Kalinago Festival to Be a National Event; Kalinago History Taught in Schools

Barbara 21st September, 2020

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PM Roosevelt Skerrit has revealed that Kalinago annual festival ought to be celebrated on a national scale and Kalinago history taught in schools. The DLP leader attended the Kalinago celebrations on Friday and was impressed enough to suggest that the government ought to make the celebrations a national event.

This year’s Kalinago festival held from Friday, September 18 to Saturday, September 19; and it was shortened with less fanfare and social distancing observed because of coronavirus protocols.

During his speech, Skerrit noted that the country had not done enough to appreciate the contributions of the Kalinago people to the emancipation of Dominica. He went on to credit the Kalinago with the country’s independence from colonialism, freeing of African slaves, and setting up of massive alliances against colonial dominance.

My suggestion to the ceremony on Friday afternoon is that we should seek to make this a national event. We should make this celebration a national event where we can have national participation and there can be a better appreciation of the contributions which the Kalinago people have made to our development.
Roosevelt Skerrit: Prime Minister of Dominica

The prime minister also hinted that perpetuating Kalinago history through official documentations should be encouraged, so that the government with time can integrate the teaching of Kalinago history and culture into the school curriculum.