Thursday, January 25, 2007

The Monument
This monument - also, called The People’s Monument, located exactly on the border of the French and Dutch Antillean section of the island depicts in essence what is politically taking place in this uniquely cosmopolitan island we call Saint Martin. The historical context of the political development of the people resident on the island is an amazing one. The people living on each section of the island has been politically administrated by the two nations, Holland and France, who had a battle about this size-wise insignificant island territory. Whereas in 1648 the French and Dutch agreed on a treaty, which has never actually been signed by any of the parties here is a situation, 358 years later when the people who, in effect, maintained peaceful coexistence between the nations, have signed a “Final Declaration’ with the Netherlands Kingdom on November 2, 2006 to insure a new constitutional status. Prompted by the outcome of two referendums, serious consideration was given to the recommendation of the so called "Jesurun Report. The framework of the Final Declaration is supported by the following considerations.

- that on October 22nd 2005, an Outline Accord was agreed upon between the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and the Island Territories;
- that it was agreed upon in the Outline Accord that the Country the Netherlands Antilles shall cease to exist
that during the starting-Round Table Conference of November 26th 2005, agreements were made with regard to the intended final perspective and the target date for the new political structure;
- that during the starting-Round Table Conference, it was agreed upon that criteria and standards shall be established with which the constitutions, legislation and the government apparatus of the entities within the Kingdom must comply, taking into consideration the provisions of the Charter;
- that the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, Curacao and Sint Maarten want to make agreements as regards the specification of the intended final perspective;
- that the agreements which the Netherlands and the island territories of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius made during a mini conference on October 10th and 11th 2006, as regards the constitutional status of the island territories Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius are acknowledged within the Dutch polity;
- that the Netherlands, Curacao and Sint Maarten, endorse the criteria with which the constitutions, legislation and the government apparatus of the new entities within the Kingdom must comply, on which the preparatory committee Round Table Conference has reached agreement, as laid down in the letter of March 7th 2006 from the General Secretary of the Round Table Conferences to the Chairman of the Round Table Conferences.

The historical-cultural importance of our present day condition is noteworthy when we consider our own movement as a people from the seventeen century throughout the twenty-first century. The vibrancy and resilience of the people in the Caribbean, even more so in Saint Martin, has come about as a consequence of the lust for expansion of Europe and its need for cheap and sustainable labor in order to satisfy it.
Ever since, there has been movement of slaves throughout the Caribbean and the Americas. True – this movement has mostly been forced. After the emancipation of the slaves had been proclaimed in the Caribbean and in the Netherlands Antilles (July 1, 1863 for the Dutch section of Saint Martin and for French Saint-Martin in March 23, 1848) the movement had become more intense. Immigration has been the order of the day for all of us at some point in time of our economic development.
We, as a people, have had to fend for ourselves without the benefit of economic, financial or political capabilities. We have had to resort to our creative memory to survive and develop ourselves. The so called support for these efforts were utilized to frustrate rather than truly help, with the aim to keep freed people subjugated within the historical and cultural reference of their control and for their own benefit: I speak of the colonial masters, such as the French, Dutch, English, Portuguese and Spanish.
Saint Martin has had its days of immigration. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century we did seasonal work in the cane fields of Santo Domingo, Haiti, Cuba; more recently It was in the oil refineries of Aruba and Curacao and in the United States of America.
It is ironic, that today Saint Martin’s socio-economic status and as a consequence thereof, its cultural disposition reflect a historical event that is symbolized by the monument at the frontiers.
I perceive this monument as a historical reference with regards to people coming together and being able in the process to create a culture of peaceful co-existence through an innate sense of hospitality. Yes, it is the characteristic of friendliness, respect for each other, hospitality of a people who lived in an officially divided geographical area with less than 40-square miles by two nations who proposed peaceful co-existence and “unity” by way of a document, called: “The Treaty of Concordia”.
Most of you, probably, know the anecdote of how the division of Saint Martin came about. That is exactly what it is… an anecdote: A brief story of an interesting event. The recorded history of the so called division, as it is now represented by the stone monument at the frontiers has come about as a consequence of the waging of war against each other - Holland and France.
The obelisk shaped monument marks the history of the presence and activity of many European countries that have led to the encumbrance of our island’s proper name. Officially, the island is alternately called: Saint Martin (French Saint-Martin or Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles, depending on which side of the monument you hail.
The monument at the frontier of both sections of the island draws your attention to the middle of the seventeenth century, away from the sun, the pristine beaches and our vibrant tourist trade. It takes you to the period of explorers, gold mongers, privateers, buccaneers, pirates, exploitation, sugar and slavery, revolt, abolition, emancipation, emigration, Kingdom Statute, tourism, repatriation, and presently the constitutional change – Country Saint Martin.
The Monument stands now as the symbol of the spirit of the simartn people. I believe, I can call it the “Peoples' Monument." It is a relevant signature of the people of Saint Martin who lived here peacefully since the emancipation proclamation of 1848 and 1863. It is ironic that the constitutional move of the simartn people of the South coincides with the simartn people of the North. It stands to reason, though, that it is the consequence of a common experience of a similar political administration. Here's a new beginning - a new beginning demanding a new attitude, a new sense of Self, the simartn self. It is our responsibility. We owe it to our ancestors and to our future generations - our country simartn.

