If you could talk to one of your loved ones in Spirit what would you say?
And why would you say it?
What would you want to know, and why is it important to you?
I regret not asking Dad and other relatives more questions about my roots when I had the chance.
That’s why I’m grateful for the work my uncle, Gerry Doward, is doing. He’s Mom’s youngest brother.
He’s also a genealogist.
Over the years, Uncle has put some of the pieces of our family’s history and migration together.
And he has also helped other families on St. Croix research their roots.
Uncle says his paternal grandfather, my great-grandfather, migrated to St. Croix from the country of Suriname. His name was Robert Doward.
Yet, there are so many pieces of our ancestral puzzle we still don’t know yet.
I’m hoping to travel to Suriname one day to learn more about the family and culture my great grandfather left behind.
What about you? Are you curious about your roots? How well do you know the stories of your ancestors?
This photo of me and uncle, Gerry is important to me.
It was taken more than 15 years ago during a hike on the north side of the island of St. Croix.
I felt strong ancestral and spiritual vibrations as I hiked with uncle. We swam in a pool made by natural rock formations. The water was soothing and warm. I emerged cleansed and revitalized.
The northside St. Croix is sacred because it’s home to Maroon Ridge – that’s where slaves leapt to their death rather than submit to a life of slavery.
St. Croix scholar and ecologist, Olassie Davis, says “runaway African slaves also developed their own government, culture, trade, and military defense against the colonial powers of the day.”
Our struggles continue…
We have to protect sacred sites, reclaim our culture and tell our own stories.
The land also has stories to tell.
On St. John, Virgin Islands, there’s an ancient petroglyph engraved at the bottom of a waterfall at Reef Bay Valley.
The late Guyanese scholar, Ivan Van Sertima, author of the book, They Came Before Columbus, believed the petroglyph is an ancient African script once used in Libya and Medieval Mali.
Van Sertima said the script was deciphered by the Libyan Department of Antiquities. It reads: “Plunge in to cleanse yourself; this is water for purification before prayer.”
Blessings,