The Tribune

PRIME Minister Perry Christie foreshadowed the construction of a cultural village on the island of San Salvador which he hopes will be “visually and historically faithful” to the Lucayan civilization of the pre-Columban period.

“As I envisage it, this would involve the re-creation of a Lucayan village as a central feature of a larger cultural exposition.

“Historical authenticity would be stressed in the design of this village so as to make it make it appealing not only to tourists but to scholars and students as well,” Mr Christie said.

His comments came at the signing of a $90 million heads of agreement between the government and Club Med in San Salvador on Monday.

This village, Mr Christie said, will be of great economic value to the island as it will provide opportunities for architects, builders, and construction workers, as well as entrepreneurs, audio-visual technicians, artists, artisans and handicraft workers in relation to the provision of ancillary services just outside the village, such as souvenir stores and restaurants, as well as new jobs as trained tour guides, hospitality hosts, and support staff.

He said he also hopes it will bring focus to the European Discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492.

“Again, as I envisage it, there would be a dramatic re-enactment of this seminal event in world history, focusing on the historical importance of the European discovery and what it foreshadowed for the development of western civilization.

“I foresee the re-enactment of the discovery in a theatrical, audio-visual form, perhaps as a sound-and-light show, one that would showcase, in dramatic fashion, the moment when two distinctly different cultures and races met, literally face-to-face-for the first time, on the beaches of San Salvador.

“As in the case of the Lucayan village, this re-staging of the European discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus, complete with replica vessels on a smaller scale, and sailors in period costume, would become a major feature of the cultural project. Historical authenticity would be stressed in the design and execution of this part of the exposition.

“And, as in the case of the Lucayan village, new jobs will be created for the dramatists, the actors and actresses, the production staff, and, of course, for the whole range of support facilities that will required to sustain this element of the exposition,” he said.

The Prime Minister added that the government was interested in re-creating a historically accurate plantation from the era of slavery in the Bahamas, drawing much of its inspiration from the famous journal of Loyalist Charles Farquharson.

San Salvador, he said, would be a prefect place for this venture.

“Charles Farquharson was a Loyalist of Scottish descent who had a plantation at Prospect Hill on the eastern side of San Salvador, or Watling’s Island, as it was known back then.

“Unlike many plantation slaveowners of his time, Farquharson actually lived on site so that he was able to observe and record first-hand what was happening, including the rebellious activities of some of his slaves.

“He kept a journal from January 1, 1831 to December 31, 1832. This journal has survived to this day. It represents the most complete first-hand record of Bahamian plantation slavery that has come down to us.

“Thus, the third limb of the San Salvador historical and cultural exposition will focus on the slavery period since it is out of that period that the dominant racial identity of the Bahamas that we know today evolved.

“Again, as I envision it, there will be a historically faithful re-creation of Farquharson’s plantation on, or as near to the original site as may be practicable, having regard to land titles and other planning considerations.

“This will provide additional jobs for architects, construction workers and the whole range of support staff and entrepreneurs similar to what I have already described for the Lucayan village component of the project.

“So, putting everything together, you will readily appreciate that the three separate parts of the project that I have just outlined represent the three major civilizations that underpin the historical development of the Bahamas – the Lucayan, the European, and the African.”

Mr Christie said he was “personally very excited” about the project and hopes to be a position to announce a time-line for it and further details once he had collaborated with private sector partners and other interested stakeholders, including the local government leadership in San Salvador.

Mr Christie also said he intends to announce a similar project for the Clifton site in New Providence in the near future.