Premier Addresses TCI on the First National Heritage Day Celebration

Providenciales, 13 Oct 2014 – Today is our day! The final words of the Premier and Minister with responsibility for Culture, Premier Rufus Ewing in a national address issued earlier today… reflecting on the fact that this is the first national heritage day, within the first national heritage month and a successful series of cultural weekends held in Grand Turk, Salt Cay and South Caicos so far…

Premier Ewing said he is anticipating the Sisal and Cotton festival in Middle and North Caicos this coming weekend and the Maritime Festival here in Providenciales on the final weekend of October.

The TCI which is a composite society of a variety of Caribbean, North American, European, Asian and African peoples working or having invested can sometimes get lost in the strengths of the other cultures… but the country’s leader said not today, “…as we embrace our nation, our brothers and our sisters and the richness of our heritage, so too must we continue to embrace all citizens and ethnicities residing amongst us. As we acknowledge the presence of the many cultures which today make up the Turks and Caicos Islands…. today I say to you all however, though you will celebrate your origins, I encourage you to join with us to celebrate the present, as this is your home.

Join with us in our ways, and uphold our heritage, as the future is ours together.” A simultaneous motorcade in all islands was the highlight of this public holiday, which used to be known as Colombus Day.