The Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT) was pioneered by a group of inspired individuals who saw the value in heritage conservation and protection of Saint Lucia’s patrimony as integral to love of country, love of being Saint Lucian and national development. Despite being on opposite ends of the political divide, they understood the importance of having an organisation to support the work of the government in maintaining natural, built and cultural heritage for all Saint Lucians. The fulfillment of their vision was the SLNT, which came into being on 26th September 1975. This year on 26th September, all are invited to the virtual 7th edition of the Trust Pioneers Lecture which brings heritage conservation to the forefront once more, focusing this time on archaeological heritage and its importance to society.

The theme for the Trust Pioneers Lecture 2020 is “Patrimony or Patricide - the natural and human impacts threatening our archaeological heritage”. It is no secret that we face several challenges with preserving the archaeological heritage of our country, and this lecture will give some insights into why that is and what we can do about it. The esteemed guest speakers are no strangers to the topic of archeological heritage and are well versed in the importance of heritage conservation.
Dr. Corinne L. Hofman is a Professor of Caribbean Archaeology at the Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University and currently the principal investigator of the CaribTRAILS project at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Southeast Asian and Caribbean studies (KITLV). Over the past 30 years, she has conducted archaeological research in the Caribbean for which she has received numerous grants and prizes. Her research and publications are highly multi-disciplinary and her projects are designed to contribute to the historical awareness, preservation, and valorization of indigenous heritage.

Dr. Winston Phulgence is the Head of Social Sciences and the Knowledge Society at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, where he also teaches History. He has produced many acclaimed publications focusing on the history and heritage of the Caribbean. Dr. Phulgence’s passion for acknowledging and memorializing the heritage of our people is clearly shown in his PhD research which looked at African Diaspora Archaeology, as well as in the lectures he delivers, like at the 20th annual Stephen Wayne Louis Memorial Lecture under the theme “Africa and her diaspora, remembering slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.”

You can watch this year’s Trust Pioneers Lecture via the Saint Lucia National Trust Facebook page.

Let’s come together and learn how we can uplift our country for current and future generations.