Vincent and the Grenadines” (The Vincentian – Sept. 21st, 2007).{{more}} Since I was scheduled to be out of the state on the date this lecture was taking place, my participation was limited to media reporting on the event which spoke of the ‘unveiling of life size replicas of the Argyle Petroglyphs” in its “quest to save ruins” (Searchlight – September 28th, 2007).

How ironic! One would have to be either crazy or stupid to accept this type of mediocrity coming from an organization that is mandated with the responsibility “to locate, restore and conserve buildings and objects of archaeological, architectural, artistic, historic, scientific or traditional interests” (National Trust Act No. 32 of 1969 – Section 4c). How is it possible for the National Trust to convince this Nation that it is “Preserving for the Future” when its covert actions indicate that it is cooperating with this Government in its quest to remove the Petroglyphs at Argyle, while being fully conscious of the fact that the chances of they being destroyed in the process is very likely? And when the time comes we will hear the Prime Minister informing us that “regrettably we were not able to save these cherished artifacts” or some other string of pretty words to placate the Nation as to committing this atrocity.

In the first instance, Petroglyphs are not ‘ruins’; they are priceless National relics that can never be replaced by cheap replicas once they are destroyed. Secondly, this Nation is yet to hear the utterance of a single word of objection by the National Trust as to the removal and possible destruction of the Petroglyphs and the Escape Church at Argyle, the Tobago Cays issue, the proposed Cross Country Road which threatens the Forest Reserve and its wealth of indigenous and exotic wildlife, flora and fauna or the future of Park Lands in Bequia.

Just in case the current Board of the National Trust has forgotten, the organization is also mandated “To locate, restore, and conserve areas of beauty including marine zones within the territorial waters of St. Vincent (and the Grenadines) and to protect and conserve the natural life existing therein” (Section 4b); “To list the flora and fauna in areas of natural beauty for the purpose of such conservation” (Section 4d); “To educate the public in the historical assets and natural amenities” (Section 4g); and

“To co-operate with persons and associations having similar objects” (Section 4h). And according to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, the word ‘conserve’ means to “protect from harm or destruction”.

On the issue of using the occasion to ‘commemorate the life and work of Dr. I. Earle Kirby’, any person or organization that would have had any interaction with Dr. Kirby during his lifetime on any issue concerning the natural and historic assets of St. Vincent and the Grenadines would know what his stance would be regarding the Petroglyphs at Argyle. Such a gesture under these circumstances shows blatant disrespect for Dr. Earle Kirby, a person who dedicated his life’s work to studying, identifying, and collecting materials to document this Nation’s historic and natural assets, and to raising the level of consciousness as to their value.

As to the great visionary, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves (the self proclaimed Portuguese descendant), and his chorus group of ‘yes’ men and women, who are seeking to remove the Carib Petroglyphs at Argyle along with other significant National assets to make way for an International Airport – the most ridiculous developmental plan ever to be conjured up by any Government in the history of this Nation, I ask: Do you understand that your prescription to National Development not only obliterates the indigenous people of this Nation once again, but it belongs in the ethos of the dark ages of European Civilization?

Mr. Prime Minister, my advice to you is to go to sleep and dream again; and this time, make your vision a realistic and practical one; a dream that will truly ennoble our Caribbean Civilization.

Let me remind you that when you have turned to dust in your final resting place, future generations will have to live with (or without) what is left behind.

In the mean time, HANDS OFF THOSE PETROGLYPHS!

Marlon Mills
Former (elected) Secretary and Life Member, St. Vincent National Trust