‘Protect the minority indigenous people’- Dr. Pickering cries out
According to the report the population of the Virgin Islands (VI) is approximately 29,000 with 39.1% of the population being born in the VI and some 60.9% born outside of the Territory.
However, it is important to note the difference between locals meaning persons born in the VI and indigenous Virgin Islanders.
Who is an Indigenous Virgin Islander?
There is a clear distinction in the Virgin Islands (VI) between an indigenous Virgin Islander and a Virgin Islander, however under our constitution they have equal rights. Indigenous Virgin Islanders are persons who are not only born in the VI, but can trace at least one of their parents and grandparents to being born in the VI.
Those born in the Virgin Islanders but none of their parents or grandparents are from or born in the Virgin Islands are deemed to be non-indigenous Virgin Islanders.
The VI Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour Dr. the Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering was at the time speaking during the Budget Debate on December 16, 2014 at the Second Sitting of the Fourth Session of the Second House of Assembly when he called for the protection of indigenous residents.
The 7th District Representative told the public that , “persons who live here and call the BVI home must also be protected, but at the same time there must be the assurance, as enshrined in the Constitution that the indigenous people have a special form of protection above anything else”
Dr. Pickering said, “We must not allow the indigenous Virgin Islanders to be push around… it cannot be allowed to happen. So those who come to live amongst us have to appreciate that those of us who are leaders have to appreciate that leaders have to protect the indigenous people…..”
The Minster for National Resources and Labour who is a senior Minister of Government in the Dr. Smith Administration and who many have credited with quietly going about doing his work and not hungry for publicity unlike the rookie Minister for Education and Culture Walwyn warned that “we cannot create a society where locals are already outnumbered, where we are being pushed aside”.
Examples of Virgin Islanders who are indigenous & non-indigenous
While the Hon. Dr. Kedrick D. Pickering (R7) did not make the distinction between indigenous and non-indigenous Virgin Islanders there is public example of those who fit the different categories.
The Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn is a non-indigenous Virgin Islander, as none of his parents or his grandparents are born in the VI. Whereas youth leader, businessman and political activist Rajah A. Smith is an indigenous Virgin Islander. Both Mr. Smith’s parents and grandparents are born in the VI.
Representative of the Eighth District Honourable Marlon A. Penn is an indigenous Virgin Islander having both of his parents and grandparents born in the Virgin Islands. Whereas Speaker of the House of Assembly Ingrid A. Moses is a non-indigenous Virgin Islander as while she was born in the VI none of her parents or grandparents were born in the VI.
Another example is the Virgin Islands’ first lady Lorna G. Smith while a legal resident with full rights as a Virgin Islander under the constitution Mrs. Smith the wife of the Premier was not born in the VI nor were any of her parents or grandparents. However, political activist and lecturer at the the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College and People’s Empowerment Party President Natalio D. Wheatley aka Sowande Uhuru is an indigenous Virgin Islander, having been born in the VI with both parents and grandparents been also born in the Territory.
Call for a harmonious society - Hon Fraser
Many critics of the NDP welcomed the cry of Hon Pickering for the protection of indigenous peoples of the VI. They claimed that since the current administration took office in 2011 both locals and indigenous residents have been treated like second class citizens in their homeland, with much of the victimization and firings in the public service meted out to locals.
They also charged that the NDP has played a divisive type of politics pitting blacks against whites, locals against expats and rich against poor.
In a national address to the Virgin Islands in November of this year, Virgin Islands Party Chairman Hon Julian Fraser RA, (R3) called for a harmonious society where the rights of all are respected and paid tribute to our Caribbean brothers and sisters who have help built the VI.
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36 Responses to “‘Protect the minority indigenous people’- Dr. Pickering cries out ”
Qualifications for elected membership
65.—(1) Subject to this section and section 66, a person shall be qualified to be elected as a member of the House of Assembly if, and shall not be qualified to be so elected unless, he or she—
(a) was so qualified immediately before the commencement of this Constitution; or
(b) is a person who—
(i) is a Virgin Islander of the age of twenty-one years or upwards; and
(ii) is otherwise qualified as a voter under section 68.
