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by pltm
(PLTM) - Virgin Islands Day, formerly Territory Day must be a day set aside only for BVIslanders to celebrate the Territory’s history and culture. This is the view of Second District Representative Hon. Melvin Mitch Turnbull.
Speaking under Public Holidays (Amendment) Act, 2021 on Friday November 5, Hon. Turnbull noted that he is likely to face criticisms for the comments.
“While we appreciate that other islands and territories, countries that are residing [here], that come to live amongst us, all our Virgin Islands people, while we appreciate that they have their own independence and time they celebrate,” he said.
Hon. Turnbull added, “this particular day as the [late] Hon. Delores [Christopher] and former Deputy Chief Minister Hon. Eileen Parsons would say this has to be for us, for the Virgin Islands and its people.”
The day is celebrated annually in early July.
Pointing to the change in the name of the holiday, the Opposition Member said the BVI’s history and culture must be at the forefront.
“The Territory Day was not intended to be a Territory Day for all territories, the Territory Day according to my good and great mentor and friend, Hon. Delores Christopher was for the territory of the Virgin Islands. And Mr. Speaker now the fact that we have changed the name to Virgin Islands Day, the committees and the bodies that put this in place Mr Speaker and I know the Minister is not just short sight to just change a name,” he said.
Hon. Turnbull continued: “I know the minister will be more in depth in what happens going forward on a Virgin Islands Day. Our territorial wear, the cultural aspects of the Virgin Islands history and culture must be displayed on every front, from education to our social being...”
In July this year, Culture Minister Hon. Natalio ‘Sowande’ indicated that the shift from Territory Day to Virgin Islands Day, reflects a renewed sense of national consciousness and represents an effort to assert ‘our’ unique identity as Virgin Islanders.
He said it is a recognition that as Virgin Islanders that are a part of the Caribbean family, ‘we have a distinct and separate culture and history that have shaped us to who we are today.’
“In our efforts to become a more self-determined people, Cabinet approved new holidays from this year [2021] moving forward, such as Heroes Day in October and 1949 March and Restoration Day in November. We will use these days to continue to celebrate our heroes, our political autonomy, certain events in our history, our past legislators, and the like,” he stated.
Territory Day came about when the Colony of the Leeward Islands was dissolved and the Virgin Islands became a stand-alone Colony of the United Kingdom on 1st July 1956. Before 1978 the holiday was named, Colony Day; it was thought that Territory was a more appropriate name than Colony. As a stand-alone Colony, the Virgin Islands legislature could then make laws for itself rather than having laws imposed on it by a federal legislature; therefore, this change represented greater autonomy for the BVI’s legislature.
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