Today October 13, 2017 we celebrate with the First People of Trinidad and Tobago. In every sense this is an opportunity being cherished as it is an opportunity to celebrate existence with the First Peoples of Trinidad and Tobago. They may be a small community at present but they are a vibrant community and we applaud them on their many achievments and successes! They are the First Peoples who inhabited this twin island nation that we call home!
Though a one-off public holiday it is my sincere wish that this can be an annual holiday granted to the First Peoples of Trinidad and Tobago. Today (First Peoples Day 2017 of Trinidad and Tobago) is a day Trinidad and Tobago and by extension people the world over will remember on a yearly basis to celebrate with the First Peoples who inhabited our twin island republic.
This year the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival is hosting Indigenous Voices- “an afternoon of films presenting a diverse spectrum of indigenous storytelling and powerful narratives on the disappearing indigenous cultures of T+T and the Americas. ” This will be held on Saturday 14 October from 12.00pm – 5.00pm, at the Arima Town Hall, in association with the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community. Admission is free. For more information on this please visit https://ttfilmfestival.com/ttff-news-and-features/indigenous-voices-celebrates-first-peoples-in-film.
This is one part of an entire week of festivities by the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community.
Here are some links from today’s festivities:
First People’s Indigenous Procession-13 Oct. 2017
For those who would like to find out more about the First Peoples Community of Trinidad and Tobago please visit these links:
http://www.santarosafirstpeoples.org/
http://www.santarosafirstpeoples.org/the-legacy-of-the-first-peoples-of-trinidad-and-tobago/
Here are two letters that are in support of First Peoples holiday in Trinidad and Tobago being a permanent holiday . The first was featured on Wired868 and was written by Alana Abdool. The second was published in the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday and was written by AV Rampersad. Here is the link to Alana Abdool’s letter that you can read in its entirety on Wired868‘s site https://wired868.com/2017/10/13/dear-editor-a-one-off-holiday-for-first-peoples-are-they-children-of-a-lesser-god/ and here is the link for the letter by AV Rampersad: http://newsday.co.tt/2017/10/12/make-holiday-permanent/
To the First Peoples of Trinidad and Tobago congratulations and we will continue to celebrate with you!
As the First Peoples of Trinidad and Tobago have done and continue to do, I urge you to heed my call: “Celebrate Your Existence! Celebrate Who You are and All that You are!”
Celebrating Existence 