A New Beginning
This is an open letter to our new and veteran candidates who are committing themselves to the task of establishing a Country Saint Martin when they would have been elected on April 20, 2007. Under the banner of "A New Beginning" of the National Alliance the members of government will need to be up to date with the responsibilities of government and governing. "A New Beginning" must be seen in the light of a relevant and effective approach (strategy) to be applied to achieving the sense and being of country. It must be a government that appreciates conscienticized citizens of a country of which every one can be proud and who must be given the opportunity and develop capabilities to express that pride and participating, enhance and maintain conditions of pride.

Government can not continue to administer the business of government as usual. Political strategy for the last 50 years - the era of Claude Wathey and the ensuing political culture in Saint Martin - has been effective in achieving the rule of government but destructive of a sense of country.
The combined consequence of this political strategy and government rule has been divisive and alienative to the integrity of the Saint Martin people. Government, therefore, as such has been a political strategy that has become synonymous with the DP government. Today, we live with the results, counter productive to building a country. We have signed The Final Statements for a new constitutional status and therefore, a new beginning. In order to break the teeth of that kind of government, we have got to educate ourselves in the best and most ample manner in order to be prepared as viable and capable citizens of country Saint Martin.
The key to that kind of education is to provide ready access to "information", relevant information in various forms and in all aspects of this country Saint Martin. In this age of information technology, we have no excuse to remain ignorant of issues and events that affect our lives and livelihood.
My advice, not only to our new and veteran candidates, but to all the members and supporters of the National Alliance who in turn ought to see to it that the whole population (voters and non-voters alike) on the island have the necessary information. As such a sense of belonging, of willingness to make a meaningful contribution to their country Saint Martin can possibly be achieved. Let us all work toward "A New Beginning".

Posted by Camille E. Baly, Esq. at 9:30 AM 1 comments

Cul-de-Sac People

Last night I attended the book party for the publication of 'Cul-de-Sac People', a book written by Mathias Voges, relating the genealogy of the families from the various districts of St. Martin. I was invited as the guest speaker of the evening by the House of Nehesi's CEO - Lasana Sekou. The attendance was wonderful. It was heartening to be part of a full house of off springs of families, who could be traced from even before the official emancipation of the island enslaved Africans. It was ironic, to say the least, for such a book to come from a Simartner with such a somatic appearance.

I spoke, therefore, in particular to the historical circumstance to the Simartn families and honestly with regards to the importance of such a documentation. I perceived this publication as a celebration of the enslaved Afrikan's spiritual resilience, dignity and self consciousness. Here follows the full length address of that evening.

