On that day, a ceremony will be held in honor of the contributions made to the St. Martin nation building process by a number of our deceased St. Martin ancestors.
This event has been put together over the period of a number of weeks by a number of very conscious and concerned St. Martiners under the initiative of the undisputed St. Martin grass root nation building and unifying movement, the SNBF and the Association L' Esprit de Concordia.
After having had to deal with ongoing public debates questioning the identity and rights of the native-indigenous St. Martiners, as well as the threats to the oneness of the St. Martin people, this group has decided that the time had come to put an end to this 'back and forth' rhetoric and to take the identity and the rights of the native St. Martiners to the 'next level'.
Consequently, the group has decided to organize a number of public activities to be guided by its mission statement; 'Strengthening & preserving our St. Martin identity, unity & way of life'.
Because of the respect for the contributions made in the past by a number of St. Martin ancestors, the movement has decided that the 'first order of the day' , would be to recognize those persons in a fitting manner and at an appropriate and historical site.
Therefore the group has organized for that occasion a ceremony entitled; 'Honoring our deceased ancestors'.
During this first initiative under the mission statement, a number of persons have been invited to accept on behalf of their deceased family-member a symbolic token of appreciation.
Also invited to attend this historical event, are representatives from the Collectivite, the Island-Government and a number of other local native- St. Martin dignitaries.
Due to the tremendously positive feedback thus-far, the group plans to have similar ceremonies on various occasions, in order to be able to honor as many of our deceased ancestors as possible on an ongoing basis.
While this ceremony is expected to create a new found pride and consciousness of the native St. Martin people, it is to be followed by more ground-breaking initiatives.
One being the printing and issuing of a cultural native-indigenous ID-card.
This document, is intended to create the possibility for its native St. Martin card-holders to make use of every service and opportunity any side of this island has to offer.
In due time the public will be updated on the progress of the cultural native-indigenous St. Martin ID-card as well as its benefits.
Since at the ceremony slated for Saturday, May 1, there is only space for invited guests and their family, space for the general will be limited.