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Museum’s participation in Heritage Month 2018

Museum’s participation in Heritage Month 2018

Heritage Month "Celebrating from whence we've come"

Museum History and Cultural Heritage Quiz 2018

Turks and Caicos Islands celebrated Heritage Month 2018 under the theme” Celebrating from whence we’ve come.” Turks and Caicos National Museum’s third annual History and Cultural Heritage Quiz for Secondary Schools on Thursday October 4^th held in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Department of Education was part of that month long celebration.

As the eight schools took their places at their respective tables there was a hushed silence. Each school vying for the Challenge Trophy. Raymond Gardiner High School, last year’s winners were reluctant to let it go and determined to take it right back to North Caicos with them for another year. However, I think the winner prize trip was also at the fore of minds of the contestants because as they settled I heard snippets of conversations, they were all about the first prize trip to Jamaica. This year, the first prize trip will be a three-day trip to Jamaica to visit the UNESCO world heritage sites of Blue and John Crow Mountain, museums, great houses and other historical and cultural heritage sites. The second place winners will spend the day immersed in history and cultural heritage on one of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Mrs. Candianne Williams of the Turks and Caicos National Museum welcomed the Secondary School teams from near and far. The participating teams were from HJ Robinson High School on Grand Turk; Marjorie Basden High School on South Caicos; Raymond Gardiner High School on North Caicos; and Long Bay High School, TCI Middle School, British West Indies Collegiate, Maranatha Academy and Holy Family Academy on Providenciales.

Hon Karen Malcolm, Minister of Education, Culture, Library Services and Youth said that celebrating Heritage Month under the theme ‘Celebrating from whence we’ve come’ is a time to embrace the rich cultural history of the islands. She went on to say that, “it is through our celebrations that we recognize the work done by our forefathers and the rich heritage legacies they have left for our enjoyment”.

The Hon. Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson shared her personal love of history and cultural heritage and underscored how important it is to know our history. She had words of congratulations for the museum, collaborating government departments, and sponsors on the event. She reiterated her government’s support for history and cultural heritage and her presence to lend her support and encouragement to all of the participating teams.

For an hour, they wrote the answers to the questions put to them in quick succession by semifinals quiz master Ms. Talisha Simons, Senior Director, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs at Fortis TCI Limited. Then finally, we learnt that the two schools making it through to the finals were HJ Robinson High School from Grand Turk and Raymond Gardiner High School from North Caicos. Interestingly enough those two schools were also last year’s finalist.

Dr. Michael Pateman, Director of the National Museum made opening remarks at the Quiz Finals. He spoke of the museum commitment to education and community outreach and said that we will be doing more in the future. Mrs. Ruth Forbes Senior Vice President of Corporate Services, Chief Financial Officer of Fortis TCI, corporate sponsor of the event, expressed the company’s continued support for the event and the commitment to the education of our youth and cultural heritage preservation on these islands. Mrs. Cheryl Forman, Chief Executive Officer, Peak Consulting Ltd. was the quizmaster for the keenly competitive and exciting finals.

The judges, Director of Education Mr. Edward Howell, Director of Culture Ms. Ludwina Fulford, Director of the Museum Dr. Michael Pateman and Luc Clerveaux , Assistant Director Law and Enforcement, Department of Environment and Coastal Resources kept the anxious audience abreast of the points at the end of each round. In the end, HJ Robinson High School was the winner. A reversal of last year’s positions. The challenge trophy will now spend the year in Grand Turk.

Thank you to our sponsors Fortis TCI, interCaribbean Airways, TC Reef Fund, Department of Education, Department of Culture; Turks and Caicos Taxi Association; British West Indies Collegiate; quizmasters, judges for the preliminary and final round, facilitators, caterers and support teams from Department of Environment and Coastal Resources and Turks and Caicos National Museum.

Middle Caicos Heritage Month Event

The Turks and Caicos National Museum supported the Turks and Caicos National Trust with information for the informational signage on the Lucayans, the first inhabitants of the Turks and Caicos. This signboard was unveiled at the Middle Caicos Heritage Month event held at the Conch Bar Caves under the theme ‘Celebrating a 1000 + years of history’. Aptly named since there is evidence that the Lucayan occupation of the caves.

