The National Trust taking a stand

by Kathy Martin 12.OCT.07

The National Trust has come alive at last. It is being attacked in the Media. Last week it was taken to task by two individuals about meetings at which they had not even been present. Hopefully, many more Vincentians now know of the Trust, and even more to the point about the petroglyphs. Let us, however, begin at the beginning.{{more}}

The National Trust was set up in 1969 by Government, with such persons as the then Administrator, Hywel George, the former Commissioner of Police, Colonel Sydney Anderson, and Doctor Earle Kirby in the forefront. Sir James Mitchell was also involved in its establishment, but somewhere along the line he and the Trust failed to see eye to eye, and during his administration the organisation became dormant. After the ULP won the election in 2001, the Trust was resurrected with Cecil Ryan in the Chair and subsequently Kathy Martin who now heads an elected Board of Trustees.

Over the last seven years, the Trust has been involved in several activities:

1. Restoration work at the Carnegie Old Public Library

2. Cataloguing the desecrated Kirby archaeological collection

3. Mounting a Permanent Archaeological Display at Heritage Hall – open every Monday to Thursday from 10a.m. to 5p.m., admission $5.00.

4. Inventory work on all Petroglyphs

5. Taking Global Positioning System (GPS) data

6. Creating a National Archaeological Site Inventory

7. Investigating and making recommendations on archaeological sites which are currently at risk.

8. Obtaining the Legal Power to Protect our Patrimony by the declaration of Heritage Status

9. Listing Historic Buildings

10. Assessing the Vulnerability and Capacity of SVG to respond to Climate Change (VCA Project)

11. Educational Outreach Programmes

12. Service on a number of National forums

This by any standard is an ambitious programme. It cannot be carried out without a permanent secretariat. Yet the finances of the Trust have never been put on a sound footing. Members of the Trust are supposed to pay annual fees, but this has not so far amounted to very much. To finance a secretariat, the Trust has, therefore, sought to set up a Fund. Such Trust Funds usually operate by soliciting contributions and investing them. The income from these investments can then be used in perpetuity to finance the organisation. The Trust has collected some moneys and invested them. It would be readily appreciated, however, that it would take time to amass the capital that would generate the income needed to finance a secretariat. In the mean time, a local organisation has agreed to pay for the secretariat for a period of two years. Anyone willing to contribute, however small, to our Trust Fund is invited to contact Kathy Martin or Louise Mitchell.

Not many islands have to go through this tortuous process to ensure their National Trust survives. Regionally, National Trusts and Heritage conservation organizations are very much under Government control. The French Government supports work in Guadeloupe and the other French territories through their Regional Councils. The British Government extends largess to Montserrat and Anguilla. US sources of funding are available in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. In Cuba, the prestigious Fundación Antonio Nuñez Jiménez de la Naturaleza y el Hombre is government supported. The Jamaica National Heritage Trust is maintained as a Government agency. The St Lucia National Trust, which is similar to ours, was recently reactivated by a highly paid consultant and receives a substantial government subvention. No lesser person than the Nobel prize winner, the late Sir Arthur Lewis, pointed out that in these small islands everything is frighteningly dependent on the good will of the government of the day.

Now to the matters about which some people are seeking to promote strife. The Trust learnt that an international airport was to be built. Knowing that the Argyle area had several important archaeological sites, it approached the airport company (IADC) to discuss their conservation. Accompanied by two Canadian archaeologists, the Trust met with the IADC. It was agreed that attention should be focussed on 1) the petroglyphs 2) the prehistoric habitation sites and 3) a book recording the history of the area. As regards the petroglyph site, the Trust sought to have the airport so aligned as to leave it undisturbed. Unfortunately, the cheapest option did not allow for this. One does not have to hold a referendum to ascertain what the people of St Vincent would decide, faced with a choice of not having enough money to build an international airport and disturbing a petroglyph. It was agreed to cater for the worst possibility, by constructing a replica. In Guadeloupe, such replicas are used as a means of inventory of their rock art, and Eric Pélissier was commissioned from that island to make the model. This, of course, does not rule out the possibility of using any other cost effective method of preserving the petroglyphs.

The second hand report of Mr. Lewis on what took place at the conference is largely inaccurate and full of his own spin, but that is water under the bridge.

It is so sad that so many of our people are good at writing to newspapers and engaging in endless dialogue on the radio but are not able to take practical measures to get things done.

Membership of the SVG National Trust can be obtained by contacting the office.

Tel:4512921, email: svgntrust@vincysurf.com