Global Culture, Island Identity: Continuity and Change in the Afro-Caribbean Community of Nevis (Studies in Anthropology and History, Volume 8)

218 Pages·1996·1.97 MB·English

by  Karen Fog Olwig

Global Culture, Island Identity
Studies in Anthropology and History

Studies in Anthropology and History is a series that will develop new theoretical
perspectives, and combine comparative and ethnographic studies with historical research.
Edited by Nicholas Thomas, The Australian National University, Canberra.
VOLUME 1 Structure and Process in a Melanesian Society: Ponam’s
progress in the Twentieth Century
ACHSAH H.CARRIER AND JAMES G.CARRIER
VOLUME 2 Androgynous Objects: String bags and gender in Central
New Guinea
MAUREEN ANNE MACKENZIE
VOLUME 3 Time and the Work of Anthropology: Critical essays 1971–1991
JOHANNES FABIAN
VOLUME 4 Colonial Space: Spatiality in the discourse of German South
West Africa 1884–1915
JOHN NOYES
VOLUME 5 Catastrophe and Creation: The transformation of an African culture
KAJSA EKHOLM FRIEDMAN
VOLUME 6 Before Social Anthropology: Essays on the history of British anthropology
JAMES URRY
VOLUME 7 The Ghotul in Muria Society
SIMERAN MAN SINGH GELL
VOLUME 8 Global Culture, Island Identity: Continuity and change in the Afro-Caribbean
community of Nevis
KAREN FOG OLWIG
OTHER VOLUMES IN PREPARATION
The Gifts of the Kamula
MlCHAEL WOOD
This book is part of a series. The publisher will accept continuation orders which may be
cancelled at any time and which provide for automatic billing and shipping of each title
in the series upon publication. Please write for details.

Karen Fog Olwig
Global Culture, Island Identity
Continuity and change in the Afro-Caribbean community of Nevis
COPYRIGHT © 1993BYHarwood Academic Publishers
Transferred to Digital Printing 2002 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Olwig, Karen Fog,
1948-Global culture, island identity: continuity and change in the Afro-Caribbean community of
Nevis/Karen Fog Olwig. p. cm.—(Studies in anthropology and history; v. 8) Includes
bibliographical references and index. ISBN 3-7186-5329-X 1. Nevis-Civilization. 2, Nevis-Race
relations. I. Title. II. Series. F2084.049 1993 972.973–dc20 93–35262 CIP
DESIGNED BY Maureen Anne MacKenzie Em Squared Main Street Michelago NSW 2620
Australia
FRONT COVER The Methodist chapel in Charlestown, Nevis. From Thomas Coke, A History of
the West Indies, vol. III. London, 1811.
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in Singapore.
ISBN 0-203-98968-6 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN - (Adobe e-reader Format)
ISBN 3-7186-0624-0 (Print Edition)
Contents

List of illustrations vii
Preface x

INTRODUCTION 1

15
PART ONE English Patriarchal Hierarchy, African Bondage

ONE Africans in English Patriarchy 16
TWO Afro-Caribbean Culture, Euro-Caribbean Institutions 33

58
PART TWO In Pursuit of Respectability

THREE The Methodist Society 59
FOUR In a Free Society 78
FIVE The Struggle for Recognition 96

117
PART THREE Home Is Where You Leave It: Paradoxes of Identity

SIX The Demise of the Local:the background for a global community 119
SEVEN The Global Community 136
EIGHT Global Culture, Island Identity 154
CONCLUSION 173

References 179
Index 190
Illustrations

1 The coat of arms of St. Christopher-Nevis. Independence Magazine,

St. Christopher and Nevis, 19th September, 1983.

2 “A New Chart of the Western Ocean”. Hans Sloane, A Voyage to the
Islands of Madera, Barbados, Nieves, S.Christopher and Jamaica.
London, 1707.

3 Music instruments. Hans Sloane, A Voyage to the Islands of Madera,

Barbados, Nieves, S.Christopher’s and Jamaica. London, 1707.

4 Map of Nevis. Thomas Jefferys’, The West Indian Atlas or a General
Description of the West Indies: Taken from Actual Surveys and

Observations, Thomas Jeffreys, Geographer to the King. London: Rbt.
Soyer & John Bennet, 1775.

5 The Methodist chapel in Charlestown, Nevis. From Thomas Coke, A

History of the West Indies, vol. III. London, 1811.

6 Map of the Island of Nevis, 1871.

7 Christmas mummers at Russell’s Rest, Nevis. Photographed by
Antonia Williams, December 25, 1908. Courtesy of the University of
the West Indies Library (Mona).

8 Newcastle Pottery, Nevis. Photo: Karen Fog Olwig, 1984.

9 Mr. Lionel Thompson with granddaughter Tascha on Nevis. Photo:

Karen Fog Olwig, 1982.
10 Caribbean Women’s Dramatic Society perform “The Journey to
England” written by Gertrude Paul, originally from St. Kitts. West
Indian Centre, Leeds. Photo: Karen Fog Olwig, 7 July, 1987.

11 Leeds West Indian Carnival filmed by 212, the government
television station on St.Kitts, for broadcast on St.Kitts and Nevis.
Photo: Kenneth Olwig, 1988.