Protecting Heritage in the Caribbean

15. Trinidad and Tobago

15 Trinidad and Tobago Basil A. Reid andVel Lewis Introduction Cultural resources management (CRM) deals with the recognition,description , maintenance, security, and overall management of cultural resources. Objectives of CRM are to ensure protection of the cultural significance, integrity, and authenticity of resources for present and future generations through conservation and sustainable resource utilization (UNESCO 2008). Traditionally, CRM pertains to the historic built environment, namely, old buildings, other structures like bridges and aqueducts, and groups of built entities called districts (King 2005:83).Examples of historic districts include Spanish Town (capital of Jamaica from 1534 to 1872) and the Vieux Carré (French Quarter) in New Orleans. Trinidad and Tobago has made moderate strides in CRM.This is reflected in the founding of some key agencies;development of archaeology programs at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine; and passage of heritage legislation. In addition, the twin island republic recently became a signatory to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention). Trinidad and Tobago has also been laying the groundwork for the La Brea Pitch Lake site,the Banwari Trace archaeological site, and the Tobago Main Ridge Forest Reserve to receive international recognition asWorld Heritage sites.Despite these improvements , a general lack of effective coordination among cultural agencies, untested heritage legislation, insufficient numbers of trained personnel, and limited public awareness of the value of our heritage are challenges currently faced by the nation.This chapter will explore specific recommendations designed to mitigate some of the pressing heritage problems in Trinidad and Tobago.These recommendations could also be considered a blueprint for future CRM activities throughout the Caribbean region and beyond. 126 / Basil A. Reid and Vel Lewis Location and Political Status of Trinidad and Tobago Located in the UniversalTransverse Mercator (UTM) Zone 20 N (Naparima 1972) at roughly 11° N and 61° W, the islands of Trinidad and Tobago are the southernmost of the Caribbean (Boomert 2000; Franson CoordTrans 2009). The twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago lies northeast of Venezuela and south of Grenada. It shares maritime boundaries with Barbados to the northeast, Guyana to the southeast, and Venezuela to the south and west. Comprised of 5,128 km2 (1,980 mi2 ) and with a population of 1.3 million,Trinidad and Tobago’s economy is primarily based on petroleum and petrochemicals (Higgins 1996). Tourism is a major revenue stream for Tobago (Attzs 1999). Once a British colony, Trinidad and Tobago secured political independence in 1962. In 1976 the two islands became a republic within the commonwealth , a president replaced Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as head of state,and the prime minister remained as head of government in a parliamentary system of government (Ghany 2009). It retained its bicameral system with a House of Representatives of 36 members of parliament (MPs) and an enlarged Senate of 31 senators.In 2007 the number of seats contested for the House increased to 41 (Ghany 2009). Reporting to the prime minister is the minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, whose portfolio includes the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago, the National Museum Service, the National Archaeological Committee of Trinidad and Tobago, the Amerindian Project Committee, and a welter of other publicly funded cultural organizations. Many of the affairs of Tobago are governed by the Tobago House of Assembly, headed by a chief secretary. A secretary for community development and culture, who reports to the chief secretary, is responsible for the Tobago Trust and Museum. Trinidad and Tobago’s CRM and Legislative Frameworks RoyalVictoria Institute The Royal Victoria Institute, which currently houses the National Museum and the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago, has several archaeological collections. The collections were partly the product of chance discoveries and partly the product of systematic archaeological excavations. Included are artifacts retrieved from the Erin midden by H. Fowler and Sir William Robinson in May 1888 and a large assemblage of Saladoid artifacts discovered on the Paria Main Road in Blanchisseuse by H. C. Potter in 1958 (Boomert 2000). Trinidad and Tobago / 127 Tobago Museum In 1976, “in a public spirited gesture, the new Mount Irvine Bay Hotel and Golf Club purchased the archaeological collection of the deceased former Curator of the National Museum, Tom Cambridge” (Reid and Lewis 2007:155). This extensive collection of Amerindian artifacts (largely from Tobago, but also from Trinidad and other islands) was put under the control...