Heritage Days dropped from Pirates Week
(CNS): The 2023 National Pirates Week Festival kicks off Friday in Little Cayman, but there will be no District Heritage Days this year. According to a press release about the event, the much loved and foundational element of the festival has been dropped “due to time and budget constraints”, which led organisers “to make a tough call”. The theme is “Cayman Wildlife”, though the agenda does not indicate how the “precious local fauna” will be highlighted or how it will shape the festival.
Culture Minister Bernie Bush, a former director of the festival, thanked the Pirates Week Committee and his staff at the ministry. “For over 40 years, Pirates Week has united the community for an exciting array of activities and events,” he said. Despite the scaled-down festival, he said he was “pleased to see how this tradition has grown and endured over the many years”.
Pirates Week was started 46 years ago to attract more visitors during the tourism slow season. Over the years, it has featured a mock pirate invasion, float parades, costume contests, fireworks, various sporting events and District Heritage Days.
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Category: Heritage and Culture, Local News
With international Tourism vacation media news marketing and advertising natural atteactions on the island about where Pirates use to hide out with there treasure chest full of treasures
https://nationalpost.com/travel/island-hopping-from-little-to-grand-cayman
Cayman Brac has a huge untapped Tourism Business and employment Market with Caves that could be turned into business opportunities by the Pirates Week Committee if they introduce things like kids teeasure hunting inside the caves with a Pieates Week Treasure Chess filled with Kids Pirates Week Treasurers like educational programs and school assessories like School Back Packs made in the Cayman Islands from the Cayman Islands Flag material & note book Legal Portfolios made in the Cayman Islands with the Caymanian Union Jack, Varnished Wooden Clocks in the shape of Turtles, Dolphins and Sting Rays made in the Cayman Islands that is covered with underwater wrapped pictures of Sting Rays at the Sting Ray City
Other Cayman Brac business and employment opportunities could include T-Shirt and Souvioner Shops located outside the Cayman Brac Caves, small restaurants, Hot Dog, Hamberg and Jerk Chicken Stans for visitors to have a meal after treasure hunting to have a lasting and memorable vacation that could result in increase loyal return visitors to the island
The district Heritage events due to time and budget constraints? Seriously?
This is yet another piece of evidence that clearly manifests the apathy, incompetence, and laziness of the Panton-PACTless Clown Car.
The Brac events are a sad offering. The most attended places will be the bars. I am certain if the planners had engaged the people of Cayman Brac to assist in planning and staging Brac events, the people would come through, especially in regard to heritage events and things proudly showcasing the traditions and people of Cayman Brac.
Julie: When are you going to abandon this pathetic band of lazy impotent moronic losers and help end this pathetic clown show?
She will never. She is a professional Cabinet member. Just try to take away her $200,000 a year regardless of who is in government. Impossible, simply can’t be done. You disagree? Go to the Brac for breakfast at her house and come back and tell me how you’d go about it.
Shame really, I was looking forward to again donning my Arawak garb.
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”.
This was just twelve days ago…..
Can’t the districts that wish to have unofficial heritage days?
I have been coming to this island for 30 years and have seen the decline in this island. It’s sad that this island is treated like a cruse ship with people from all over the world working here, taking jobs from the island folk. I love this island and its people, and think it’s time for a change in government. It’s time for the true island people to say what goes on, on the island. Stop letting the outside world dictate what the island needs. We love you Cayman.
I agree with this comment 100%. Wow Cayman Islands don’t belong to it’s people anymore! Don’t forget it will only take 1 hurricane to take the Island off the map!
Where is Wayne Panton with all of these decisions?????????
Fishing, in his oversized diesel guzzler
#suatainability
It’s time to pack our bags – our leaders and have failed us and our culture is diminishing.
why not have an festival celebrating the real cultural foundation of cayman….money laundering and tax evasion.?
And leaf blowers and voxys.
well, heritage days gone but celebration of pirates will continue might satisfy your modern day money laundering and locals being pillaged??
Today we all learn: There is no such thing as different heritage in each district.
Yawn
The reasons being given for this change to Pirates weak smacks of incompetence, poor management snd just plain stupidity.
The Minister does not have a clear understanding of his remit as a Cultural Minister and it seems he would prefer to spend time going to YARD rather than getting a handle on how to manage his ministerial duties and less not forget his penchant for crass jokes.
Quite frankly Missa Minister you gots to GO!
cayman was settled in the early 18th century and it wasn’t until the early 20th century that the first cars were being imported. what do you think happened between those times?
grand cayman was not always such a homogeneous thing. it used to take a long time to travel between districts by catboat or donkey or horse. not to mention sprawling development has made settlements closer together.
its almost as if isolation can create a unique history and way of life.
