Within the next month the Government will raise the funds needed to acquire and move on with Clifton Cay, Prime Minister Perry Christie said at a ceremony on Friday to officially re-open the Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation and launch its new exhibition, “A Slave Ship Speaks, The Wreck of The Henrietta Marie “.
“Right now we have an opportunity at Clifton where we have three civilisations of The Bahamas passing through.” I want to replicate a village that the Lucayan Indians lived in. I would like to replicate the Whylly Estate as it was: great house, slave huts. I want to ensure that Bahamian families can go to Clifton and see Bahamian artists play out the ceremonies of the Lucayan Indians … I want to have it played out and to be integrated into our national life,” said Mr. Christie.
“I know we have the expertise amongst us, we have the resources to dedicate. Sometimes within the month I’m going to raise the $17, $18, $20 million dollars to acquire, pay for and move on with Clifton … and so what they’re doing at Pompey, that we will see, is a wonderful basis for us to launch a new focus on our history and our culture,’ The Prime Minister said.
Mr. Christie said his government is prepared to strengthen the laws dealing with salvage in Bahamian waters and lift the current moratorium on salvage on a selected basis.
According to Mr. Christie a captain from Key West who is an expert on locating sunken ships told him of a number of ships that lie off the northern coast of Grand Bahama.
“One of them, they said, is an old slave ship in good condition. They said on this ship there is evidence of manacles for men, women and children. Whatever is the good sense behind moratoriums? There is a compelling case for The Bahamas recognising that a ship that has been there for hundreds of years will not last long in the form that it is in and that every effort should go into exploring on behalf of the people of The Bahamas … to capture and raise or bring the historical assets so they may be on display here, ” Mr. Christie said.
Also speaking at the re-opening ceremony, Neville Wisdom, Minister of Youth and Culture commended The Antiquities Corporation, The Ministry of Works and The Ministry of Tourism for making the Slave Ship Exhibition a reality. He said he is pleased that the Slave Ship exhibition is on display here in The Bahamas because it offers the viewers a more comprehensive insight into the dynamics of African slavery.
Mr. Wisdom said few would argue with the view that transatlantic slavery was one of the most critical elements in the shaping of The Americas.
“In the course of Atlantic slavery millions of Africans were forced into slave ships bound for Americas. The consequences of that mass forced migration were profound and far-reaching as it stretched across three continents.
“First and foremost Africa suffered a massive disruption of its demographic configuration in the wake of the loss of millions of its sons and daughters.
“Secondly large areas of the Americas were subsequently populated by African people and their offspring.
“Thirdly African labour created new economies, the benefit of which helped create the emergence of some of the major European and American commercial interests known today, ” Mr. Wisdom said.
He stated that the tragedies and indignities associated with transatlantic slavery cannot be underestimated and should never be forgotten.
The exhibition “A Slave Ship Speaks: Wreck of the Henrietta Marie ” tells the story of a British Slave Ship that sunk off of the coast of Key West in 1700. It is now open to the public at the Pompey Museum through Dec. 4.
The Nassau Guardian
July 13, 2004