CUL-DE-SAC PEOPLE -

A St. Martin Family Series

January 14, 2006

As we come together here this evening to celebrate the book Cul-de-Sac People - - A St. Martin Family Series, written by Mathias Voges, allow me a quote from Lasana Sekou, also used in said book which, in essence, celebrates the vibrancy, resilience and creative memory of the enslaved Afrikan people in St. Martin.

It reads: “The St. Martin people through their own hard work and dignity of spirit and conduct, transformed the names that were forced on them or they obtained by cruel or unusual circumstances or by choice, to proudly represent their new construct of self and of family”

This quote speaks directly to the importance of this book for the St. Martin family and to the character of the people of St. Martin. The celebration of Cul-de-Sac People is in fact the recognition of the fortitude, dignity and resilience of the St. Martin People; a people who came forth from the most inhuman and nihilistic circumstances and accomplished more than just their survival.
That the genealogy of our people can, at all, be traced is not only a tribute to Mathias Voges, but indeed, to an innate resilience that resulted in the presence of these families today.-
I gladly highly commend the work and commitment exhibited by Mr. Voges in the process of his research and documentation of this phase in the history of the St. Martin people as a reference in the future.
The enslaved Afrikan became a St Martin person after July 1, 1863, when the emancipation of the slaves was proclaimed throughout the Dutch territories having had the choice since April 27, 1848 when it was decreed by the French Republic. The enslaved Afrikan, however, did not become such by that act alone, more so, essentially, the Simartn people through their own hard work and dignity of spirit and conduct transformed themselves into worthy recognizable citizens.
The people were free; a sense of independence became a troublesome commodity in the lives of the former slaves. They were left without skills in management and without a market for their products. What heightened the difficulty of survival and the development of an economy was the absence of any participation in the promotion of sugar or salt. There was no political freedom and a sense of self hood had long ago been rendered dubious.

It is important to note here the basic concept of a slave society, according to Dr. Paula. “A people bound together in serfdom for an end imposed on them: the performance of coercive labour. Consequently, a slave society is a part of a community, a unit, distinguishable by the fact that it is subordinated to a dominating power and has an imposed standard of living, resultant conduct and identity.”

The functioning of a slave society, as we understand, in St. Martin as well, is how entwined the slaves were with all aspects of life. For the functioning of the community, slaves were indispensable for the community. Slave labour had become all embracing within the society as did the slaves themselves. The Afrikan impact on the society was therefore indelibly made.
St. Martin being a small scale slave society, it featured a pseudo-unity, based on family ties, bonds of friendship and loyalty which often ran across all racial differences. It was socially conditioned and race prejudice became a cultural element as a consequence of children being born with one white and one black parent. The psycho-social effects of that phenomenon in our society have not yet been resolved.
The period of planters and merchants shipping large quantities of sugar, molasses and rhum had ended. The abolition of slavery, ownership of property by former slaves, labour agreements with former slave owners being now possible, meant the breaking of a new era.
The story of the enslaved Afrikan in St. Martin depicts the challenges throughout their being elevated from the status of slave hood to subjects of the colony, to citizens with limited rights, to autonomous status with political rights, but subjects of economic deprivation.
The dignity, pride and enterprising spirit of the freed Afrikan chose for emigration to respectively the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, Panama, Aruba and Curacao, the USA and consequently repatriation for many St. Martin families in the late fifties.
In this light, I agree with Dr. Yandi Paula, that the emancipation of July 1, 1863 and of course, for St. Martin of April 27, 1948 was the greatest social revolution in the history of the St. Martin families.
When we comprehend how they were facilitated to maintain themselves, now free from the yoke of slavery, we – today in the throes of gaining the status of a country within the Kingdom – must honor their spiritual resilience and their great inner self consciousness. The essential catalyst was a culture of self preservation and recovery.
In the “The Village Simartn”, an unpublished work in progress, this same power and spiritual resilience is most present in the noble initiates of the village. Cul-de-Sac People, first in the St. Martin Families series is, in fact, a response to the plea, if you will a poetic lamentation of the impending lost of our name, of our autochthonic culture as a people. Cul-de-Sac People seriously addresses a very important aspect in the positive authentic development of the St. Martin people.

