ST. EUSTATIUS / 9 October 2024
The Golden Rock and Godet Afrikan burial sites in St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean, have been recognized by UNESCO as significant sites tied to the legacies of enslavement. The St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance initiated an application for nomination with UNESCO in February 2022. On Wednesday, October 9th, UNESCO Paris headquarters announced the recognition in a ceremony. The two Afrikan burial grounds of our Ancestors are now, together with 21 other sites, part of the program ‘Routes of Enslaved Peoples.’
“Restore the dignity of our ancestors”
Kenneth Cuvalay, President of the St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance, expressed his profound appreciation for the recent designation of the Golden Rock and Godet Afrikan burial grounds as part of the UNESCO Routes of Enslaved Peoples: “This is incredible news for our community. We have consistently strived to restore the dignity of our Ancestors and increase awareness about long-marginalized and neglected sacred sites”. He acknowledged Annina Van Neel and Peggy King Jorde’s invaluable contributions throughout this vital process. “Annina initially brought this idea to our attention while advocating for the respectful reburial of the ‘Liberated’ Afrikans on St. Helena, a British overseas territory”, Cuvalay added. Peggy King Jorde, a key advocate for the New York African Burial Ground and a driving force behind the national memorial for enslaved and free Afrikans, remarked, “This is an empowering moment for the Statia community as we confront historical erasure and cultural devaluation.” Annina and Peggy are featured protagonists in the documentary A Story of Bones.
The Golden Rock and Godet Afrikan burial ground
In 2021, the Golden Rock burial ground drew significant media attention due to its location in an area marked for sand excavation to facilitate airport development. Unfortunately, questionable archaeological practices led to an outcry by the Statia community, resulting in a halt to excavation efforts. 69 ancestral remains were excavated, which are currently in a depot on the island.
The UNESCO application also includes the Godet site, located on the southwest coast of St. Eustatius, in addition to Golden Rock. Godet has long been a focal point for archeological research and exploration, without community consent or adequate meaningful engagement. The site was left in deplorable condition in 2022 after fieldwork by the Research Experiences for Undergraduates Archaeology program initiated by Texas State University and sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) of the US.
30th Anniversary of UNESCO’s Routes of Enslaved Peoples Program
The Routes of Enslaved Peoples UNESCO recognition is a significant step towards acknowledging the historical injustices of the transatlantic trafficking in enslaved Afrikans and promoting universal values of tolerance, respect, and dignity. By focusing on research, education, and the documentation of memorial sites, this initiative aims to raise awareness about the lasting global impact of slavery.
The application, initiated by the St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance in February 2022 and submitted by the UNESCO Committee Netherlands on November 11, 2022, seeks to break the silence surrounding this horrific chapter in history.
Obstacles to the reburial of the ancestral remains
Cuvalay continues to voice strong concerns regarding the local archaeological center SECAR (St. Eustatius Center for Archaeological Research), the organization in charge of the contentious airport excavations: “The reburial of our Ancestors cannot proceed until SECAR provides the essential archaeological report, which includes details about the excavation and the burial artifacts associated with the ancestral remains. Despite multiple requests, the report is still not provided. SECAR’s assertion that no human remains were removed from the island is further cause for worry, as samples of the ancestral remains are known to be at Leiden University in the Netherlands.” Leiden University, a major player in Caribbean archaeology, was in the news in 2023 for serious misconduct by Dutch archaeology professor Corinne Hofman, who has since been fired”.
About UNESCO
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication and information. Since its launch in 1994, the UNESCO ‘Routes of Enslaved Peoples: Resistance, Liberty and Heritage’ program has contributed to the production of innovative knowledge, the development of high-level scientific networks and the support of memory initiatives on the theme of slavery, its abolition and the resistance it generated.
In the media
In English
- Afrikan Burial Grounds on St. Eustatius to be recognized by UNESCO. Dominica News Online, October 2, 2024
- African burial sites on St Eustatius gain UNESCO status. Caribbean News by Dillon De Shong, October 17, 2024
- Statia’s Slave Burial Sites Gain UNESCO Recognition. Dutch Caribbean Heritage Platform (DCHP), October 7, 2024
In Dutch
From UNESCO Netherlands
- Historische begraafplaatsen van tot slaaf gemaakten op Sint Eustatius krijgen Unesco-erkenning. Press release UNESCO Netherlands, October 4, 2024
- Aandacht voor historische begraafplaatsen van tot slaaf gemaakten op Sint Eustatius. Press release UNESCO Netherlands, December 22, 2022
Media
- Afrikaanse begraafplaatsen St. Eustatius krijgen UNESCO-label. AFRO Magazine, October 3, 2024
- Begraafplaatsen Sint Eustatius op erfgoedlijst. Monumentaal, October 4, 2024
- UNESCO-label voor begraafplaatsen St. Eustatius. Nieuw Wij, October 8, 2024
- UNESCO erkenning voor slavernijverleden St. Eustatius. NOS Radio Met het Oog op Morgen, October 8, 2024
- ‘UNESCO-erkenning cruciale stap in dekolonisatie van het slavernij verleden’. Curacao.nu, October 10, 2024

