Veronica Arrindell enlightens the children of the Belvedere Community Center
One of the preservers of St. Maarten’s cultural and historical heritage, Veronica Arrindell is intent on bridging the gap between St. Maarten present and past. Arrindell along with a group Soualiga seniors have committed to visiting various communities to spread awareness and capture some lost memories of the country.
As an avid researcher and writer of St. Maarten’s cultural history, she is on a mission but has many concerns with the way the society has evolved.
“Destruction of our culture here on St. Maarten is lost pride, lost scribes, and lost knowledge. When native culture disappears, so does a trove of scientific and medical wisdom. Many people ask how we went about with one doctor in the community. Whether that doctor was here or not, our people had a way of treating their sick, mostly with bushes and oils. That was our medicine, not pills or ointments. Today we are seeing our culture disappear in two ways: through the sale of property under the name of modern development and through cohabitation,” Arrindell decried.
She was at the time making an appeal to a group of youngsters and concerned citizens, to involve the elderly in developmental and anthropological discussions.
“Every culture is built on a foundation of beliefs, beliefs shape culture, culture shape people and people shape their lives. The powerful influence of culture with factors such as the people’s way of thinking, how they approach problem solving, how they raise their children, how they view their spouse and how the children view their parents. How they communicate, how they worship, their sense of humor, their diet, values, standards of beauty, laws and household policies. How they view others, that’s the power of culture and God recognizes culture,” she added.
As a member of the St. Maarten Senior Citizens and Pensioners Association (SMSPA), Arrindell has also made an appeal for neighborhood councils and community centers to invite seniors to speak during special occasions. The SMSPA says that it wants to continue its campaign of intergenerational storytelling to learn from the past, to think about the present, and to help shape the future of St. Maarten.
“It is a form to recollect the rich experience of the seniors and to pass it on to future generations,” the organization said.
Check out the first annual Agricultural Industrial Fair on Dec 8, 2013 at the Emilio Wilson Park.
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