It tells you, “It is not true, that nobody knows my name”. The St. Martin families, as they come forward, researched and documented, like Cul-de-Sac People will continue to testify to that.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am hopeful and encouraged by the appearance of Cul-de-Sac People as it responds to my poetic exhortation some twenty years ago. In the context of the Village I called ‘the families that survived the plantation economy and its slave society “Noble Initiates of the Village”.

The Village of which I spoke, is not a narrow standard definition of a small community of people, located and developed spontaneously by settlers into an island or country, rather, it is a semantic reference to the creative memory of our forefathers. A creative memory, put into action, that has recalled truths of our existence, here in Simartn.

The village is the cultural context within which the noble initiates are our memory which has been so painfully and blatantly forgotten. The noble initiates are the creative basis of our imagination; they are the continuum of our original creative memory.

The noble initiates are the Simartn we fail to recognize in true relevance with our authentic development and in forfeiting this experience we are doomed to exist in a vacuum, not being able to really rediscover or recreate ourselves.

So now, when drum beat, goatskin don’t tremble and when eye hurt nose don’t run water.

The heart beat of our real development is our cultural development and our cultural development finds its source in the village. That source is you, who in our modern day St. Martin are now called the St. Martin Families.

But when I address you in the village I name you with utter reverence "the Noble Initiates." You are to us the source from which we are to draw our cultural sustenance, in order to survive as Simartners, as vicarious inhabitants of the village.

Noble initiates of the village, I recall saying at the time, we will not be able to find the means to re-establish the link with our past, with our creative memory without your help. As you utilized oral tradition to communicate your life, to consolidate your kinship with the co-habitors of the village, it seems to me that we are left to ourselves to look at the brutal experience of our history, to find our own footing in the scribal experience of today.

Cul-de-Sac People is the scribal experience of the village; National Symbols of St. Martin is the scribal experience of the village; and The House of Nehesi is a noble initiate of the Village.

The publication of matters essential to St. Martin in whatever form by artists whether they be musicians, calypsonians, dancers, craft people, researchers or writers --- I pronounce St. Martin as Simartn to include all the people living in the North as well as in the South, --- are, in fact, contributing to the St. Martin families.

However, unless, the work of these noble initiates becomes the body politic for establishing a country, the importance of these very valuable efforts and contributions would have been unforgivably trivialized.

Therefore, I recommend that the widest range of popular creativity be used in formal education from the very early years as part or the central core of the curriculum in our schools.

After all, the school is the basic element in the recovery and dignification of the basic values of each community; the formal educational system should be used to support and strengthen the authenticity, integrity and cultural identity of the island.

Cul-de-Sac People- A St. Martin Family Series: is a very important contribution to the cultural and educational process of identification of all of us, as Simartners. Please, I invite you to stand as you salute the author, Mr. Mathias Voges.

I thank you.

Camille E. Baly, Esq.

What's in a name...?!

What's in a name...?!

This water color painting of Simartn, the local name for Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin, is of 1820. It's name was not yet precise. The name of this web-log is the first naming of this island "Oualichi" which means "Land of Women". Our subsequent article "What's in a name...." with subtitle: "From Oualichi to Saint Martin" will elaborate further.

WHAT'S IN A NAME...

