Bernie launches cultural identity campaign

| 26/10/2023 | 54 Comments
Local artist Coleen Gibson with her traditional craft work (photo from Cayman Brac Culture and Heritage social media)

(CNS): As Culture Minister Bernie Bush navigates his way through another firestorm, Cabinet has given approval for his Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage (MYSCH) to launch a cultural identity campaign on the formal naming of the National Dish, Drink, Dessert, Dress and Dance. The campaign will raise awareness of authentic Caymanian customs and traditions, according to a release from the ministry.

Bush said he was proud to be part of a Cabinet that understands the importance of cultural identity and supports the efforts to strengthen, safeguard and promote Cayman’s cultural heritage.

”As Cayman continues to evolve, it is important that we establish and highlight on a national level the aspects of our customs and traditions that help unify us as a people,” he said. “It is my hope that over the next few months the community will be open to engaging with the ministry as we embark on this educational campaign.”

As the holiday season begins, officials from the ministry are asking people to discuss with family and friends their thoughts on Cayman’s heritage and traditions, not just food, quadrille dances and whompers, but the more challenging aspects of how this society was built, such as the legacy of slavery in the Cayman Islands.

More details about the public consultation period and how the community can participate will be shared in the coming days, the ministry said. Meanwhile, the public is invited to engage with the campaign here, Instagram@mysch_cayman, Facebook or by attending upcoming events.


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Category: Heritage and Culture, Local News

Comments (54)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Of course God is no longer part of our once rich proud culture.
    With so many church buildings too. A crying shame.
    They don’t even pray to start big public meetings any more.

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  2. Anonymous says:

    Outsider here. I love Cayman. For 25 years I have visited quite a lot. I miss the “old” Cayman, but I’m happy to see emphasis placed on this. True Caymanian’s are special people!

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  3. Anonymous says:

    I am Caymanian, by virtue of being born of a Caymanian womb, not by virtue of a piece of paper, and I am quite proud of my heritage; however, I shall submit to Minister Bush that the National Dish, Drink, Dessert, Dress and Dance must reflect the culture of Cayman as it is manifest today. Authentic Caymanian customs and traditions that are essentially relics from the past do not reflect the tings that are “National” in any meaningful way. If dusting off relics of the past is his intention, then rename the categories, “Traditional Dish, Traditional Drink, Traditional Dessert, Traditional Dress and Traditional Dance, if his campaign is intended to raise awareness of authentic past Caymanian customs and traditions.

    To get an idea of the National Dish and National Dessert might be a bit of a challenge. National Drink is either bottled water or a Greenie. Determining the National Dance will also be an interesting undertaking since the public dance venues where the majority of the public indulges in dancing are bars, nightclubs, DJ venues and live music venues. There, and at Batabano and Pirate’s Week venues–both national festivals–we can determine that some form of “wine ‘n’ grine” is the National Dance.

    To get snapshots of our “Cayman Culture” note the returning Caymanian line at the airport. There you will see a spectrum of birth nationalities and hear a variety of accents mixed in among the “Caymanian” accent (and even that accent is fairly rapidly evolving).
    Judging by what we buy, how we dress, what we eat and drink every day, the advertisements we see, the music Caymanians listen to, the movies and entertainment Caymanians enjoy, the design used in new buildings and new homes, one would think that our “cultural identity” derived from metropolitan South Florida rather than the Caribbean.

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  4. anonymous says:

    Now I have seen it all – 100 more ways to buy votes from the elderly who will no doubt be receiving large stipends to be a part of the dozens of ‘cultural’ events the Bernie will hold as a part of this charade. Meanwhile Wayne just lets things slide and turns up singing the praises of his culture Minister. How does he get the salary of a Minister for this crap?

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    • Anonymous says:

      How does he get the salary of a minister ? Because if he changes sides Wayne is no longer Premier. Applied to nearly all of them.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Ironic, as these are questions on the PR test. Expats expected to know the answer to demonstrate assimilation, but Bernie has no clue.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    Vulgar Bernie is a walking talking gesturing example of the worst of Cayman’s stubbornly inappropriate, and ungratefully xenophobic. Cayman needs to reject his poor example, and get with the times, not embrace the abuses of the past with misplaced sentimentality. All Caymanians of today should be treated equally and with respect. Find a new minister that understands where we are going, not where we have been.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Bernie and culture is surely a contradiction in terms!

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  8. Anonymous says:

    Bernie who are you ‘reinventing the wheel’ for?

    We have already established these things. Now make sure this information is published and constantky displayed everywhere. Ports, libraries, schools, ALL tourists establishments including restaurants, hotels, bus stops, and elsewhere.

    Also mandate that ALL persons who work in restaurants and lodging establishments learn about our culture and heritage. It is such people who display the least among of knowledge and concern about learning such information yet have the most contact with the visitors to our country.

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  9. Anonymous says:

    They forgot about the National Car… Honda Fit.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    If Cayman had a unique culture, there wouldn’t be a need for trying to figure out what it is.

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  11. Anonymous says:

    Bernie confirm the identity of this *points downward

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  12. E. Benedict says:

    Hey Bernie, how about a national dick joke ?
    I’m sure you have a few more delightful zingers for the voting public.