Dr. Michael Pateman gave a presentation about the lifestyle of the Lucayans using a specially created exhibit for educational purposes. The Lucayan exhibit kit used for the display is the first of a series of exhibit kits created by the museum on different topics in the coming year. This will enable us to better able to facilitate the school groups that visit our locations. This event audience of primarily students were very interested and had many questions for Dr. Pateman. It was an especially welcomed presentation because some of them were currently studying the Lucayans at school.

School Groups visit the museum for Heritage Month

A visit to the Turks and Caicos National Museum was one of the ways these students celebrated Heritage Month. We were happy to welcome students from Holy Family Academy, Precious Treasures International School, Richmond Hill Preparatory School and Enid Capron Primary School at the museum in Grace Bay, Providenciales.

After a tour of the Caicos Heritage House, one of the students told me that his takeaway from that tour was that nothing was wasted. He was amazed at how they were able to put the little that they had to good use. The heritage tour guide explains how the different parts of the corn including the husks were used back in the day.

We look hope that you will visit us soon so that we can share with you the history and cultural heritage of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

2018 History and Cultural Heritage Quiz Winners

2018 Quiz Participants

Heritage Month School Visitors

The Colors of the Turks and Caicos Islands

RED was chosen to represent the nation’s capital, Grand Turk. The color is taken from the red/pink fruit found on the national plant, the Turks Head Cactus. They were once found in abundance on Grand Turk before they were removed to accommodate the salt ponds.

WHITE was chosen to represent Salt Cay. The color came from salt. The salt industry was largely responsible for populating the islands of Salt Cay, Grand Turk and South Caicos.

ORANGE was chosen to represent South and East Caicos. The color comes from the Spiny Lobster and fish and reflects the fishing industry in the “Big South.”

TAN was chosen to represent Middle Caicos. The color is taken from the raw material (thatch) that once covered the roofs of the houses. It is also used to make straw hats, baskets and brooms. Middle Caicos is known for the superior quality of native craftwork.

GREEN was chosen to represent North Caicos and Parrot Cay. The color is taken from the fruit trees and other types of trees that flourish in the most fertile of all the islands. North Caicos is also home of Wade’s Green Plantation, the most successful of Caicos Islands cotton plantations.

TURQUOISE was chosen to represent the islands of Providenciales, Pine Cay and West Caicos. The color is taken from the beautiful turquoise waters that surround these islands on which our famous Caicos fishing sloops sail. These turquoise waters also contribute to our newest industry, tourism.

PINK was chosen to represent the beautiful conch shell, flamingoes and the numerous uninhabited cays that make up our chain of islands.

YELLOW represents God’s glory as the sun shining down on all our beautiful islands and cays. The sun also contributes to our newest industry, tourism.

View a timeline of important events and dates in the history of the islands

View Timeline

A Few Artifacts You’ll See at the Museum

Our collections represent the rich historical, cultural and natural heritage of the Turks and Caicos Islands and its people.

Lucayan Duho

Photo courtesy of Joanna Ostapkowicz. The Duho is one of the rarest artifacts in the museum’s collections. It was used a ceremonial seat for the cacique or chief of the Lucayans, the first inhabitants of these islands.

Fresnel Lens

The Grand Turk Lighthouse was erected in 1852 and was originally designed to burn whale oil and had an Argand reflector lamp. In 1943 the lighthouse was converted to a Fresnel Lens one of these lenses is now on display at the Museum.

Swivel Gun

The Molasses reef wreck, an early Spanish Caravel was equipped with three types of breech-loading swivel guns, one type is shown above. The swivel guns are thought to be anti-personnel weapons placed wherever convenient along the ship’s rail.

Salt Industry Post Card

The museum has diverse collection of early postcards of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Most post cards depict scenes on Grand Turk, the capital and from the salt industry.