"From Oúalichi to Simartn"

Dr. Jay B. Haviser tells us in "An Archaeological Survey of St. Martin-St. Maarten" that it was the Suazoid peoples - the last prehistoric peoples - who lived in St. Martin before European contact. Whereas we learn from Johan Hartog of Carib Indians being on the island from time to time, Haviser quotes Allaire (1977) and Lathrop (1970) in pointing out, that there is no evidence of Carib inhabitants being on St. Martin. As a matter of fact, evidence of the "Island Carib" language being a Maipuran branch of Arawak casts further doubts whether there was ever a real Carib migration into the Lesser Antilles.
The first European contact with St. Martin reports that no people were living on the island. Yet, the Amerindian name for the island is somewhat confusing, continues Haviser, because the pre-Columbian name for St. Martin - Sualouiga: land of salt - can only be traced to Sypkens-Smit and Versteeg (1987).
The first pre-Columbian name - Oúalichi - we find in Breton's Carib-French dictionary of 1665. Even though this name is included among the four different names for the islands of St. Martin, Saba, St. Barths and Anguilla and specifically for St. Martin, yet we are inclined to accept that he meant St. Martin. We rule out the other names: Oüanalao, Amonhana, or Mallioúhana for St. Martin.
Menno Sypken-Smit, in his anthropological research of St. Martin in 1983, mentions a 'Greater St. Martin' during the glacial period. This Greater St. Martin comprised St. Martin, Anguilla and St. Barth. As archaeologically or as historically uncertain these names might have been applied, we have chosen "Oüalichi" land of women as the most original of the lot for our island. Therefore, we name our website: Oúalichi.
The island that is Sint Maarten has continued to insinuate, "nobody knows my name". Ever after the fifteenth century the Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, English and Scandinavian countries traversed the Caribbean. The end of the fifteenth century sees Christopher Columbus sailing by the Leeward Islands and giving names to them left, right and center.
St. Martin was not spared, since it is highly disputed among the historians whether Columbus even saw the island of St. Martin on his second voyage on November 11, 1493 that he began on September 25, 1493. We should note here that Juan de la Cosa, who accompanied Ojeda en Vespucci on their voyage to Bonaire and Curacao in 1499, came along with Columbus to gather information for his Mapamundi.
In this Mapamundi we notice how San Martin is being confused with Nevis; an anonymous map of 1512 notes S. Marta where Nevis is located. Columbus' son, Ferdinand confuses the issue even more by mistaking S. Martin -Nevis for Antigua.
Already, we are seeing the confusion of naming St. Martin as an island, not correctly mapping it. In the Mapamundi of 1500 it is registered as San Martin, in the anonymous map of 1512 it is indicated as S. Marta, and in Reinel's map of 1516 noted as Sam mtim. We further encounter the name of St. Martin in the Portuguese Atlas Ricardiana as Sa Marti. In 1556 on the map of Angelus Eufreducius next to Estaxia (St. Eustatia\us) we find San min.
In the Spanish literature, we see the island of St. Martin consistently being called San Martin. The Dutch, however, had not officially named St. Martin until 1636. In 1631, seven years after they set foot on St. Martin for the first time, it was St. Martin, in 1634 mention is made of St. Martijn; in the Chamber of Zeeland variably St. Martin and St. Martyn.
In 1936 - Official Gazette, nr. 105 - it was officially established that the Dutch section of St. Martin would be Sint Maarten, Nederlands gedeelte (Dutch section). The French section of the island was called Saint-Martin, Partie francaise. To date, officially these names stand for both sides of this island.
'What's in a name………' Shakespeare may find that "a rose by any other name will smell just as sweet., but those of African heritage understand that 'any other name' will not suffice. James Baldwin, the great African American writer of the sixties, essays the plight of the Blacks because the powers that be, purposely did not recognize them as a significant entity. He named the book "Nobody knows my name".
Camille E. Baly, Esq. - educator, folklorist, concerned with the cultural identity of the people of the island, states his consideration of its name. In a short historical reference concludes that in order to identify the people of Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin as one people, it should be called as the people speak: "Simartn". The word 'Simartn' will be ever present on this website to denote the sense of the oneness of the people of the island.
Lasana Sekou, poet, literary activist, writer, concerned with the cultural consciousness of the people of the island has coordinated and led a movement for the actual unification of both sides of the island. It was determined that the name of the island should be Simaatn.
Quite recently, the government that is concerned with the realization of the separate status of the island - a country within the kingdom - within the Netherlands Kingdom, has determined that the name should be officially spelled in the English language. The spelling for that matter resembles the French spelling of Saint Martin (Saint-Martin).
From our perspective, the development of Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin has grown through the consciousness of the first peoples from land of women - Oüalichi - to a cultural identification of the people, inhabiting the whole island - Simartn.
Copyright ©2002 Oualichi.org Development. All Rights Reserved. E-Contact:info@oualichi.org - tomkaly@gmail.com
posted by Cambrun @ 8:29 PM

