Ubuntu Connected Front (UCF) Caribbean proudly launches the Family Heritage project “Make the Connection” for all people with their roots in St. Eustatius. The project is part of UCF’s activities to protect the burial ground Golden Rock in St. Eustatius, and the respectful treatment of the remains of individuals of African descent that were discovered.
UCF has formed the St. Eustatius African Burial Ground Alliance with several people and organizations. This Alliance will carry out this unique Family Heritage project. Project coordinator and co-researcher is Ms. Nathaley Weyman whose roots are on the island. She lived in St. Eustatius for many years and will return to the island in December. Researcher of the project is Mr. Jack Theuns from Den Bosch, the Netherlands. He is an expert in archival research and in recent months he has collected many archival sources about St. Eustatius from many countries in the world.
This Family Heritage project is aimed at the St. Eustatius community to connect family names in colonial archives (manumissions and so called ‘borderells’) to the people of St. Eustatius as the descendant community. Maritime marronage and inter-island slave trade used to be common because of St. Eustatius’ central geographical position in the Caribbean. As a result, family names may have spread further than realized, and this community project could give more insight to this.
UCF Caribbean chairman Kenneth Cuvalay: “My family name probably originates in the wealthy slave owners name Cuvilje. The name can be traced back to Saint Bartholomew as Quibilée, to Puerto Rico as Cuvelge, and to Brooklyn, New York as Cuvelje. Although the project is not aimed at 20th century genealogical research, it can provide insight into how our ancestors spread around the world and where to. These wealthy European colonizers had many possessions and often our ancestors were forced to travel with them to other islands or countries as servants. We also want to shine a light on stories of resistance. For example, Thomas Dupersoy and other leaders of the uprising in 1848 were exiled to Curaçao. And some of our ancestors had the courage to swim across the ocean to reach St. Kitts. Can you imagine?”
“Rather than dig up our ancestors from their graves without our consent, analyze their teeth in a lab and then tell us they came from Africa, we prefer to research archival records from our own perspective. So, the narrative is told from our perspective and no one else.”, says Cuvalay.
Community-based research
What exactly does the project entail? We have made a start in identifying names of enslaved and former enslaved people from the archives, and we are now seeking participation of the community.
- Anyone who once has made or tried to make a family tree, and who knows almost for sure that his or her African ancestors lived on St. Eustatius can participate.
- Oral history stories about people who lived around 1863 could possibly help.
- Volunteers are welcome to help reading the many archival documents to find identifying data of enslaved people
If you want to join our project you are welcome to email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the Facebook group St. Eustatius African Burial Ground The full project description is available at our website https://afrikanhistoryandconsciousness.blogspot.com/2021/11/family-heritage-project-make-connection.html
UCF Black Agenda
In the context of the project “Make the connection”, Ubuntu Connected Front (UCF) wants the Dutch government to give full disclosure and digitization of all archival records that are relevant to Africans in the diaspora to research their history. Collaboration must be sought with archives in other countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and the US to make archival documents relating to St. Eustatius available digitally. UCF also wants the procedure for people who want to change their slave name to be less complicated and free of charge. Finally, UCF wants the Dutch government to recognize its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and slavery as a crime against humanity. These are all topics that are part of UCF's Black Agenda.
