As King Charles III prepares for his coronation, 13 nations ‘call on the British Monarch, King Charles III, on the date of his coronation being May 6, 2023, to acknowledge the horrific impacts on and legacy of genocide and colonisation of the indigenous and enslaved peoples.’ Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
By LETRE SWEETING
Tribune Staff Reporter
lsweeting@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas has joined 12 other countries in demanding that incoming monarch King Charles III apologise and make reparations for the previous oppression and enslavement of indigenous people.
As King Charles III prepares to be crowned in London on May 6, 12 countries, indigenous people and advocacy groups are highlighting the effects of British colonisation.
A statement released on May 4, titled “Apology, Reparation, and Repatriation of Artefacts and Remains,” has been signed by Antigua and Barbuda, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Australia, The Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The statement said: “We the undersigned, call on the British Monarch, King Charles III, on the date of his coronation being May 6, 2023, to acknowledge the horrific impacts on and legacy of genocide and colonisation of the indigenous and enslaved peoples.
“Our Collective Indigenous Rights Organizations also call for a formal apology and for a process of reparatory justice to commence. We specifically call on King Charles III, as Head of State of our respective countries.
“We stand united in engaging a process to right the wrongs of the past and to continue the process of decolonisation.”
The statement outlined five demands of the British Monarchy, including that it start a conversation on “slavery’s enduring impact” and reparations.
“Immediately commit to starting discussions about reparations for the oppression of our peoples, plundering of our resources, denigration of our culture and to redistribute the wealth that underpins the Crown back to the peoples from whom it was stolen,” the statement said.
The statement also cited the need for the “repatriation of remains of (the) collective peoples that reside in UK museums and institutions” and the “return of all (the) cultural treasures and artefacts”.
“Immediately commit the Royal Family to acknowledge and adopt the renunciation of the ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ made by Pope Francis in April 2023 and start the process of consultation and reparations for First Peoples,” the statement said.
This doctrine, which is used to defend European conquests beginning in the 14th century, was declared and established by Pope Francis in April of this year.
Comments
ExposedU2C 1 year, 6 months ago
Nothing makes a useless beggar look even more useless than always begging for something for nothing that will never be obtained.
The_Oracle 1 year, 6 months ago
The problem with the Bahamas chiming in is, What Indigenous peoples did the British meet here? The Spanish wiped out the Indians that were here. Now, where do I file my claim against the Romans? Vikings?
TalRussell 1 year, 6 months ago
The most evident genetics of the Irish.--- Were passed down through --- The generations of Abaconians'. --- As early as 1752, in an effort by the British to populate the near uninhabited Out Islands of Abaco. --- The British began a program of convict, miscreant and vagabond (enslavement). --- Irish convict (enslavement) to the Abaco Out Islands was a hugely successful exercise for the British. --- The Abacoians' --- Should --- Lawyer Up some honourable King's Counsel, (KC), --- Being they are on good legal grounds to face after a good chunk of the new English's King Charles 111's ---- Deep wealth pockets. --- Yes?
bahamianson 1 year, 6 months ago
I want my 1 million .
GodSpeed 1 year, 6 months ago
All the slaves and all the slave owners are dead, except in Africa. It's insanity to pay reparations to people that were never slaves and guilt people that were never slave owners. The constant talk about slavery needs to be put to bed because let's be real, none of these woke people in the West give a damn about actual slavery or suffering of Blacks as a race, if so there's lots of real work to be done in Africa today instead of talking about things from 200 years ago.
SP 1 year, 6 months ago
The insanity is racist people like you refusing to comprehend and acknowledge the causes of wealth and education disparities between whites and blacks, yet believing you have the right to degrade blacks for their position and condition in life!
You racists are quick to say "The constant talk about slavery needs to be put to bed" However, not one of you has any difficulty with the reparations and constant talk about the Jewish holocaust.
Only around 12 million Jews were killed by the Nazis compared to literally hundreds of millions of blacks (and counting) in the black holocaust.
Why are reparations fair to Jews but not to blacks?
Why is it that these racists never refer to "guilt" as the go-to factor in discussing and teaching about the Jewish holocaust, but"guilt" is always brought front and center as soon as the black holocaust is mentioned?
Blacks deserve even more reparations than Jews because as slaves, they were used as free labor for hundreds of years to build the foundations of the United States and Europe!
This is why the Republican party is fighting tooth and nail to stop black history being taught in schools.
You, racist people, need to study black history before opening your ignorant mouths. The only reason whites are economically, socially, and educationally ahead of blacks is because of the effects of slavery.
It is way past time to level the playing field so balance could prevail!
ExposedU2C 1 year, 6 months ago
Well ain't you the pot calling the kettle black! The more accurate historical accounts written in the years immediately following World War II estimate about 6 million Jews were exterminated by Hitler and more than twice that number of Germans were allowed to starve to death in the two-year period immediately following the end of Hitler's rule.
becks 1 year, 6 months ago
“Hundreds of millions of blacks killed in the black holocaust…” not really according to the American Black Holocaust Museum. According to the museum about 10-12 million were kidnapped from their homes and sold into slavery… “From 10 to 12 million African men, women and children were kidnapped from their homes.3 They were forced to march as much as 1000 miles to the sea. There they were held in underground dungeons for up to a year. The kidnapped people were packed below decks as cargo on 54,000 slave ship voyages to the Americas.”….direct quote from American Black Holocaust Museum.
becks 1 year, 6 months ago
Your comments vis-a-vis the Jewish Holocaust and the Black Holocaust just reveal your own inborn racism.