posted by Camille E. Baly, Esq. @ 9:03 AM

Christmas-Xmas

This year the celebration of Christmas has been focused upon by the island government, especially the commissioners, responsible for Culture and Tourism, respectively. Whereas Christmas is a time when we emphasize love and good will among men of all nations, color and creed, it appears that Xmas the American way and Christmas the Saint Martin way are tripping over each other. Saturday afternoon, the lighting of the Xmas tree was introduced by a parade of typical commercial figures, endearing to young people and children. Heading the parade were Sponge Bob, Bob the Builder, etc., followed by a host of young reveling Santa Clauses through the recently beautified Front Street. The actual lighting of the Xmas tree, intended to be the climax of the evening, thereby signaling in the Yuletide, was a low point rather than the anticipated high-light of the event. Judging from the youthful participation and attendance, I daresay, the event was in accord with the high spirits of the youth at the same time, I assume, establishing the festive mood that becomes the Xmas season. The actual social climate of the island invites as valid and relevant instant gratification, profit oriented relationships and the expression of it by buying and selling, rather than sharing of self. Why this critical stance vis-à-vis an event that, arguably, has its merits, considering, that it establishes a certain mood, it whets a certain appetite; it is however, an actuality without the wider perspective of purpose. It appears to me, that authority has the responsibility for guidance, stimulance and coordination towards a goal, an objective. The end product of this responsibility is an awareness and consciousness of that goal, that objective in a way where you, every one of us, will become a productive vehicle. The goal, the objective here is becoming a country and the wider perspective is being within the Kingdom. It behooves us, therefore, to be purposeful in everything we do, strive toward becoming a patriot, a citizen, who is conscious and aware of him/herself. This ‘self’ is Sint Maarten – the country. This self has to reflect the sum total of all who have gone before us here in this island. A country without tradition is, in effect, not a country. A country recognizes itself through its history, a country expresses itself through its culture and this is seasoned and sustained through its education; education, understood in the sense, that it is the vehicle that transfers the viable body of its history and its culture. Obviously, the island population has an idea of self, even though not sufficiently aware and conscious, has expressed the will to be in a circumstance where it could become a ‘country within the Kingdom’. The results of the referendum bear this out. We, who are in authority have been given the responsibility and sometimes it has been grudgingly accepted . It is therefore, incumbent upon us to find ways and means to make it happen; this is an occasion that lends itself as a wonderful vehicle for development of our youths, our citizens, for the conscientization of the whole island.The commissioner of Culture on the other hand, seizes the moment and proposes a “We Christmas Village” - the subtitle , in fact, is a Traditional Saint Martin Christmas - at the newly endorsed national cultural park – the Emilio Wilson Cultural Park. The program proposes the recreation of an oral traditional Christmas celebration by engaging local known artists and others to participate. The vendors and the staging of the village environment by the construction of wooden traditional houses, replete with the necessary utensils will be video taped.
This effort should be lauded and it can be only hoped that this will be a true beginning of conscientizing the populace, especially the younger section. This action may not be solely for the tourists; this program may not be a political ploy for the upcoming election; the establishment of such a context must demand further action in a sustained manner whereby it becomes, in effect, the main policy that guides all other development of a people towards independence. Independence can not be given, nor can it be negotiated. Independence is acted out by independent people. We, of 'the Village', used to be an independent people, because we were able to feed ourselves.
With the introduction of political autonomy in the Netherlands Antilles the people were coerced by its elected representatives into abandoning the consciousness of self (their integrity), their sense of pride, ambition, fairness and honesty; coupled with the entrance of resort hotel complexes, Mullet Bay Beach Resort being the first in line, when hard cash became king. The king is dead (St. Martin’s traditional culture) long live the king (St. Martin’s new way of life, taking place without the people). There is little connection with the celebration of Xmas today and who we are as a people. We will be simply sacrosanct to profess that there should be no change, no growth in the development of a people.