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  13. Anonymous says:

    Unbelievable!!! All my 54 years I was taught turtle stew, swanky and cassava cake were our national dish, drink and dessert. Please tell me what has changed?

    Guess the new dish will be Burger King, drink, fruit punch, and apple pie.

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    • Cayman Mon says:

      Poor Bernie.

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      • Anonymous says:

        I can’t believe he has the audacity to go out in the community with all his baggage dragging behind. His delusions and shamelessness knows no bounds! Mr. Premier why are you allowing this charade. He is a

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        • Anonymous says:

          This man is a blotch on our culture and heritage and should stay away from all festivities going forward. He should go and hang out with the other bush person and stay out of the lime light.

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    • Anonymous says:

      KFC, 345, ganga and dancehall

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  14. Anonymous says:

    Nothing like reinventing the wheel. He really should get counselling and treatment for his SDS since he has nothing better to do. Really, what has changed in 50 years except more wutless politicians desperately trying to prove their own worthiness?

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  15. Anonymous says:

    Try hush Bernie. The people have spoken and we https://youtu.be/rIdLtivYIV4?si=7gVpf0y8kSv2FUAN

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  16. Anonymous says:

    We’re lucky really.
    When president Clinton was caught up in the Monica Lewinsky scandal, he launched a couple of Cruise Missiles into Sudan. That deflection didn’t work either.
    Just be grateful Bernie doesn’t have a couple of Flare Guns.

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  17. Anonymous says:

    If the dance doesn’t involve a good wine, dutty, dollah, or otherwise, I’m not here for it.

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  18. Truth says:

    Man this place’s culture is everybody elses culture all in one. Caymanians have no identity and have always been sellouts of their people.

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  19. Anonymous says:

    Will there be some rulers on the table to establish a national average length?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Well let’s see 3.23.
      If we were to line up JonJons brain cells in a straight line……it seems that even with his admitted shortcomings , Bernie would win.

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  20. Anonymous says:

    What a great idea, we can have national dishes, dresses, and dances for each month of the year. “Whine up” would have to be the national dance during carnival season. We could include a contest for which MP is the national political disgrace of the month.

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  21. Anonymous says:

    National Dish – stew (everything / anything)
    Drink – brown sugar lime-aid (swanky; call it what you will)
    Dessert – heavy cake (any starch)

    Useful portion of the job done.

    Dress – uhm, no. People wore whatever they could import designs & material of and dress evolved and continues to evolve in a homogenised ‘western’ fashion (and it is fine to admit that).
    Dance – Oh for crying out loud, not the European Quadrille, please. There is a reason it died out in Cayman, and Europe.

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    • Anonymous says:

      national dance
      the carnival shuffle.
      walking likr you have your sandwiches in your shoes and you dont want to squash them.

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  22. Anonymous says:

    with all the problems facing cayman….cig busy trying to establish what our national dish, drink and desert is??????
    welcome to wonderland and pass me the headache pils.

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  23. Anonymous says:

    As long as the national dish is not the critically endangered sea turtle!

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  24. Anonymous says:

    “a Cabinet that understands the importance of cultural identity and supports the efforts to strengthen, safeguard and promote Cayman’s cultural heritage” …….. What a load of BS!!. What good is this if any physical evidence of Caymanian culture, heritage & identity has all but disappeared ?

    Why do we still not have laws in place to protect our traditional architecture?. Why aren’t we doing more to protect the landscape and traditional rights of way? Seems like every week there’s an old cottage being torn down or demolished, or a beach access being “bought”. Identity isn’t just about customs, it’s also about landscape! You can’t cherry pick the parts of Caymanian identity you want to highlight while allowing the rest of it to be erased……

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    • Anonymous says:

      @12:48:
      “You can’t cherry pick the parts of Caymanian identity you want to highlight while allowing the rest of it to be erased……”

      BRAVO! WELL said!!!

      “Seems like every week there’s an old cottage being torn down or demolished, or a beach access being “bought”.” YESS! Exactly! Identity isn’t just about antiquated customs, it’s also about the reality of what is happening NOW in these islands!
      Bush is a grandstanding moron.

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  25. Anonymous says:

    Another excuse to spend other people’s money on a party. LOL

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  26. Anonymous says:

    I’m thinking that at last someone is recognized that our culture has long been lost under so many other peoples traditions and culture. As a country Caymanianians are too laid back and kind…kindness is part of our culture..I know, but let’s keep use and keep up other parts of it too. We are dependent on what was done in the past, how about keeping it up in the future? I am guilty as charged.

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    • Anonymous says:

      We already have a week allocated to this, just that it’s called PIRATE’s week.
      Change the name to HERITAGE FESTIVAL week.
      Many Caymanians were offended by the ‘Pirate’ association anyway, so this will be a Heritage celebration that all Caymanians can proudly embrace.

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    • Anonymous says:

      So what was the long lost culture 11:57? Can you describe it?

  27. Anonymous says:

    Good joke! No further comment.

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  28. Anonymous says:

    Nice try, Bernie, but being vulgar to women certainly isn’t a Caymanian tradition!

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