GodSpeed 1 year, 6 months ago
So are you also going to go to Africa and demand reparations from the African Chiefs that sold their fellow Black people to Whites? Or do you only want money from the UK? The Blacks that sold their own get a pass?
I mean this is all stuff in the distant past, the British abolished slavery in 1833! That's 190 years ago! So acting all outraged is silly, especially when there is still slavery today being practiced in Africa, and nobody cares. I remember reading a story maybe 10 years ago about some Black Africans living in England and they had a slave...literally a Black African slave that they got from Africa to them in England and had living with them as a servant. So try to focus on the now, don't you feel silly going on about slavery when you were never a slave and there are actual slaves around but you don't care? Anyone that brings up slavery and reparations today only wants to stir up division or get some free money, the slaves are long dead, may they rest in peace.
TalRussell 1 year, 6 months ago
Godspeed for the Comrade Bahamians to legally prove that they are the true Afro-descendants of the formerly various tribes enslaved. --- Precisely, how will the arithmetic mean of the many zillions in US billions Dollars needed satisfy such descendants --- from the Colonial Colony's 453,000 incredibly mixed descent popoulaces' of loyal Subjects with they eyeballs, front and center, hefty payday cheques. --- Yes?
GodSpeed 1 year, 6 months ago
Well I have no idea how the proponents of reparations will identify just who are the true descendants of the departed true slaves but I'm sure they'll figure out something nonsensical. My question is where do they expect the money to come from? The UK government already paid the slave owners and that took almost 200 years of taxpayer money to payoff that debt. Maybe target those families? Nowadays the UK is very diverse, so are you going to put the burden of paying reparations on a population that includes an ever increasing number of Africans, Middle Easterners, Asians and their descendants that will represent the majority eventually since the white population is in decline? Ah who cares right? Free money, just give it all out, pay no attention to the soaring inflation that will come with it though.
SP 1 year, 6 months ago
I have enjoyed many weeks in Africa. Incredibly, you descendants of the slave trade feel it is unfair to level the playing field by doing for blacks now what was done for your forefathers then that allowed you to progress!
Hundreds of years of ill gotten-privilege are ingrained in your DNA and you've grown accustomed to the love for servitude, racism, prejudice, racial discrimination, and social injustices that is the legacy of slavery.
From the start of the European slave trade (c. 1500) to the Civil War (1865) “The total number of slaves imported is not known. It is estimated that nearly 900,000 came to America in the 16th Century, 2.75 million in the 17th Century, 7 million in the 18th, and over 4 million in the 19th – perhaps 15 million in total. Probably every slave imported alive represented, on average, five corpses in Africa or on the high seas. The American slave trade alone, therefore, meant the elimination of at least 60 million Africans from their fatherland.”
The largest slave trade in the history of the world was created by white Christian Europeans. Before it was over as many as 60 million Africans would be killed for the profit of white Christian imperialism.
worldfuturefund.org/Reports/Slavedeatht…
Generations after generations of you racists profiting immensely from hundreds of years of ill gotten-privilege compared to hundreds of years of debilitating slavery, and now you have the audacity to look down on the descendants of the black people whose shoulders and heads your forefathers stood on to get you where you are today!
The playing field must be balanced to eradicate servitude, racism, prejudice, racial discrimination, and social injustices you have unjustly become accustomed.
GodSpeed 1 year, 6 months ago
Here's an uncomfortable fact, it's thanks to British colonization that many Blacks in the west can enjoy a better standard of life than in Africa. You can cry about it all you want but it's still true. Instead of focusing on things that happened 200 years before you were born and crying for conquered peoples, maybe just build a better life now. Everyone has the freedom to do so if they make the right decisions.
TalRussell 1 year, 6 months ago
Among other things, --- Shouldn't we first estimate, --- And without applying colour of skin discrimination, ----- Attempt to arrive at what percentage of the Bahamas' wealthy, --- Can be identified as having had, --- Significant links to slavery. --- Is it 5+% -10+% - 20+% of the colony's wealth, --- Yes?
Socrates 1 year, 6 months ago
The real question is where does it all end? Will the Catholic church be next for all they did hundreds of years ago in the name of religion? then there is the other side of the coin. Do we owe the colonialists for the education, political and economic systems they gave us without which we'd be still playing catchup? its a futile exercise this always looking back mentality? let sleeping dogs lie and look to the future.
moncurcool 1 year, 6 months ago
If this is not one of the most contradictory things I have ever read.
The Bahamas signs to day the King must apologies, and yet the Governor General, the PM, and the Leader of the Opposition all fly off to attend the coronation.
WOW. Unbelievable.
SP 1 year, 6 months ago
It is easy for those that have everything to advocate for those that have less to "pull up their own socks and make better decisions".
However, these very same privileged people conveniently forget that their forefathers didn't "pull up their own socks" which provided the opportunities for generational wealth which they benefit from today!
The playing field must be leveled so we as humans may progress as equals.
GodSpeed 1 year, 6 months ago
Excuses, excuses.
SP 1 year, 6 months ago
Izaba, izaba, izaba, yikho konke okwenzayo. Linganisa inkundla futhi ubuke umlingo! Lol
zemilou 1 year, 6 months ago
Those interested in a logical discussion of the topic of reparations might want to take time to listen to The Guardian's (UK) podcast "Cotton Capital: the Guardian and reparations" where journalist Maya Wolfe-Robinson looks at the subject of reparations. (See https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/….)
Among other people, she talks with Barbara Makeda Blake-Hannah, a leading figure in the reparations movement in Jamaica, and Laleta Davis-Mattis, chair of Jamaica’s national council on reparations which advises the government on the path towards reparatory justice and Jamaica's representative on the wider regional Caricom council. for reparations.
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