Take a Look

Previous Governor of the Turks & Caicos Islands

H.E. Nigel Dakin CMG

The Turks & Caicos Islands National Museum on Grand Turk surely stands in one of the most majestic settings of any museum, anywhere! Perched on the edge of the Columbus Landfall national park. The 200-year-old building, “Guinep Lodge”, which houses a multitude of artifacts covering everything from the pre–Columbian Indians to the modern age, is a museum in its own right. The west facing building has stood firm and witnessed 200+ years of incredible TCI sunsets and has withstood every major hurricane since before records began.

The National Museum plays a vital role in recovering, preserving, recording and displaying the history of these island for all to see, enjoy and learn from. The museum’s archive is a veritable treasure trove of information, with enough information to fill two museums. With thousands of pre-Columbian artifacts from multiple archeological digs from around the TCI over the last 50 years, un-displayed artifacts from ancient warships, parish records or births, deaths and marriages dating back over 200 years; a veritable gold mine of information, just waiting to be discovered.

The museum is not only an exhibition facility for local history and artifacts, but also undertakes important work in the community with multiple events throughout the year and supports all the TCI schools, has a regular summer camp and kids club for our budding historians and archeologists of tomorrow. The Grand Turk location includes a “science building” which is a fully fledged restoration facility to stabilize artifacts before they are displayed or stored in the archive. All of this work has been quietly undertaken since the museum was founded 30 years ago. There is also a campus on Provo and there are exciting plans underway to construct a new, multimillion dollar purpose-built facility for the wider enjoyment of our fascinating history. The Governor’s Office is proud to have supported the TCNMF over the years with vital capital projects.

Whether you are a local, or a visitor to our beautiful shores; I encourage you to visit and support the Turks & Caicos National Museum and absorb our colorful and surprisingly diverse local history.

H E Nigel Dakin CMG
Previous Governor of the Turks & Caicos Islands

Minister for Tourism, Envrionment, Heritage & Culture, Maritime, and Gaming

Hon. Josephine Connolly

"It is a pleasure as Minister with responsibility of Heritage to welcome you to the Turks and Caicos Islands National Museum website. This Gem of an operation is perhaps the most notable establishment in regards to sites of historical interest. Since its establishment in 1991 it has always been an intricate part of our tourism product.

As a supporter, I believe the National Museum’s success depends on all resident and visitors; and as Minister I am committed to strengthening our tourism product through the infusion of authenticity and the increase in awareness of the National Museum in the development of heritage assets for sustainable tourism development.

Visit and explore the Grand Turk and Providenciales locations and experience our heritage and culture through interactive displays and exhibits. Special thanks is extended to the National Museum, a tangible product, a repository for artefacts and documents, providing a true island experience.".

Hon. Josephine Connolly
Minister for Tourism, Envrionment, Heritage & Culture, Maritime, and Gaming

Former President of Turks and Caicos Islands Community College

Dr. Hubert A. Fulford

"My interest in history and research goes back to my years as a student at the then Grand Turk Secondary School, where my teacher and later mentor, the late Helena Jones Robinson instilled a curiosity in me to appreciate context. At that time, not fully appreciating the impact that curiosity would have on me, I sought only to please my teacher.

Pursuing tertiary education at various institutions, in various countries and at various levels, my initial foundation of inquiry was further stimulated. Libraries and museums would form a very important part of my education, specifically during my studies in Jamaica, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Returning home after my studies abroad, my first visit to the Museum so captivated me that I began to tell all persons, visitors and islanders alike, that a visit to the museum was a MUST! The quaintness, yet thorough organization and presentation of artifacts of various kinds avowed me.

I found tremendous joy in taking my TCI Studies students to the Museum, standing back and listening to their expressions of excitement and curiosity as the curators and assistants would walk them through the various displays and presentations.

The Jamaican expression “likkle but tallawah” (small but strong) aptly fits our Museum. The significance of this institution to our history and culture cannot be over stressed.

Welcome to The Museum. A combination of history, culture and enchantment awaits you."

Dr. Hubert A. Fulford
Former President of Turks and Caicos Islands Community College