WITH a mission to inspire a sense of national pride through the promotion, preservation, and development of Jamaica’s material cultural heritage, the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT), has become an important part of the fabric of the Jamaican society.

JNHT was established by the then Ministry of Communications Works through the passing of Law No 72 in 1958. The body was originally called the Jamaica National Trust Commission and has maintained its vision of being the primary organisation that actively promotes and sustains Jamaica’s rich heritage.

One of the Trust’s varied responsibilities is maintaining a list of National Heritage Sites. Additionally, the Trust is charged with the objective of fostering a sense of national pride and identity through heritage education.

The Trust has in its portfolio the tasks to identify, research, record, interpret, regulate, protect and preserve the material cultural heritage resources of the Jamaican people. Another important duty of the Trust is to promote the sustainable utilisation and management of our material cultural heritage resources.

The body’s primary functions are to promote the preservation of national monuments and anything designated as protected national heritage for the benefit of the island. To conduct such necessary research for the purposes of the performance of its functions under the Jamaica National Heritage Act; the Trust carries out such development for the preservation of any national monument or the like that is designated as protected national heritage.

In addition the Trust records any precious objects or works of art to be preserved and identifies and records any species of botanical or animal life to be protected.

Therefore it is fitting in observation of Jamaica 50 to highlight the sometimes forgotten significance of organisations, such as the Jamaica National Heritage Trust.

As we continue to age gracefully, as a nation, we too have our part in preserving our material history as a significant memory for generations to come.

— Michael Thompson