MP Sjamira Roseburg: Sankofa — Return, Reflect, Reconnect. Happy St. Martin Day!

𝐓𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝,

“𝘚𝘦 𝘸𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪 𝘯𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘰𝘧𝘢 𝘢 𝘺𝘦𝘯𝘬𝘺𝘪” — 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦.

To our ancestors, those who walked this land before us, who tilled the soil, built our homes, and raised their voices in song and prayer, we honor you. You laid the foundation for who we are today. Your strength carried us through storms, and your spirit still whispers through the hills, the sea breeze, and the rhythm of our hearts. We are because you were.

To our mothers and fathers, our grandmothers and grandfathers, you are the keepers of our wisdom, the storytellers of our past. To our brothers and sisters, you are the heartbeat of our present, the hands that keep the island alive. And to our children, you are the promise of our tomorrow, the reason we continue to build, nurture, and love this land we call home.

St. Martin has a way of calling each of us home. Some of us were born here, some of us returned, and some of us came seeking a new beginning. I may not have been born here, but my roots and my connections run deep, in French Quarter, on both the French and the Dutch sides. This island has embraced me, taught me, and shaped me in ways I will always carry with pride and gratitude.

This year’s theme, Sankofa, reminds us to go back and fetch what we’ve left behind, to return to our roots, to learn from the lessons of our past, and to bring that wisdom forward as we continue to grow as one people. Our ancestors practised Sankofa long before we had the word for it, in how they worked side by side, shared what they had, and lifted one another up in times of hardship. Their unity was not merely spoken, it was lived.

That is why it is so important that we bring back the spirit of the village, that unity where everyone played a part, where we looked out for one another, and where love for our community was stronger than any difference between us.

What does unity look like for you? Maybe it’s a helping hand, a kind word, a moment of forgiveness, or simply showing up for one another. Because unity doesn’t have to be loud, it just has to be real.

I am still learning about my village, its stories, its people, its heartbeat, and I hope to keep learning, growing, and connecting with each of you.

Today is a reminder that St. Martin belongs to all of us, not divided by frontiers or languages, but joined by the love we carry for this island. Being “one island, one people, one destiny” isn’t just something we should celebrate on St. Martin Day. It’s a choice we make every day, in the way we care for our neighbors, honor our traditions, and lift up our community.

So, on this St. Martin Day, let us reconnect. Let us share our traditions, our memories, our habits, and our history. Let’s exchange laughter, wisdom, and love so that what we share today will live on tomorrow. Let’s make sure that this connection, this spirit of oneness, lasts beyond this day.

May we walk in gratitude for those who came before us, in unity with those beside us, and in hope for those yet to come.

Let us enjoy this St. Martin Day and continue this path of unity forward.

𝐌𝐏 𝐒𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠

𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘔𝘗 𝘚𝘫𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘢 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘴 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘶𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘛𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘕𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 11, 2025.

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