Abstract
This article outlines aspects of how to present a more effective public understanding of slavery heritage and race relations. Using case studies on the island of St. Maarten in the Dutch Caribbean, I examine the role of archaeology in understanding African heritage historical contexts and social and race relations of the twentieth century. This article then considers a transformed approach for reconciliation in public archaeology undertaken through engagement with African descendants’ voices in communities on St. Maarten and in the broader Caribbean region.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Jay B. Haviser
Dr. Jay B. Haviser is the director of the Sint Maarten Archaeological Center. He is a faculty member of Leiden University, the Netherlands and is currently the President of the International Association of Caribbean Archaeology. Haviser's edited publications include African Sites: Archaeology in the Caribbean (edited by Jay Haviser; Markus Wiener Press, 1999), African Re-Genesis: Confronting Social Issues in the Diaspora (co-edited with Kevin C. MacDonald; Left Coast Press, 2007), and Managing Our Past into the Future (co-edited with Corinne Hofman; Sidestone Press, 2015).