“A Sacred Space For Our Ancestors” | Online Mini-symposium | June 8, 2021

 

UCF Presents Online Mini-symposium “A Sacred Space For Our Ancestors”

Topics Symposium

Part 1 – Discovery of at least 18 remains of our ancestors at the beach of Godet

Part 2 – Africanism in the diaspora and Caribbean

 

When:  Tuesday, June 8 2021

Time:    4 pm Caribbean time, 16:00 European time

Where: Online Zoom 

 

Join us

Greetings and welcome to all our Afrikan Sisters and Brothers,

If you would like to participate in the Mini-symposium "A Sacred Space For Our Ancestors", please send us a message and we will send you the Zoom meeting details. 

• Email cuvalay.kandidaat3/at/ubuntuconnectedfront.com 
• Or use UCF Facebook messenger

 

Panel members

Host Kenneth Cuvalay, UCF Tilburg

Co-Host Zamir Ayubi, Bonaire, Chill-FM Radio

• Derrick Simmons, former Commissioner of Constitutional Affairs St. Eustatius, BA Anthropology 
• Dr Richenel Ansano, former director of the National Archaeological Anthropological Memory Management (NAAM), Curaçao
• Drs Johnny Tujeehut, Specialty-Adult-education,Groningen, Academic level known as -Andragoog Curaçao 
• Charles Woodley former-commissioner from 2017 to 2018 
• Denicio Bryson, lawyer, St. Maarten 
• Xiomara Balentina, psychologist and member Brighter Path Foundation, St. Maarten/St. Eustatius 
• Regillio Vaarnold, chair UCF, Amsterdam, human rights lawyer
• Melvin Sille UCF, Groningen 
• Angelo La Cruz, Curaçao 
• Chip Kwabena, fighter for Afrikan liberation, Curaçao/ St. Maarten and St. Eustatius 
• Gilbert Bacilio, Curaçao 
• Kenneth Cuvalay, from December 2009 to July 1, 2017, one of the principal founders of Mental Health Caribbean and clinical manager Mental Health Caribbean (MHC), UCF Tilburg

Guest speaker Part 1: Walter Hellebrand, Director of the Monument Foundation op St. Eustatius

 

Background

St. Eustatius is steeped in rich history. Recently, burial grounds of our enslaved ancestors were discovered at the former plantation Golden Rock. Because of erosion, also at least 18 remains were found at the beach of Godet. Archeologist worldwide are doing research on the island, under supervision of local Archeological Foundation SECAR. The community is not involved nor informed. Newspapers mention that the remains of our ancestors will be transported to the local museum after research is finished.

Archeology needs to decolonize, and we as African ancestors in the diaspora must be part of the process to make sure that the remains of our ancestors are treated with dignity and respect, and not treated as an artefact. See the inspiring example of the “African Burial Ground” in Manhattan, New York here: https://www.nps.gov/afbg/index.htm

Program, Introduction

All panel members will introduce themselves briefly

 

Program, Part 1 - Addressing our ancestral remains

Mr Walter Hellebrand is involved with the location of the historical location of many of our ancestors resting places on the island and presents the situation;

1. Giving a description of the current situation regarding the removal of our Afrikan ancestors remains, how much, how far is the community and partner organizations are been informed or even are involved?
2. Is it known as to which government is responsible for making decisions as to what is eventually going happen to our ancestors remains and where would be there final resting is going to be place?
3. There are rumors that the remains of our ancestors would be placed partly possible to seen online, is this true, how much do you know about this?

 

Program, Part 2 – Africanism in the diaspora and Caribbean

Mr. Derrick Simmons presents the situation giving insight to the happenings on the ground;

1. Impact on a people and their community since there democratically elected government was dissolved in 2018 and their democratic rights, self-determination and freedom to elect their own government was taken away by the Dutch colonial powers.
2. As far as you know which government is in charge as to what is taking place, is it the central government in the Hague or is it the undemocratic appointed so call local government which been installed by the colonial Dutch powers that has the region in its grip? 
3. Is there financial mismanagement and corruption on the island by the Dutch, the issues which the democratically elected government of the people of St. Eustatius was dissolved on by the Dutch?
4. As we know the island government of the people of St. Eustatius was dissolved on the thums up charges by the so called three wise men report and an undemocratic appointed so call local government has been installed by the colonial Dutch powers that has the region in its grip?

Mr. Denicio Bryson, lawyer:

• He will have 10 minutes to present the situation the regarding on St. Maarten, taking steps going to the UN against the Dutch domination and how their action coo insides with that of St. Eustatius.

 

The final aim of this symposium is the following

• How we people of African descent reclaim our culture heritage which are being continue to be stolen and take the control of rewriting of our history which continues to be written and distorted by white historians and as Afrikans give direction and input to the narrative from our African perspective?

• We are also seeing a mass development among white scholars promoting themselves and graduating on the issues of anti-racism from their position from the lens of white privilege.

• We Afrikans we still continue to live the pain and suffering and effects as a consequence of the legacy of Dutch Transatlantic slavery and colonialism within the systems, Eurocentric education, discriminatory legislation, within the institutions at large, statues which present images of which illustrate white supremacy over Afrikaans the portrayal as inferior in public spaces which has damaging image forming on our children self-esteem,

• Shouldn't we be determining our narrative and if so, how do we collectively come together and develop that process and also determining the narrative of anti-racism and not the other way around?

After the presentation we will all have together with the other speakers' integral discussions with their input hoping we can conclude collective answers and solutions taking us forward building a future determined by us while changing the false historical and distorted history of our ancestor's historical narrative. In other words, we are the one absolutely responsible for our historical story and the narrative of it.