Education and Culture Minister Myron Walwyn encouraged residents to take pride in Virgin Islands traditions Monday at a celebration of Territory Day.
“We are a small territory, so we all knew each other,” explained Mr. Walwyn at Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park while speaking to a crowd of some 200 residents. “Whenever there was an issue that we were concerned about, we could have easily found someone who was in authority or their office where we could discuss our concerns or any matter that was affecting the country and even offer help to solve those matters.”
Other speakers at the event, including Opposition Leader Ralph O’Neal, recounted the territory’s progress toward more self-governance. And students from the Elmore Stoutt High School debate team performed an imagined scene from the former Leeward Islands Council.
Brenda Lettsome-Tye, assistant secretary in the Ministry of Education and Culture, also officially named two songs written by Virgin Islanders as “songs of the Virgin Islands.” Both “Wonder of Creation: The Beautiful Virgin Islands,” by Dr. Quincy Lettsome, and “Virgin Islands, Land I Love,” by Dylan Penn, were performed on stage.
The “feature presentation” at the event — a play called Naturalisation with Ties, by Janice Stoutt — was well-received by the crowd.
Students from the Western Schools Mass Choir sang a song, and students from Ebenezer Thomas Primary performed a plait pole dance.
See the July 3, 2014 edition for full coverage.
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