Philipsburg:--- Minister of Education and Culture Dr. Rhoda Arrindell chided the media for fanning the embers of those that are not in favor of her idea to launch a committee to establish a National Anthem for St. Maarten. The Minister responded to the cries of the people of St. Maarten who are not in favor of getting rid of the St. Maarten song "Oh Sweet St. Maarten Land" ten days after a press release was published by all media organizations, that press release was issued by the Department of Communications.During the Council of Ministers press briefing last Wednesday, Minister Arrindell said that she had no real issue with "Oh Sweet St. Maarten Land" being submitted or selected for the National Anthem of St. Maarten. However, that song she said was copyrighted by the writer, the late Father Kemp. Minister Arrindell gave the general public of St. Maarten all sorts of explanations for why she chose to install a committee that would organize a competition.
What the Minister did not tell the members of the media is that she informed the leader and members of the United Peoples Party that based on her knowledge and 22 years as an experienced teacher she has valid proof that Christopher Columbus did not set foot on St. Maarten and thus she does not think the National Anthem should have anything to do with Christopher Columbus. Sources within the United People's Party said the leader of the United Peoples Party Theodore Heyliger and Minister Franklin Meyers then instructed Minister Arrindell not to say anything about Columbus at the press briefing, since that they said would create a new discussion. The source said that some of the United Peoples Party members even confronted the Minister with her idea to change the way St. Maarten is spelt to "St. Martin" which was the name given and spelt by Christopher Columbus. "St. Martin, based on researched information is spelt the same way in French, Spanish, Italian and English. It was chosen after St. Martin Tours whose feast day was November 11 1493, the date the researchers proclaimed that Columbus saw these white sand shores."
Updated history has shown that in fact Columbus did not pass close to St. Martin but he spotted or discovered the island of Nevis that he mistakenly took for St. Martin. That however, is another debate that has to take place so that the island's people would have factual information on their history.
Minister Arrindell also told reporters that the Head of the Culture Department placed the cart before the horse when he accidentally sent out the advice that was meant for her among other documents related the celebration of Constitution Day 2011. SMN News research shows that Minister Dr. Rhoda Arrindell signed off on the advice to establish a committee for the National Anthem on December 20th 2010. That advice was signed by Minister of Education and Culture Rhoda Arrindell and Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto while the advice on the specifics and criteria for the establishing of the committee was signed off by the Director General Claudette Labega.
While Minister Arrindell said the head of the Culture Department placed the cart before the horse when he sent the information regarding the establishing of the committee and the criteria to the Department of Communications for publication. SMN News managed to secure the decision of the Ministry that was signed off by Minister Cornelius De Weever the deputy to Minister Arrindell on October 7th 2011, while Minister Arrindell was in New York.
According to that decision that is also signed by the Minister of Finance, the department was instructed to complete eight tasks for the preparation of Constitution Day. One of which reads that the department has to "publicly make known that a National Anthem committee has been established, tasked with drafting the criteria and guidelines for public participation in the competition for selecting a National Anthem." SMN News also learnt that one of the writers from the Department of Communications contacted the senior policy advisor to Minister Arrindell on Sunday October 9th requesting information on where the entries must be submitted. The source said that the idea to make the information public actually came from the Ministers' senior policy advisor who is also a veteran writer and editor, one who was very critical of the "Oh Sweet St. Maarten Land" when he was working for the St. Maarten Guardian.
While the Minister may have her priorities in order to make sure Country St. Maarten adopts a National Anthem as laid down in the constitution, she should stand tall and inform her constituents that St. Maarten does not have a National Anthem and taking "Oh Sweet St. Maarten Land" may not be the ideal thing to do since it is the only song that joins the French and Dutch side together. "Oh Sweet St. Maarten Land" written by Father Kemp was for the two sides and making it a National Anthem can very well prevent the French side from using the song since it would then be the National Anthem of Dutch St. Maarten and ownership of that song would eventually go to the Dutch side if it is made their National Anthem.
Click here to view the Advice to Establish National Anthem Committee of December 20th 2010.
Click here to view the Decision to make Activities of Constitution Day Public including the Announcement of National Anthem Committee that was established.
