Protecting Heritage in the Caribbean

by Siegel, Peter E.; Righter, Elizabeth

• ISBN13: 9780817356675
• ISBN10: 0817356673
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-09-15
• Publisher: Univ of Alabama Pr

Summary

Heritage preservation is a broad term that can include the protection of a wide range of human-mediated material and cultural processes ranging from specific artifacts, ancient rock art, and features of the built environment and modified landscapes. As a region of multiple independent nations and colonial territories, the Caribbean shares a common heritage at some levels, yet at the same time there are vast historical and cultural differences. Likewise, approaches to Caribbean heritage preservation are similarly diverse in range and scope. This volume addresses the problem of how Caribbean nations deal with the challenges of protecting their cultural heritages or patrimonies within the context of pressing economic development concerns. Is there formal legislation that requires cultural patrimony to be considered prior to the approval of development projects? Does legislation apply only to government-funded projects or to private ones as well? Are there levels of legislation: local, regional, national? Are heritage preservation laws enforced? For whom is the heritage protected and what public outreach is implemented to disseminate the information acquired and retained? In this volume, practitioners of heritage management on the frontline of their own islands address the current state of affairs across the Caribbean to present a comprehensive overview of Caribbean heritage preservation challenges. Considerable variability is seen in how determined and serious different nations are in approaching the responsibilities of heritage preservation. Packaging these diverse scenarios into a single volume is a critical step in raising awareness of the importance of protecting and judiciously managing an ever-diminishing fund of Caribbean heritage for all. Contributors Todd M. Ahlman / Beno t B rard / Milton Eric Branford / Richard T. Callaghan / Kevin Farmer / R. Grant Gilmore III / Jay B. Haviser / Ainsley C. Henriques / William F. Keegan / Bruce J. Larson / Paul E. Lewis / Vel Lewis / Reg Murphy / Michael P. Pateman / Winston F. Phulgence / Esteban Prieto Vicioso / Basil A. Reid / Andrea Richards / Elizabeth Righter / Kelley Scudder-Temple / Peter E. Siegel / Christian Stouvenot / Daniel Torres Etayo

Author Biography

Peter E. Siegel is an associate professor of anthropology at Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, and editor of Ancient Borinquen: Archaeology and Ethnohistory of Native Puerto Rico. Elizabeth Righter is former territorial archaeologist for the U.S. Virgin Islands State Historic Preservation OtFice, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and editor of The Tutu Archaeological Village Site: A Multidisciplinary Case Study in Human Adaptation.

Table of Contents

Preface: Intersecting Values in Caribbean Heritage Preservation	p. vii
The Bahamas	p. 1
Cuba	p. 9
United States Naval Station, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba	p. 15
Jamaica	p. 26
Dominican Republic	p. 35
Puerto Rico	p. 46
U.S. Virgin Islands	p. 58
St. Kitts and Nevis	p. 65
Antigua and Barbuda	p. 73
French West Indies	p. 80
Saint Lucia	p. 90
St. Vincent and the Grenadines	p. 96
St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Recent Efforts in Protecting Heritage	p. 106
Barbados	p. 112
Trinidad and Tobago	p. 125
Netherlands Antilles	p. 134
Patrimony or Patricide?	p. 143
Protecting Heritage in the Caribbean	p. 152
References Cited	p. 152
Contributors	p. 189
Index	p. 195
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