Barbados Landship to receive UNESCO Inscription in India

The Barbados Landship Association’s (BLA) contribution to this country’s cultural landscape will be formally recognised when the oldest indigenous institution is inscribed on the UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

The official ceremony will be held next week in New Delhi, India, where Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for Culture, Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight, and other officials, will be present to receive the Certificate of Inscription.

She described the inscription as “a big deal for Barbados and international recognition” under UNESCO for the BLA, which has thrilled audiences with their marching and manoeuvres at major national events.  They also participate in the Independence Parade annually.

Dr Munro-Knight explained that the submission was made by the Division of Culture, and the teams worked diligently with the various landship docks and other key stakeholders, to project the institution as an important aspect of the island’s intangible cultural heritage and to “bring international attention to the Landship, and its contribution to culture”.

“The process was one that spanned over three years and involved collecting information, a number of focus groups talking about the Landship, providing a detailed historical account about the Landship and making a case for it being inscribed there.

“There are very few Caribbean countries that have inscriptions of this nature, and therefore, this is critical for Barbados that we have this, and in particular, that we have it for the Landship,” she stated.

Dr Munro-Knight also added that a submission was made for road tennis to be inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and was optimistic that Barbados’ submission would be successful.

“What this means for Barbados is that it tells us that those things that have helped shaped us are important for us…to recognise…and also to celebrate. So, our history has been defined, perhaps, by some moments that were unpleasant in our colonial history, but there are things that have happened along the way.            

“The history of the Landship is where we started our “su su” movement, where we were able to save and get a little dollar and that was really about community, and it is something that was indigenous.  Even though it was forged in an environment that was not something that we would have wanted, it has stood the test of time,” Dr Munro-Knight emphasised.

(BGIS)