After all, life is not stagnant; life is very dynamic as is culture. It means, though, that change will and must be concentric in order for a productive development. The principle of a people ought not to be detached, like a house without a foundation, in the process of development. A wayward people are those without the recognition of their history and their culture. The political culture of this island has rendered us into a wayward people, a people without consciousness of self and little or no respect for self. If the “We Christmas Village" is purposeful in the sense, we have stated, then there is hope. Hope for a wayward people without significant anchor and a shoddy compass. When, indeed, it intends to stimulate and revive the tradition in St Martin; there’s hope.
Contemplating a traditional Christmas those of us in the Village who know, might envision serenading during the entire Christmas Season, which started from the month of October until Christmas morning. Then, throughout St. Martin, one could see from the roof tops of many a house white with cassava bread, drying in the tropical sun. Pudding –pone – was being prepared a week before Christmas and on the eve of Christmas, the air was filled with the blended aroma of pork being daubed, tart, cake and many other goodies. The intensity of the carolers and serenaders would reach its pitch in the streets, under the windows of the village houses, when they were never, ignored, but got their due share of tart, pudding and liquor, raw rhum, anise punch, spice, Ms Blyden, sorrel and of course, our famous guava–berry.The song that usually invited that kind of sharing and hospitality was the traditional
“Good mornin’, good mornin’…ah, come fo me guava-berry;
good mornin’, good mornin’, wha give me, me guava berry…...”
There was, also, the religious sharing during the Yule-tide with the singing of the much known carols. While ‘Joy to the World” and more recently “Go tell it on the mountain” were quite prominent on the repertoire, the good old “Silent night, Holy night’ was always present.That mood, the atmosphere, that spirit of the secular and the religious, celebrating an event at the ending of the year, as it was adopted and celebrated within the sphere of the village, is one that should not be allowed to die, to be swallowed by a celebration based on the mercantilistic notion of our condition, today. When government intends to stimulate, to go forward taking the lead with this idea, it should be well noted that it is the people of this island continent that will have to make it what it ought to be through its participation in a purposeful policy, through good faith and willing to share and spread the good will and hospitality we are so verbally full of during precisely this time of the year. Apparently, this is not government's intention, though; we notice that the two commissioners are diametrically in opposition to each other with regards to the purpose of the celebration of Christmas. One’s action is for the sake of tourism and to the benefit of the commercial aspect of Xmas and the other is for the revival of the traditional celebration of Christmas.
Neither of them, however, appears to be consonant with the purpose of stimulating, supporting and coordinating a people towards becoming a country; a people conscious and aware of self and autonomous in action. In effect, these actions become suspect; it would appear to be moreso an endeavor to become more visible and politically viable on the eve of Parliament elections. The religious and secular chord that was struck during the celebration of Christmas was the harmony of a tradition of sharing, of loving their neighbor and of the proverbial hospitality by the traditional St. Martiner. This is the soul of the Village and it should be our purpose to find it, revive it and let it be our reference and context of the country within the Kingdom. Peace and good will reigned not only during the Christmas season, but become again, in deed, our way of life.
Merry Christmas and a Peaceful and Purposeful New Year to You All.
The Saint Martin traditional Christmas tree can be found when you click on this link. It is called the "Fisherman Rod".

Return to the Village
My first entry for the year 2006 was about my spending the beginning of that year with my son, Ray and his girlfriend, Inez in the Philipsburg Methodist church in Saint Martin. It has become tradition within our family to go to church on New Year's eve. It is called "Watch Night". Today, I am standing in front of the Gospel Hall in the main street of the Village, the Saint Martin street in Aruba.

