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The Irony Of Independence

Wed, May 10th 2023, 09:46 AM
Culture

On this day, a mere two months away from what will be the 50th Independence anniversary of this glorious country that I love and call home, I am angry and saddened by the continued ignorance and lack of vision from our misdirected leaders who are leading us backward culturally as a people, instead of forward, upward, and onward towards the rising sun!

If you are interested in going on a proud Bahamian cultural journey with me to 'see what ya lookin at’, then read on; but if you are averse to the truth contained in the following narrative, then stop reading, and remain dumb and ignorant about your rich and unique cultural heritage whilst lauding the colonial mentality of the 'mustards and ketchups' who are leading you into 21st century slavery of the mind!

I grew up in the era of pounds, shillings, and pence. I used a slate board in kindergarten, and my school bag was made of straw. I went to the straw market with my mother to buy fish and vegetables wrapped in newspaper. I travelled on a mailboat to visit my maternal grandparents in Eleuthera, and I was an adult and present on Clifford Park when the Union Jack was lowered and the Bahamian flag was raised for the first time.

Growing up in the era of transition from British colonial rule to an Independent nation was an exciting time when we, as Bahamians, were proud of having achieved Majority Rule, Independence, and self government. Ironically we were more independent before Independence because we were a people who knew what it meant to struggle and work hard to make ends meet, and to work together towards a common goal. We had faith, we had pride, we had determination, and we had community. 

Although we sang the words of “Rule Britannia,” our Bahamian culture kept us independently and firmly grounded in who we were as a people – what you saw was what you got: ‘dis me naw’! We expressed that immense pride through our unique creative arts, be it music, dance, storytelling, speech, drama, junkanoo, ring play etc. - all forms of expression that came from our very ancestral soul that were passed down throughout the ages from generation to generation and united us. 

In those days, most people learned a trade with their hands - for the men, there were master carpenters, masons, boat builders, tailors, shoemakers etc. The women learned cooking, sewing, knitting, crocheting, smocking, plaiting straw and more in order to keep their hands busy and make a living. Many others were proficient in music and could play an instrument, or multiple instruments, and this skill was also widely shared by teaching others in the community. 

Independence in 1973 presented us with the opportunity to preserve our culture and tell our own stories in our own voice! But alas, colonialism did its job splendidly in The Bahamas!

The lure of mirroring and adopting the trappings of our former ‘masters’ became too enticing for our ‘leaders’. Rather than embracing and using our Bahamian cultural anchor to steer us on a clear course to success as the masters of our own fate, we instead threw out the baby - those assets that make us uniquely who we are as a people -  with the bathwater, and turned our backs on our clapboard houses, our outside ‘terlits’ and kitchens, our plaiting of straw and gathering of bush medicines and so much more, whilst petty politics razed the cultural village that could have been the haven of its development and protection.

Thus, the musical era of the big bands comprised of world class talented Bahamian musicians and entertainers was swept away with the incoming tide of foreign investment from large resorts and developments who converted our formerly independent creatives and master craftsmen into taxi drivers, waiters, and bus boys in our new tourism-driven economy. 

Is it not ironically the case that then, as now, ‘foreign’ largely steers the Bahamian ship of state which we have allowed ourselves to become ‘beholden’ to, since we seldom control the wheel?  

Fast forward to the present, and here we sadly languish, 50 independent years later, as a large ‘gubment’ contingent, allegedly 50 plus strong, have jetted off to London to see the King and revel in the superficial trappings of the British monarchy, taking careful note of how best to emulate them and retain the vestiges that they represent. 

To add insult to injury, our Prime Minister and his OPM entourage traipsing about London have, in yet another blatant conflict of interest, sent out a video clip with a grand announcement of their proposed partnership with a British entity to develop a Performing Arts School in The Bahamas to ‘expose’ our people to the Arts and allow them to ‘earn a good living.’ 

The ‘politricksters’ have the gall to drop the buzz words ‘Orange Economy’ left, right, and centre like they know what they are talking about, and spend money lavishly on themselves and their pleasure whilst: the Dundas Theatre for the Performing Arts continues to beg for funds from the public to assist with the repair of its air conditioning system; our National Youth Choir begs for public funding to travel abroad and get new costumes; the National Performing Arts Centre (the former Shirley Street Theatre) continues to deteriorate, never having received changing rooms for the performers; Bahamian non profits secure creative scholarships for our talented students; Bahamian creatives have to leave the country in order to make a living in their profession; the country does not have an Intellectual Property environment operating effectively and robustly to protect our creatives! 

In all of the above 'lies the rub' and is the impetus for this letter!

After last year’s Dubai debacle and its considerable backlash from the creative community who highlighted the ‘politricksters’ ignorance of the Orange Economy - which the Bahamian creatives have been holding together on a shoestring forever and a day – yet we still stand, should we have dared to hope that gubment dem (mustard and ketchup alike) would finally get it? 

More fool us, right? They do not disappoint! 