And there it is. Another piece of what is Cayman culture cut from existence. Why not just kill Pirates Week altogether. These cuts and changes is the cancer that has left it on it’s death bed.
i am aghast at this decision! As a Caymanian living abroad for years i have told people the best time to learn and experience our heritage was to visit,patronize and be educated at those district events. The ministry has let the Cayman people down and should be ashamed!
But Kenneth, we’re still YOUR people right..?
havent you herd our culture is now young women parading naked in the streets. I wonder how much government spends on that.
You had 364 days to plan it! How can you cancel it due to time and budget constraints?
This is literally a festival about Cayman, its culture, heritage, food and history. There are less than 50% Caymanians in Cayman in 2023. And now the one event that represents the islands and everything that it stands for gets cancelled?
Shame on you, Bernie.
Bernie knows no shame. Never has, never will.
Small dick syndrome perhaps?
bet the budget will be there for their Christmas parties though!
and toilets at governors beach….
What does the Minister of tourism have to say about this to..”His people”.?
His people celebrate on August 6th every year.
That’s right Independence….from PROSPERITY.
That’s right. throw it all away guys, heritage and all. 10 years from now Cayman will be another corporate hell hole sold to the highest bidder.
when we look back just remember we did this to ourselves.
So Bernie extends the flipping celebration to be months long and the. Cancels district days because of cost and time constraints?? What an idiot !!!
He also announced an initiative to define our national dish, so I guess he is killing off turtle stew and making sure we don’t have any events where we can buy some ?
What he has planned is completely and totally for the tourists and not locals!
Bernie Bush award for sellout of the year!!!
It’s all totally low class. Ditch it.
ok, go back to your glass palace and gated neighborhood and sit on your gold pedestal and book your next botox appointment – we’ll have our “low class” fun…..
Snowflake alert.
The PACK has scuttled the only part of the celebration worth attending. Such rubbish about time constraint. Maybe he needs to try managing his time a bit better. I believe that 2023 has the same number of days that 2022 had. He is still recuperating or what? What’s next – cancelling Christmas? No garbage pickup and now they are canceling the celebration of our culture and heritage. I thought that the culture Minister was enthusiastic about our culture, at least that is what he said a few weeks ago. I hope the PACK hurry cancel themselves.
“pleased to see how this tradition has grown and endured over the many years”. Grown and you have scaled back? Pirates Week for me was all about the direct days and for the support of the elderly to earn some monies by selling their crafts and meals. Better to have them on NAU instead…. SMH
Wholly agree here! Nothing for me to enjoy without district days and good local food and drink. No opportunity for REAL cultural interaction between locals & visitors. The whole purpose and lofty goals have been thrown in the trash this year! Should be under TOURISM Ministry where it BELONGS!! SMDH
So no Jamaican food served in styrofoam containers this year then?
Hollywood costume day. Heritage?????
Dropped due to time constraints. lol. They have a pirates week office which one job is to plan pirates week every year. 364 days is not enough time. lol. The entire Ministry of culture youth and sports is full of clowns from the Minister right down. what a disgrace.
SMH well if unna waan culcha, unna gah have so it unna selves.
They don’t anymore. It has been absorbed by another department.
The feckless Ministry and impotent office involved are manifestations of the Panton-PACTless Clown Car.
Another Bernie victim. Same thing happened to his Bakery, lube business, scholars and Amateur athletic association. Basically everything he has been involved with.
By the time 2025 comes around
Our youth sports and culture will have been set back 20 years. But condoms will be fashionably again.
We got what we elected. When will we understand that we need highly intelligent persons to run these sophisticated islands.
You forgot his idea of a floating restaurant at the Sandbar. He was also on the Residency Board. Hope the best for him though.
Jiffy Lube too don’t forget
You can’t have heritage days if you have no heritage.
any idea how ignorant that sounds?
Touched a nerve?
Yes ungrateful refugee, show us yours, I dare you.
Beowulf to Virginia Woolf with the written word and Turner, Reynolds, Whistler, Constable, Bacon, Freud Moore, Hepworth with the paint brush, hammer and chisel….just for a very modest start, 4:42. Also, The Beatles, the Stones, the Who, Pink Floyd, Rod Stewart, Cat Stevens….and so on and so on. Admittedly, not Andy and Barefoot, so we didn’t have it all but….
I got 1000’s of documented years, you?
Yeah exactly..
What did the Romans do for us..?
Crap floats. Like World class pseudo self righteous jetsam
Love Cayman or leave.
too bad you lot even “discovered” what we licals made of a barren rock in just a few generations.
