St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance to Unveil First Book Publication on June 30

ST. EUSTATIUS--The St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance will officially launch its first book publication, “St. Eustatius: Restoring Our Ties, The Voices of Statians Making A Difference,” during a public event on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at 7:00 PM at the GJB Public Library in Oranjestad, St. Eustatius.

Developed through research, interviews and community engagement by cultural anthropologist Dr. Artwell Cain, the book documents reflections from members of the Afrikan diaspora community in St. Eustatius and contributes to ongoing conversations about remembrance, recognition and historical justice.

At the center of the publication is a call for acknowledgment and action regarding the 69 excavated Afrikan Ancestors who have been awaiting reburial since 2021. The book also highlights the need for recognition and preservation of Afrikan burial grounds and stresses the importance of keeping community voices central in shaping how history is remembered and represented.

“Restoring Our Ties is about creating space for the voices of Statians to be heard and documented on their own terms,” said Dr. Artwell Cain, author of the publication. “This project reflects community perspectives and contributes to broader conversations about memory, heritage, and cultural continuity.”

Dr. Cain was born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and, after many years in the Netherlands, currently lives in Aruba, where he continues his scientific work and contribution. He is the director and researcher at the Institute of Cultural Heritage and Knowledge. Dr. Cain previously served as director of NiNsee, the National Institute of Dutch Slavery Past and Legacy, from 2009 to 2012. He is also the author of several books, including “A Sense of Belonging,” as well as various academic articles and essays.

The launch event will feature an interactive program with Dr. Cain and Mr. Marvin Hokstam Baapoure, publisher, educator, journalist, founder and Chief Editor of AFRO Magazine, and Executive Director of the Broos Institute, Europe’s pioneering Afrocentric academic institution.

Several interview participants whose experiences helped shape the publication will also take part in the evening’s discussion. Mr. Hokstam Baapoure, a former journalist of The Daily Herald in St. Maarten, previously worked with the Alliance on other projects and published the AFRO Magazine “Remember Statia” edition.

The event will be hosted by Mr. Kenneth Cuvalay, President of the Alliance, together with Mr. Derrick Simmons, Alliance member and anthropologist.

The public and media representatives are invited to attend. Entrance is free. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at a discounted rate during the event, limited to one book per individual.

The book publication is the outcome of the project of the same name, carried out by the St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance. The project was made possible with funding from the Slavery Memorial Committee and the Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied (CCG) / DNB Call.

Dr. Cain will also speak at the Emancipation Day commemoration in St. Eustatius, alongside Guyanese-born Professor of Africology Kimani Nehusi, Mr. Hokstam Baapoure and other guests. The Alliance is organizing this commemoration for the first time, in collaboration with the Statia Roots Festival and other local NGOs.

About the St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance

The St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance was formed following protests against excavations at the 18th-century burial ground of enslaved Afrikans at Golden Rock, which began in June 2021 in St. Eustatius by a team of international archaeologists.

With allies around the world, the Alliance broadened the scope of its work to include other Afrikan burial grounds in St. Eustatius, including the Afrikan Burial Ground Godet Plantation St. Eustatius, also known as Godet/Fort Amsterdam. One of the Alliance’s aims is to further expand its work to the Pan-Afrikanist level, connecting with Afrikan-centered organizations and movements fighting for the preservation of endangered Afrikan burial grounds around the world and for control over narratives that have been distorted.

In October 2024, the Alliance’s application for the UNESCO label “Routes of Enslaved Peoples” for the Golden Rock and Godet Afrikan Burial Grounds was honored.

Why the Alliance Spells Afrika with a “k”

For the Alliance, Afrika is spelled with a “k” instead of a “c” for several reasons. It is a Pan-Afrikan spelling that relates both to the Afrikan continent and the diaspora. It reflects the spelling of “Afrika” in Afrikan languages. It also includes the concept of “ka,” the vital energy that both sustains and creates.

Photo caption: Dr. Artwell Cain at work during the weeks of interviewing and focus group sessions in St. Eustatius in June 2025 in the company of project manager and Alliance president Kenneth Cuvalay © All rights reserved St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance