Our HERitage gives a voice to diversity and women in history, empowering individuals to explore and understand their cultural heritage.
About the Project
"Our HERitage" explores the colonial legacy of the Caribbean through 50 portraits of historically significant women, focusing on the diversity within Caribbean communities and highlighting women’s experiences during slavery and colonial times. The project invites 25-30 participants to engage in ancestral research. The focus is on empowering everyone with knowledge to look for their own ancestors. Our team and partner CBG, centre for family history, are there to help you.
This research is then contextualized by historians to deepen understanding which results in a series of 50 short historical portraits of women in the Caribbean (inc. Suriname and the Guyana's) who lived during Dutch colonial times.
(Sign up is closed for this round. To keep in the loop, feel free to contact us for possible future rounds.)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Regions Covered: All Caribbean areas under former Dutch colonial rule, including Suriname, Curaçao, Aruba, and more.
Caribbean Identity of Suriname and Guyana: Though located in South America, these countries share deep cultural and historical ties with the Caribbean, especially through shared Creole languages and Afro-Caribbean traditions.
Unsuccessful Dutch Colonies: The Dutch attempted to colonize regions like San Juan and Puerto Rico but were unsuccessful.
Current Dutch Caribbean Territories: Includes regions like Sint Maarten, Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba, many of which are now autonomous.
Shortest Dutch Occupation: The Dutch occupied Anguilla briefly from 1631 to 1633.
Population 100 Years Ago: Caribbean populations under Dutch rule were highly diverse, including Afro-Caribbean descendants, mixed-race descendants, Europeans, indigenous people, and various Asian and Middle Eastern communities.
Our Team
With a team Dutch PhD-researchers from different disciplines, Our HERitage represents various parts of the Caribbean (incl. Suriname and the Guyana's) and subcultures also within the team.