National Heritage Month 2021 Address by Hon. Josephine Connolly

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS, MY PEOPLE IN RADIO LANDS OR THOSE FOLLOWING THROUGH VARIOUS MEDIA CONNECTIONS, WELCOME!

As we celebrate National Heritage Month 2021, we do so with pride and the collective responsibility that we all have in celebrating who we are as a people, forged through hard work and industry, determined wills and the unbreakable spirit of our forefathers and mothers who have so firmly laid the foundation on which today we can enjoy.

It is the vision of my Ministry and by extension — the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands to indelibly etch into the minds of our people, the treasure we have inherited. The recognition of National Heritage Month seeks to impress upon the hearts of our people the significance of working together to achieve greatness for these small but beautiful islands today and beyond.  And so, as we celebrate National Heritage Month, I encourage you to become more aware of our past whilst preparing ourselves to embrace a solid, secure and sustainable future.

During this year’s heritage month, we pause to pay tribute to the pioneers who have stood proudly, represented and contributed to the establishment of our identity and embedded the foundations of a proud culture to these beautiful by nature Turks & Caicos Islands.

The theme chosen for these celebrations: Foundations of the future, fueled by our Forbearers, seeks to bring a kaleidoscope of colours, sounds and movements that are not individually reflective, but collectively impactful. Everyone can identify with various elements of the culture and give special significance to each showcase our heritage from the indigenous local dishes to historical practices such as fishing, boat building and our various crafts. The TCI continues to build up and re-vitalize these historical practices developed by our forefathers.

I rise on this platform, on this day, not only in recognition of our past but also to pledge my commitment to you my people, to build this nation, to launch a campaign of nationhood, a campaign to protect our culture and promote national pride for our country, our symbols and our people. There are many nations and many cultures living in the Turks and Caicos Islands. While we welcome and embrace all, we must not permit our culture and our symbols to be overshadowed by any other culture. It is my Government’s intention to strengthen culture within the Turks and Caicos Islands by ensuring that our culture is at the forefront by providing a platform to showcase, recognize and implement policies to protect and maintain our culture. We must ensure that our culture is instituted within our school’s curriculum. We must promote the transmission of culture and heritage through formal and non-formal education as a safeguarding measure. My Government will increase promotion of local visual arts in public spaces, especially at ports of entry and exit, engage planning committees on each Island to support structure planning and cultural events and increased community engagement of cultural activities.

Today I am filled with pride as a Turks and Caicos Islander as I witnessed the patriotism displayed by many Turks and Caicos Islanders, who in recognition of the honour of this month, are proudly flying our national colours. Today I declare that this symbol of our people and our nation must not wait until National Cultural and Heritage Month to be displayed, but that our flag should be flown in front of every building, every school and every medical facility as a national symbol.

Considering the impact that COVID 19 has on our lives, we have been forced to change the mode of our presentations. But we must remember, that our forefathers were men and women of adjustment. Not only did they adjust to the vagaries of the weather, they also had to adjust to the various types of treatment that was levied on them as in the salt industry. Thus fueled the determination to create a culture that is unique for us.

We invite you to join in the activities that have been planned for all of our enjoyment via the Department of Culture and Heritage’s Facebook page.

If you are not following us, now is the perfect time to begin. All events will be streamed live.  More information about the specific activities for each island will be shared on Facebook and other media outlets so stay tuned and we look forward to celebrating with you.

It is my pleasure as Minister of Culture & Heritage to officially declare this 2021 National Heritage Month open!!