Island(er)s at the Helm end conference:
New perspectives on climate challenges in the (Dutch) Caribbean
New perspectives on climate challenges in the (Dutch) Caribbean
Climate Change and harvest festivals in the Dutch Caribbean
Gregory Richardson is a lecturer and researcher at the Instituto Pedagogico Arubano in Aruba (Dutch Caribbean). He has published several works on Calypso Music in Aruba and the region. His other areas of research include general Latin American and Caribbean studies, sociolinguistics, music and education.
Presentation Solo no lo briya, awa no lo cay, biento no lo supla, ma nos si semper tey! Climate Change and harvest festivals in the Dutch Caribbean, by Island(er)s at the Helm researcher Dr. Gregory Richardson (Instituto Pedagogico Arubano)
Climate change, particularly global warming and its far reaching consequences, has long been recognized as one of the most urgent crises confronting humanity. The United Nations Development Programme calls it “the defining concern of our time,” and for small island states such as those in the Caribbean and the South Pacific, the stakes are exceptionally high. Despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, these regions face disproportionate environmental, economic, and cultural impacts (IPCC, 2021; PAHO, 2019; Nurse et al., 2014).
The Dutch Caribbean islands are no exception. Rising temperatures, intensifying droughts, sea level rise, and increasingly severe weather events influence not only their ecosystems and economies but also their cultural lifeways, for example their festivals, celebrations, languages, traditions, rituals, and performances.
This presentation explores how climate change intersects with “traditional” harvest celebrations in the ABC islands, focusing on Seú (Curaçao), Simadan (Bonaire), and Fiesta di San Juan (Dera Gay) (Aruba). Once rooted in agricultural thanksgiving, these celebrations now unfold within what Francio Guadeloupe describes as “visa gold societies,” economies built largely on tourism and hospitality, where local agriculture has diminished and most food is imported, creating what might be called a “supermarket based society.” Through ethnographic reflection and thick description based on site visits and cultural analysis, the presentation examines how these celebrations interact both practically and symbolically with environmental change, for example how extreme heat influences participation, movement, music production, dance, dress, and public discourse.
Central to this reflection is the agency of islanders in their capacity to reimagine and transform tradition amid ecological uncertainty. Their engagement may offer insights not only into Caribbean resilience and creativity, but also into global strategies of adaptation and sustainability.