SCHIC proposes brief postponement of Golden Rock reburial to consult community on DNA testing
ORANJESTAD, St. Eustatius – The Statia Cultural Heritage Implementation Committee (SCHIC) is proposing that the reburial of the 69 Golden Rock ancestors be postponed by one to two months. This would give the Executive Council time to consult the descendant community about possible DNA testing. SCHIC stressed in a statement on Sunday that it remains ready to proceed on the original date of November 13 if the Executive Council decides against a delay.
The question of DNA analysis was raised during a recent meeting with members of the Executive and Island Councils. Some council members expressed interest in using samples collected from the ancestral remains in 2021 for further DNA research.
SCHIC says it is concerned that the proposal came only shortly before the planned reburial, after years of engagement in which the descendant community repeatedly asked for the remains to be returned to rest without unnecessary delay. It is therefore asking for a limited postponement rather than an open-ended one.
Conditions for DNA testing
If DNA testing is pursued, SCHIC says the findings from the 2021 excavation should first be shared with the community, with full transparency about any proposed research. Any proposal should also undergo independent ethical review, and the descendant community should ultimately be able to approve or reject further research.
The recommendations are based on guidance provided by Peggy King-Jorde, a former SCHIC member and former director of the New York African Burial Ground Memorialization Project.
Background
The 69 ancestral remains were excavated in 2021 at the former Golden Rock Plantation. The excavations were halted following protests from Statians on and off the island over the handling of the remains without prior community consent. SCHIC was subsequently established to implement recommendations made by the Statia Heritage Research Commission.
After several possible locations were considered, an area behind the Old Church Cemetery, near the Hospitainer, was selected as the proposed reburial site. Testing has since confirmed that the location is suitable. SCHIC says it is now awaiting feedback from the Executive Council.
