ORANJESTAD (AAN) – Growing attention is being given throughout the Caribbean to cultural artifacts that were removed during the colonial period without permission. In response, the ministers participating in the Four-Country Ministerial Consultation on Culture and Education decided to establish a working group focused on collections originating from colonial contexts.
The initiative aims to give museums and heritage institutions in the Caribbean greater influence in decisions regarding these collections, while promoting equal collaboration among all parties involved.
The working group held its first in-person meeting at the Saba Heritage Center and the Eugenius Johnson Center in Saba. Discussions focused on developing key policy directions and preparing recommendations for the Four-Country Ministerial Consultation scheduled for November 2026.
Major topics included collection management and preservation, digitization, climate-resilient infrastructure, community engagement, and collaboration within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the wider Caribbean region.
Saba, the smallest island in the Kingdom, provided an ideal setting for the meeting. Participants took part in an educational tour of important historical sites in The Bottom, guided by Saban anthropologist Dimetri Whitfield. The group also visited the island’s two museums, the Major Osmar Simmons Museum and the Harry L. Johnson Museum.
Ahead of the upcoming ministerial consultation, the working group is preparing recommendations regarding the return of cultural artifacts and the management of museum collections. A renewed structure was deliberately chosen for the initiative, bringing together government officials and heritage experts from across the Caribbean and the European Netherlands.
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science also commissioned consulting firm Scriptis, led by Ludmila Duncan, to assist in developing the recommendations in cooperation with the working group.
The group includes government representatives and experts from Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and the Netherlands. Aruba is represented by Raymundo Dijkhoff. Their combined expertise will help shape future policies concerning colonial collections and cultural heritage management.