For no reason ever moving forward should water front be closed to traffic to allow any stages to be set up. There is far too much traffic daily to eliminate the main thoroughfare
God forbid some of you may actually have to detour and drive down eastern Avenue and shedden road for a change due to the inconvenience of an 50 year old cultural celebration.
We don’t have Popemobiles to keep us safe down them parts.
Pirates Week is about fun for tourists. Mixing it with Heritage Days is bad for both products. Do them separately, they appeal to different crowds.
Good cause we don’t need 19 different heritage days
No..WEST BAY CULTURE DAY is Saturday 25th!!
We have whole month now..so let’s just do it ourselves!
#brapbrap
There’s culture in West Bay?
McKeewa
Speaker Mac 🖥️
And West Bay has its own God too.
McKeewa
Always making West Bay great.
Pirates week isn’t the same it was 10-15 years ago though.
It’s same as the other half naked street dances.
I attended(Walked in the parade) pirates week every year from 6-9 years old, 32 now.
Of course it’s gonna be different, but it started as our culture promoting the Island.
Not what it’s become now, no heritage or culture involved other than the fact its been going on 40 years now.
I always thought it would be good to have Pirates And Seafarers Heritage Week. Keep the parade, the chance for kids & adults to dress up as pirates but showcase the historic seafaring heritage of Cayman and the crafts, food and traditions of the people with one big central weekend event. Food, thatching and rope making, storytelling, song and dance, art and crafts – invite all the districts and take artisans, storytellers on tour around the schools and hotels to share their wisdom and history.
How can the theme be “Cayman Wildlife” when you are intending on setting off noise polluting, environment littering, wildlife killing fireworks!
Party pooper.
10 story buildings n more concrete
So tired of fireworks. You can’t have fireworks for every event…a drone show is cheaper
The theme should be the national landscaping tool, the leaf blower!
Public Service Announcement. We can’t go to your country and say “Excuse me, can you please not let off any fireworks because it is disturbing me and my pets?”. FYI letting off fireworks have been apart of every Pirate’s Week and Heritage Days. I suggest if you don’t like the fireworks then please sedate yourself and your pet and stay inside your home. shake my head that is what is wrong with Cayman today. We allow these expacts to come here and dictate what they want inside of them coming here try to be humble and be part of OUR community. WORC will soon have you all packing your bags soon and running back to your country.
It comes down to money, doesn’t it? There is still money for the walking street hump(s), but no money to promote heritage. So, tourists don’t come here for Heritage festivals, but will for the debauchery and dryhumping parades?
Disgusting.
As a tourist, I would rather learn about the heritage in the districts than see a parade of pirates or naked people dancing. The heritage days sound more of something I can’t see at home or could be interesting.
Since Bernie made changes to Pirates Week, it has been an absolute disaster. Revert back to Pirates “WEEK” and bring back heritage days so that tourists can plan when to visit and locals can enjoy the heritage days.
So true.
Take that crap back to CMR.
Original poster here. I would rather see CMR disappear than Pirates Week.
If you don’t have heritage days then you don’t have a pirates week festival. Why would the committee and more so the ministry agree to do that! The heritage days is what show our locals about each districts culture and food!
Why not have a 1 day heritage day combining all GC districts?
It was done on the 40th anniversary and people didn’t like it. Well see wha happen now?
Best part is the cruise tourists got a chance to see artifacts, make thatch rope, eat our food and meet people from all the districts (well except NS and BT I believe who didn’t come). To be honest it was one of my favourite years, they had it like a map where you could travel from one district to the next. Too bad they didn’t think to do that again this year.
Utterly embarrassing waste of time and money.
Bernie? Agreed.
Him too.
What does Cayman have it can’t showcase its rich heritage. The founders would roll over in their grave hearing this. What’s next… deciding not to have a statue of the Honorable Sir Big Mack McKeeva? You don’t see Italy removing the Colosseum! This is why we support Dwayne the Rock Seymour to stand up for what’s right!
People try too hard to be funny these days.
Let’s face it, these trashy events won’t be missed. Cayman has no real culture or heritage to share. Unless you count the mistreatment of animals, the greed, bribery and corruption, and the enduring hatred of people who weren’t born here.
…spoken like a true Cayman-hater! LOL
Somewhere, there is a tree that is working really hard to produce oxygen so you can breathe. I think you should go apologize …
Still not enough to get you to leave though. <3
Sounds to me like that in itself is a heritage that one would want to share. I mean it got YOU to the island didn’t it?
CaymanKind branding was what got me here. CaymanReality was what got me to leave again. The constant racism from Caymanians treating me like dirt is not at all Kind.
CAYMANKINDNESS only applies to those who appreciate it. Obviously you don’t. You sound like a spoilt brat. Do the atmosphere a favour and leave.
