Kadaster, stakeholders meet, advance St.Maarten’s national archive efforts

GREAT BAY--A renewed pledge to safeguard St. Maarten’s documentary heritage took center stage last Friday at the Government Administration Building, where government leaders, cultural advocates, and archival professionals convened to assess the progress of the "Echoes of Memory – Preserve" initiative. The gathering marked a pivotal step toward developing a coordinated national strategy for archive modernization and long-term historical preservation.

The initiative is being spearheaded through collaboration between Kadaster St. Maarten, the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV), and local partners. Kadaster Director Benjamin Ortega formally introduced the name of the project, emphasizing its symbolic weight. “It reminds us that preserving our past is a collective responsibility,” Ortega stated. “Without proper legislation and a secure, climate-controlled facility, our heritage remains at risk. We must act now.”

During his remarks, Ortega pointed to two major issues obstructing progress: the lack of comprehensive legislation and the absence of suitable archival facilities. He extended thanks to the Kadaster Supervisory Board for their support and emphasized that structural preservation and sound governance remain key pillars of the work ahead.

KITLV researcher and Science Communication Coordinator Daniella Britt shared findings from her recent field research, which involved extensive dialogue with local heritage professionals. Her presentation focused on four core topics: the importance of documentary heritage, the current state of archival management in St. Maarten, persistent challenges, and practical next steps. She highlighted the urgency of the issue by referencing records damaged by inadequate storage conditions and the ever-present risk posed by the island’s vulnerability to natural disasters. “Local expertise must be the cornerstone of our efforts,” she said, while outlining a roadmap for targeted consultations, infrastructure upgrades, and training.

Britt also warned that fragile materials, including historical land deeds dating back to the slavery era, are deteriorating rapidly. These documents, she said, hold irreplaceable insights into the island’s socio-economic evolution and require immediate protection.

Delivering the keynote address, Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina made a passionate appeal for action and institutional resolve. “Standing here today, I don’t feel lost, I feel the weight of responsibility,” he said. “Because this is what nation-building truly demands: institutions that anchor our identity and drive our independence. A National Archive, a National Library, a Police Academy, a Development Bank, these are not luxuries; they are the bedrock of a country that knows where it’s been and where it’s going.”

He also challenged those present to move beyond declarations and into implementation. “Goodwill is not a strategy. We keep saying we will commit but too often, we leave the room and leave the work behind. That must end today. Let us make this the turning point where intent becomes action and vision becomes legacy. As Prime Minister, I see my role not as a gatekeeper, but as a facilitator, ready to unlock the doors that have long been closed to our progress.”

Dr. Mercelina underscored the limits of crisis management as a substitute for long-term planning. “We spend our days putting out fires and our nights dreaming of progress. When do we carve out the time to actually build the future? We rarely get two uninterrupted hours to think boldly, to plan strategically, and that absence of vision has kept us stuck. The National Archive is not just a collection of papers, it is the spine of our national story. It’s time we give it the priority and protection it deserves.”

Also addressing the gathering, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Hon. Melissa Gumbs, praised the collective energy and institutional memory present in the room. “This gathering proves we are not starting from zero. We are building on foundations laid by dedicated individuals across generations,” she said. She reaffirmed her Ministry’s dedication to supporting the effort, working alongside Kadaster and other partners to implement a realistic and results-oriented preservation plan.

The session concluded with remarks from UNESCO Secretary-General for St. Maarten, Marcellia Henry, who expressed gratitude for the shared commitment on display. She reaffirmed UNESCO’s partnership in preserving the country’s archival legacy and emphasized the critical importance of digitization, capacity-building, and modern preservation technologies to ensure long-term accessibility and resilience.

With the “Echoes of Memory – Preserve” project now gaining momentum, stakeholders left the session unified in their understanding: this mission goes beyond technical capacity—it speaks to the soul of the nation. The preservation of St. Maarten’s identity, history, and cultural continuity depends on the choices made today.

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