I remember "Watch Night", I reminisce on spending the "ole year's" in Saint Martin two years ago with my son and his girlfriend; I am taken back to my boyhood days in the Village. Indeed, this experience goes back to my childhood days in Aruba where I grew up. My mother, a very religious and committed person, took her six children to the Gospel Hall in the Village. There, starting from 10:00 o'clock in the evening we would be singing hymns and some of the members would 'testify" proclaiming their faith in God. The pastor would ceremoniously open the service with prayers and more singing until half an hour before midnight, when he would start his sermon. It usually was based on crucial happenings during the year. The most appreciated pastor preached fire and brim stone until he would move, mostly the sisters, to speaking in tongues.

The "Watch Night' sermon, however, never enticed that kind or participation. It was more contemplative of the events of one's life during the year and resolutions were made, with the help of the Lord, to transcend frailties and enter with the New Year into the good graces of the Lord. The irony of the devotional proceedings in the church - the Gospel Hall - was where the New Year was piously ushered in by a silent moment in prayer, the thunderous explosion of 'thunder busses' and whistling fire crackers and the resulting multi-colorful formation created a cacophonous salute to their New Year. You see, there was a Chinese club two alleys away from the Gospel Hall in the Saint Martin street, the main street of Village-Zuid and Village-Noord. Some 60 years later, I am walking through the Saint Martin street - it is asphalted now -and I pass the Gospel Hall. This house of worship has not changed. It is no bigger than then, but it has been diligently maintained. It sticks out against the broken houses in front of it and in other parts of the Village. The Village has grown decrepit and on the verge of collapse.

The vibrant spirit I knew in my boyhood days is moribund. I guess, the houses reflect the condition of the spirit in the broken street, the dilapidated houses and there appears to be hopelessness in the few trees that bear no fruits. I will not be in Aruba to spend another Watch Night in the Gospel Hall and I do not know that there are as many present as before - some sixty years ago - to make resolutions to do better in the New Year. I have not experienced any children, playing or adults around the pool rooms, barber shops discussing politics, their social and economic condition. I have seen a single fowl, a lonely spaniel cock picking at some undefinable substance. I do not hear a crow, the clarion call to the breaking of day, welcoming sun light. There is no human traffic in the Saint Martin Street. I seek my boyhood memories, but do not find them in places, I knew. Those places are lost in the ruin of decay and the people who inhabited the places passed on. Monuments, not recognized as such, are mute reminders of the fascinating and vivid energy of my parents, relatives and Caribbean immigrants that created them.

I hear myself, my brothers and sisters singing uplifting songs in UNIA hall - listening to elders in the organization speak the philosophy of Marcus Garvey; the Windward Islands club, the pride of the many Windward Islanders, where concerts and soirees were organized for the benefit of themselves and their children; the French club where my sister was acclaimed for her virtuoso skills on the piano. Yes, Charlie's pool room, Alan's barbershop, Gordon's barbershop, Basiga's mechanic shop, the lumber yard, Mister Arrindell's ventaria, Sammy's 'round-the-corner shop, Mister Davis bookstore with less than 50 books - I reminisce as I stand silently for a moment in front of what was Nolly's ice plant.
I discuss with my brother, who never left Aruba and is an expert on the history of the Village. Donald, with a few others of our generation, is respected for the manner by which he has contributed to not only the Village, but to San Nicolas. He has been expressing that spirit of being, the energy in transforming young minds through sport, baseball, softball, basketball; through participating with others in a foundation, trying to uplift the social well being and regenerating life in the empty places, I spoke about. It must be tough on him. He knows the historical reference of this place, I call the Village and by extension, San Nicolas. He knows when Aruba consisted of two capitals: Oranjestad (officially) and San Nicolas (economically); then, the heartbeat of Aruba throbbed ferociously in San Nicolas and in Village-Zuid.

Today, I walk through the Village and as I walk pass the emaciated, ramshackle structures I must confess, I do not know that I can return to the Village; there is no homeward bound here.