Harris Promenade to become a monument park

Leader of the First Peoples Sovereign Nation Grand Chief Eric Lewis at the unveiling of the First People Utuyaney statue at Harris Promenade, San Fernando, on November 18. - Photo by Innis Francis

THE First Peoples of Moruga have formally staked their claim on their ancestral land, formerly known as Anaparima, with the unveiling of a towering golden statue of Amerindian Chief Utayaney on the historic Harris Promenade, San Fernando.

The event on November 18, coincided with the 37th anniversary of San Fernando achieving city status.

At the unveiling, San Fernando mayor Robert Parris announced plans to transform the iconic Promenade into a “monument park,” following the example of similar public spaces in Jamaica and Barbados. He said the new statue highlights the prominence and importance of the First Peoples among the monuments already situated on the Promenade.

Grand Chief of the First Peoples of Moruga, Eric Lewis, expressed both pride and sorrow, noting that the recognition came more than 500 years after the displacement of his ancestors.

“It has taken over 500 years to have our rightful space marked by a monument,” Lewis said. While he welcomed the mayor’s welcome gesture, he lamented that the indigenous community remains marginalised.

“We are not welcomed in society. We are ostracised, still sidelined, still put on the back burner. I live it daily.”

Lewis said the site where the statue now stands is part of their ancestral territory, not limited to San Fernando Hill. He said European settlers met his people there and took away the land.

An emotional Grand Chief asked, “How dare you forget and obliterate our ancestors’ contributions to our own lands? How dare you change our names and then protest when we ask for them back?”

He sought to explain,“You know what wiped us out – our generosity, our hospitality, our love and compassion.”

Lifting a historical text which records their history, he said, “When the Europeans were hungry, we fed them. They had no homes, and we sheltered them. They called us cannibals, but according to their own recorded history, they were the ones eating our ancestors on the ships.”

Drawing parallels with Chief Utayaney—who once led 300 warriors in defence of their land—Lewis vowed to continue fighting for recognition, not through violence but through education and awareness. He called for monuments honouring indigenous leaders in every region and highlighted ongoing efforts to decentralise indigenous communities across Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean.

“We learn from each other. We share the language, the culture, the dance.”

Alderman Villiana Ramoutarsingh who brought greetings on behalf of San Fernando West MP and Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath said this monument is more than a stone, but a tribute to people who walked this land long before others arrived.

Stating she is a descendant of the indigenous peoples of the Andes in Venezuela, Ramoutarsingh affirmed her party's commitment to ensuring that the history and culture of the First Peoples are taught with accuracy, respect and prominence.

She said San Fernando is a city of heritage and diversity and it is fitting that the statue has found a space on the Promenade as a reminder that unity today rests on the foundations they laid centuries ago.

Senior Superintendent Subash Ramkhelawan, head of the Whiteland Police Youth Club—which sculpted the statue—said this is the third monument created in collaboration with the Grand Chief, following installations in Chaguanas and Whiteland over the past year. He pledged to use the country’s 100 police youth clubs to promote awareness and acceptance of the indigenous heritage.

President of the Greater San Fernando Chamber, Kiran Singh, said it was “unfortunate” that the First Peoples had long been denied recognition. He reminded those gathered that the indigenous community laid the foundation for the nation long before others arrived.

“Let’s give them the recognition they deserve,” Singh urged, pledging the chamber’s full support.

The double ceremony was held in the refurbished amphitheatre of the Harris Promenade which has been adorned with paintings done by Russel Banfield and photographs of cultural icons, Joshua Regrello, Ras Shorty I, Black Stalin and Rikki Jai.

A smoke ceremony and blessings preceded the unveiling of the towering, golden figure. Lewis said its towering presence, is representative of the dominance of the First Peoples on land that were originally theirs.