Yours sincerely,
Pam Burnside

 

On this day, a mere two months away from what will be the 50th Independence anniversary of this glorious country that I love and call home, I am angry and saddened by the continued ignorance and lack of vision from our misdirected leaders who are leading us backward culturally as a people, instead of forward, upward, and onward towards the rising sun!
If you are interested in going on a proud Bahamian cultural journey with me to 'see what ya lookin at’, then read on; but if you are averse to the truth contained in the following narrative, then stop reading, and remain dumb and ignorant about your rich and unique cultural heritage whilst lauding the colonial mentality of the 'mustards and ketchups' who are leading you into 21st century slavery of the mind!
I grew up in the era of pounds, shillings, and pence. I used a slate board in kindergarten, and my school bag was made of straw. I went to the straw market with my mother to buy fish and vegetables wrapped in newspaper. I travelled on a mailboat to visit my maternal grandparents in Eleuthera, and I was an adult and present on Clifford Park when the Union Jack was lowered and the Bahamian flag was raised for the first time.
Growing up in the era of transition from British colonial rule to an Independent nation was an exciting time when we, as Bahamians, were proud of having achieved Majority Rule, Independence, and self government. Ironically we were more independent before Independence because we were a people who knew what it meant to struggle and work hard to make ends meet, and to work together towards a common goal. We had faith, we had pride, we had determination, and we had community. 
Although we sang the words of “Rule Britannia,” our Bahamian culture kept us independently and firmly grounded in who we were as a people – what you saw was what you got: ‘dis me naw’! We expressed that immense pride through our unique creative arts, be it music, dance, storytelling, speech, drama, junkanoo, ring play etc. - all forms of expression that came from our very ancestral soul that were passed down throughout the ages from generation to generation and united us. 
In those days, most people learned a trade with their hands - for the men, there were master carpenters, masons, boat builders, tailors, shoemakers etc. The women learned cooking, sewing, knitting, crocheting, smocking, plaiting straw and more in order to keep their hands busy and make a living. Many others were proficient in music and could play an instrument, or multiple instruments, and this skill was also widely shared by teaching others in the community. 
Independence in 1973 presented us with the opportunity to preserve our culture and tell our own stories in our own voice! But alas, colonialism did its job splendidly in The Bahamas!
The lure of mirroring and adopting the trappings of our former ‘masters’ became too enticing for our ‘leaders’. Rather than embracing and using our Bahamian cultural anchor to steer us on a clear course to success as the masters of our own fate, we instead threw out the baby - those assets that make us uniquely who we are as a people -  with the bathwater, and turned our backs on our clapboard houses, our outside ‘terlits’ and kitchens, our plaiting of straw and gathering of bush medicines and so much more, whilst petty politics razed the cultural village that could have been the haven of its development and protection.
Thus, the musical era of the big bands comprised of world class talented Bahamian musicians and entertainers was swept away with the incoming tide of foreign investment from large resorts and developments who converted our formerly independent creatives and master craftsmen into taxi drivers, waiters, and bus boys in our new tourism-driven economy. 
Is it not ironically the case that then, as now, ‘foreign’ largely steers the Bahamian ship of state which we have allowed ourselves to become ‘beholden’ to, since we seldom control the wheel?  
Fast forward to the present, and here we sadly languish, 50 independent years later, as a large ‘gubment’ contingent, allegedly 50 plus strong, have jetted off to London to see the King and revel in the superficial trappings of the British monarchy, taking careful note of how best to emulate them and retain the vestiges that they represent. 
To add insult to injury, our Prime Minister and his OPM entourage traipsing about London have, in yet another blatant conflict of interest, sent out a video clip with a grand announcement of their proposed partnership with a British entity to develop a Performing Arts School in The Bahamas to ‘expose’ our people to the Arts and allow them to ‘earn a good living.’ 
The ‘politricksters’ have the gall to drop the buzz words ‘Orange Economy’ left, right, and centre like they know what they are talking about, and spend money lavishly on themselves and their pleasure whilst: the Dundas Theatre for the Performing Arts continues to beg for funds from the public to assist with the repair of its air conditioning system; our National Youth Choir begs for public funding to travel abroad and get new costumes; the National Performing Arts Centre (the former Shirley Street Theatre) continues to deteriorate, never having received changing rooms for the performers; Bahamian non profits secure creative scholarships for our talented students; Bahamian creatives have to leave the country in order to make a living in their profession; the country does not have an Intellectual Property environment operating effectively and robustly to protect our creatives! 
In all of the above 'lies the rub' and is the impetus for this letter!
After last year’s Dubai debacle and its considerable backlash from the creative community who highlighted the ‘politricksters’ ignorance of the Orange Economy - which the Bahamian creatives have been holding together on a shoestring forever and a day – yet we still stand, should we have dared to hope that gubment dem (mustard and ketchup alike) would finally get it? 
More fool us, right? They do not disappoint! 
Yours sincerely,
Pam Burnside
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