TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO TO REVAMP COAT OF ARMS, SHEDDING COLONIAL LEGACY

Thu 22 August 2024:

Trinidad and Tobago is set to overhaul its coat of arms for the first time since 1962, replacing elements tied to European colonization. The move, widely celebrated across the Caribbean nation, will see the removal of Christopher Columbus’s three ships—Pinta, Nina, and Santa Maria—in favor of the steelpan, a symbol of the island’s rich cultural heritage.

Changes to come to Trinidad and Tobago’s Coat of Arms pic.twitter.com/EhB24PfywW

— Marie Hull (@MariefHull) August 18, 2024

Prime Minister Keith Rowley announced the symbolic change at a recent People’s National Movement convention, receiving a standing ovation. The new design, expected by late September, aims to mark a significant step in removing colonial remnants from the nation’s identity. Rowley emphasized, “This signals our journey towards erasing the colonial vestiges in our constitution.”

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Preserving National Symbols, Reconsidering Others

While the new coat of arms will retain symbols like hummingbirds, palm trees, and the scarlet ibis, Trinidad’s national bird, this redesign marks the first change since the nation gained independence from the UK in 1962. Additionally, the country plans to hold public hearings on whether to remove other colonial-era statues, signs, and monuments.

Legal Independence on the Horizon

Rowley is also advocating for Trinidad and Tobago to cut legal ties with the UK’s privy council, a move several Caribbean nations have already undertaken. He expressed a desire for the nation to stop being “squatters on the steps of the privy council.” This follows St. Lucia’s recent decision to replace the council with the Caribbean Court of Justice.

Trinidad and Tobago’s efforts are part of a broader global movement to dismantle symbols of the colonial era. Statues of Columbus, who first arrived in Trinidad in 1498, have been removed or toppled across the United States in recent years, signaling a shift in how nations remember their histories.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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