Dear Editor,

It was disappointed as I reflected on just how much valuable memory and heritage we have lost through lack of a national plan to catalogue our history and more so the lack of respect for our history among the general public.

Over and over, we live the consequences of our continued failure to document, preserve and promote the different creed, race and religions co-existing in Jamaica. The source of this problem comes out of our failure to hammer out an inclusive national policy. So, what exactly are we celebrating this week? Which aspect of our heritage? African? Contemporary?

In order to build a great future, every nation must come to terms with its past. Our past is characterised with the suffering and sorrow of African slaves in the most brutal and oppressive form. The peaceful native people were massacred and virtually wiped out. We have borne witness to Indian and Chinese indentured servitude that was just an step above slavery.

Despite these terrible chapters in our history, we also have much to be proud. Sadly, however, much of these processes and journeys have not been properly detailed, and the very few persons who still remember may not be around much longer.

Jamaica is an extremely unique place. We are one of the few stable and peaceful, post-colonial democracies. We boast a very rich tradition of religious heritage, our versions of Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, and Rastafarian, along with other less-known faiths, do not always easily compare with versions in other countries. Our language, food and everyday rituals are all unique cultural processes that set us apart.

Despite all of this uniqueness and potential for Jamaica to become a well-known area of study and role model for other nations, we have no plans to uncover, record and preserve our national heritage, particularly those that fall in the minority. Jamaica has one of the oldest Jewish synagogues in the western world — the Sharei Shalom Synagogue on Duke Street, downtown Kingston, and perhaps the only one in the English-speaking Caribbean.

As we celebrate this very auspicious occasion called “Heritage Week” under the theme “Our Heritage, Our Strength” how many Jamaicans truly know the treasure that is Jamaica? Anthropology is one of those disciplines in Jamaica that is scorned and considered “a waste of time”. Anthropology, as a discipline is concerned with the nature and roots of all things, has much to offer in this regard. There are very few anthropologists working in Jamaica and as a result we are allowing aspects of our heritage to vanish. In addition to the lack of anthropologists, we have no proper State effort to actively and aggressively catalogue and archive our history. When will the ministries of culture, education, tourism and agencies like the Jamaica National Heritage Trust engage in a national campaign to collect and preserve the folk wisdom of our elders and life memories of Maroons and religious minorities? When will the Ministry of Culture play a leading role in preserving stories about supernatural folk creatures? We need to archive our herbal remedies, our village customs and religious ceremonies from birth to death. There should be concerted efforts to make sure we keep the memory of old sayings and variances in our creole language and much more.

Unless we wake up to our reality and begin to take pride in our small diversity, one day it will be lost forever.

Andrew King

abking020@gmail.com