Back at you with a mirrored viewpoint.
yet here you still are, breathing my sweet breeze, feeling my sand between your toes, buying my land and applying to be one of us
Well anonymous @11:17 a.m.! Why would anyone want you around? Our culture dropped one digit the minute you stepped off the plane, or jump off the boat in the darkness of night. Surely you must have somewhere better to return to. I am sure you voice this kind of rhetoric as well as posting it. No one is forcing you to hang around. If you don’t feel welcome perhaps it’s your fault. Your attitude stinks and you will never assimilate to goodbye and good riddance.
Anonymous at 11:17 Are you familiar with the saying ” honey gathers more flies than vinegar” here is a little bit of history for you. Our people have travelled the world over, were accepted by everyone wherever we went. You know why, we did not go to other people’s homeland and insulted and derided them like you have done. Respect begets respect. Many of us were granted citizenship in many countries because we showed good manners and respect to other people and their culture. We are normally humble and friendly people but we are no pushovers. You cannot say the things that you do (I do not believe this is not your first insult towards us) and expect us to let it pass. If our culture is so Horrible, then I suppose yours must be grand so if you are so unhappy and displeased with us I humbly suggest that you return from where you came from. really, unless you are a prisoner here I believe you can leave at any time. Why would you want to stay ? There are many who have left their homeland to work and live among us, who do not display the bigotry and superior attitude that you do. I have worked with Canadians, British, Americans New Zealander, Australians, Irish and many others and had a very good relationship with them. I am retired now for a few years and still consider these people as my friends. As I said we are friendly and kind but we will not take kindly to your insults and horrible attitude. I hope you will reflect on what you said and try to refrain from it because it must be very hard on your well being if you feel it necessary to carry around such animosity. If and when you qualify for PR\Status if that is your desire I trust that you will humble yourself and try to become a “real Caymanian and help bridge the gap between us and them instead of fanning the flames of hatred and insults. Have a good night and may your guardian angel always protect you.
This is so funny. Sounds like you’re talking about America or the UK. Go away! whatever culture you have it would probably be enslaving people, stealing from the poor or mistreating people of color.
Now ur not in agreement that we have culture. I dont know what gave you the idea that we care about your opinion.
you’re right, why would we like someone like you?
we are loud n proud about it.
But you still love living here, right? Where are your principles? LOL!
So we will focus on a lame street parade that promotes pirates – looters, rapists, thieves? This is 2023, are we not embarrassed by the fabrication of the importance of piracy in Caymans history yet? Our people – our history and enduring legacy – deserves better.
@10:46am Climb back into your hole. The event was envisioned to promote tourism at at time when it was off season..It was merely for entertainment purposes. Cayman cultists was reflected by the way of the Heritage Days where people from each districts could share their talents, antique items and knowledge of days gone by.. to my knowledge I never heard them discussing anything about pirates in their actual culture . It was a way to garner tourists to the island but the narrative somewhere along the line changed this to be celebrating our Pirate History.. we can’t even prove one pirate was on Cayman.. it entertainment folks, leave it at that..
And the point of the heritage days was to move the tourist dollar around the island, as part of the overall ‘theme’ of Pirates Week.
it all just speaks to why Pirates Week needs a re-evaluation to figure out what its purpose is in 2024-2034.
Yup another paid committee to hire more consultants who produce more reports that we never read…..just what we need
Maybe contact the Lockwood family and see if they can help us get this back on track.
Agreed. Let’s celebrate that we were once ruled from Jamaica.
That never happened in the past, but it’s happening in the Present!
Police. Courts. Schools. Health. NAU. etc
Do you mean by Jamaicans, as opposed to, from Jamaica?
The Cayman Islands was a territory of Jamaica, until 1959 just before Jamaica’s independence in 1962.
Oh boy, someone failed history.
By the British, and before Jamaica was a country, but don’t let those facts intervene in the rewriting of our history.
Said ruled from, not by. There’s a clear distinction. So there’s no rewriting of history. Where were you educated?
Why is it that we as a people seem overly obsessed with including or mentioning Jamaica in everything that we do? Can’t we not try to find solutions internally?
Isn’t that what Bernie Bush is trying to do? He’s the man!
We were never ruled by Jamaica. The Governor of Jamaica was also the Governor of the Cayman Islands. The Governors were always British. There was a politician who had plans to place us under the jurisdiction of Jamaica but Dr. Roy McTaggart and a few other visionaries went around to all the districts having meetings, explaining why it wasn’t a good idea. That plan was scuttled, thankfully.
man you must be fun at parties
Bet you loved Johnny Depps movies though.