Peaceful March April 20, 2024 at 9 am – noon, The Old House, St. Martin
Caribbean Compass editor-in-chief Elaine Lembo is spending time on the island of Sint Maarten/Saint Martin. On Saturday, April 13, 2024, with local citizens, she participated in a cleanup of grounds at The Old House, on the French side. Here’s what she found out about why volunteers were dressing up this vital historic landmark in advance of a protest April 20, 2024.
After a Friday evening with friends, savoring a feast at L’Auberge Gourmande, a fine French restaurant in Grand Case, St. Martin, it was time to give back.
That meant that on Saturday morning, like any citizen passionate about her local island community, I got up early and grabbed a large black bag, gloves, to walk the grounds and trails of The Old House in St. Martin, collecting debris and garbage. I was excited to visit, as a book excerpt about the site will appear in an upcoming issue of Caribbean Compass.
The Old House is far from an old house: A historic estate, it tells the tale of slavery, of relationships between servants and masters, of survival, of crops such as sugar cane, bananas, cotton, cassava, and of the will to survive, yesterday and today. It’s also the home of Amuseum Naturalis, a free and interactive center of nature and heritage founded by Les Fruits de Mer . The nonprofit group, started by Jenn Yerkes and Mark Yokoyama, adheres to a mission of educating people about endemic birds, plants, insects, and more, as well as sharing island heritage via books for all ages.
Once word circulated that The Old House and other parcels are to be auctioned, Jenn and Mark went into high gear, a reflex they fine-tuned after Hurricane Irma and the pandemic.
“We’ve been working together for more than six years to preserve and share a very special part of St. Martin heritage: The Old House,” they write in a recent newsletter to supporters. “Today, our dreams for this site and the thousands of hours we have worked there are at risk. After over 50 years in dispute in the courts, the property where The Old House is located has been scheduled for auction on May 13. The local government (Collectivité of St. Martin) is working to buy this and other disputed lands so it can use them to the benefit of the St. Martin people.
“Will this amazing place be saved for the benefit of this island and its people, or will it be destroyed? It seems we will find out soon.
“But before then, we hope you can join us in celebrating this magical space where we have shared so much with each other, and with the entire community. On Saturday, April 20th, the Collectivité of St. Martin has organized a history-making peaceful march to The Old House. This is a chance for all of us to proclaim that St. Martin heritage and The Old House must be saved.
“We hope you can attend. We would love to spend this time with you. Everyone who has been a part of this incredible project deserves to be there on this day. If it is one of the last great moments we spend there together, then we hope you can be there. We hope it is the beginning of something even more magical we do there together, and for that we also want you to be there with us.
“If you can attend, let us know. If you want to volunteer at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House on this historic day, let us know. If you can’t be there, spread the word!
“Thank you! No matter where you are in the world, let’s celebrate this moment in solidarity.”
Saturday, after I collected a hefty bag of garbage, I sat down at a veranda at the Old House and chatted with Danika Liburd, who grew up in the area, and brings her children to the Amuseum.
“This peaceful protest is very important to me as a local because places like The Old House and associations such as Fruits de Mer are doing their due diligence in ensuring that the local heritage and culture is preserved,” Liburd said. “We must ensure that our culture and most importantly our lands are not lost due to seedy dealings, mismanagement and greed.”
Event details
Date: Saturday April 20, 2024
Time: 9:45am, meet at Cadisco in Chevrise
10 am: peaceful march to The Old House, followed by Family Day at Amuseum Naturalis
