tidings
Corey Connelly
Two of Tobago’s retired educators have said that documentation on the island and its culture is virtually non-existent.
Last Friday, ex-officio Tobago Carnival Committee member Dr Charleston Thomas said research on the island and its culture was limited.
He was one of 15 people appointed to the committee to oversee plans for the Tobago Carnival, which will be held from October 28-30, 2022. The committee is chaired by Meisha Trim.
Thomas, a lecturer in cultural studies, said this is a result of the lack of archiving and data collection related to Tobago’s cultural tapestry.
“Therefore, one of the things that should really be very important to any conception of Carnival should be the way in which we come to understand the place we call Tobago.”
On Tuesday, former culture officer and independent senator Annette Nicholson-Alfred and curriculum adviser in the THA Division of Education, Research and Technology Dr Verleen Bobb-Lewis said they supported Thomas’ view that there is a lack of archiving of Tobago’s culture.
“I know it hasn’t been recorded much. I can tell you that and I totally agree,” Nicholson-Alfred told Newsday.
But she said his statement about the lack of research on Tobago’s culture was vague.
“He could say it, but from what angle does he take it? I don’t know from what angle he is saying that the research has not been done.
“But if he’s saying that these young people don’t go to groups or go to wherever the information is, I totally agree.”
However, Nicholson-Alfred said people generally don’t want to do research.
“Everyone just wants to write and do what they want. A lot of them who are talking, I can tell you, they don’t know anything about research and they don’t want to know.”
Nicholson-Alfred, founder of cultural group Itsy Bitsy, said she has done considerable research throughout her career.
“Research is done by people. But do they go to older heads to learn things about our culture? I can’t swear to that. I can swear to myself.”
She added, “When I was involved in Best Village, I used to go to old people to find things. And when I went to the stock market and came back, that was one of my main things, to go with different people. So I have a lot of knowledge in my head now. I believe in preserving our authentic culture.”
Nicholson-Alfred said people can’t do cultural research properly from their homes. “You can’t find everything on Google. I went all over Tobago, spent hours with people in Culloden and other communities.
Bobb-Lewis agreed that the research is limited to some aspects of Tobago’s culture.
“We just keep focusing on certain things in certain communities. So we have to expand what we do.”
She also acknowledged the lack of documentation on the ground.
“What have we documented?” she asked.
“We had a lot of tapes that were destroyed.”