(2) Subject to subsections (3) and (4), for the purposes of subsection (1)(b)(i) a “Virgin Islander” is a person who belongs to the Virgin Islands by birth or descent who was—
(a) born in the Virgin Islands of a father or mother who at the time of the birth was a British overseas territories citizen (or a British Dependent Territories citizen) by virtue of birth in
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the Virgin Islands or by virtue of descent from a father or mother who was born in the Virgin Islands;
(b) born in the Virgin Islands of a father or mother who at the time of the birth belonged to the Virgin Islands by birth or descent; or
(c) born outside the Virgin Islands of a father or mother who at the time of the birth belonged to the Virgin Islands by birth or descent.
(3) A person born outside the Virgin Islands who belongs to the Virgin Islands by descent shall not be qualified to be elected as a member of the House of Assembly unless one of his or her grandparents belonged to the Virgin Islands by birth.
(4) A person, whether born in or outside the Virgin Islands, who would otherwise be qualified to be elected as an elected member of the House of Assembly by virtue of subsection (1)(b) shall not be so qualified unless—
(a) where that person has never been domiciled in the Virgin Islands, he or she has resided in the Virgin Islands for at least five years immediately before the date of his or her nomination for election; or
(b) where that person was formerly domiciled in the Virgin Islands but has lived outside the Virgin Islands for a continuous period of at least ten years (excluding periods related to medical or educational purposes), he or she has resided in the Virgin Islands for at least three years immediately before the date of his or her nomination for election and is domiciled in the Virgin Islands at that date.
Is every sitting member qualified according to the above??!!
65 (b) born in the Virgin Islands of a father or mother WHO AT THE TIME OF BIRTH BELONGED TO THE VIRGIN ISLANDS BY BIRTH OR DESCENT???
Did he ever run for office before the enactment of VI Constitution 2007?!
The VI Constitution is no religious text you IDIOT; it is the foundation law document that governs here and NEED to be followed to the letter!
Qualifications for elected membership
65.—(1) Subject to this section and section 66, a person shall be qualified to be elected as a member of the House of Assembly if, and shall not be qualified to be so elected unless, he or she—
(a) was so qualified immediately before the commencement of this Constitution; or
What further explanation you mean? They either meet 65 (a), 'OR' the other requirements. Thanks for showing the world what a jackass you are. Imagine you posted it right there and still didn't read it? LMAO!!!!
@Read! - Instead of 65 (b) you might be referring to 65 2(b) as it relates to Virgin Islander.
Just my two cents.
I assume therefore you refer more to the concept of Belonger and Non-Belonger status when referring to indigenous and non-indigenous Virgin Islanders. May I suggest that only residents with proven DNA Arawak-Indian ancestry be qualfied to vote at the forth coming elections! Problem solved.
Protecting the socalled "indigenous" virgin islander is a tall order. The die has been set a long time ago where WE in the VI has disrespected each other to the point of no return. We throw qualified people who have this country at heart under the bus for personal and political reasons. A lot of those expats who have a born here parent especially a father, their minds are poisoned early about VI people by their disgtungled mothers who didnt get a ring on their finger. The Ag PS in O.....o office is a prime example of that.
Another thing, once people in positions of power begin to think that they know more than the people they serve we have chaos. We are in a very sad state in the Virgin Islands.Boom Boom Kahboom.
So, protected how? The statistic above relates to people being born in the Territory. The truth is so many people go away to have their children due to the benefits of being born in other countires or better healthcare. That's what needs to be considered, not further stignatism of non-belongers!
There are many people who believe they are indigenous to the VI but according to the strict definition of the law, they are not.
Indigenous is a nice catchy term but it creates a loophole that disqualifies most of the so called natives and thus allows “others” to stand on equal footing.
The forced exodus had begun more than forty years ago and continues even today. So to cry “protect the endangered minority indigenous people” is untenable at this stage unless there is a deliberate and sustained call for sons and daughters to come home.
There need to be a completeness where laws, cultural norms and education work hand in hand, not sure if the VI is doing that and needs to quickly.
This is what the article/conversation should be about.