The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A COPY of the Bahamian constitution and a map of The Bahamas are among the 70 items included in a time capsule sealed at Fort Charlotte, which marks the post-50th anniversary of independence.

This capsule, placed in a tomb, will be unsealed in 25 years during the country’s diamond jubilee celebration. Time capsules are also being buried in Family Islands.

Yesterday’s capsule included a Tribune article on Cynthia “Mother” Pratt’s appointment as Governor-General, ELKIN 360’s popular golden anniversary song, Bahari Bahamas’ 50th independence collection, and statistics about The Bahamas over the past 50 years.

Leslie Miller-Brice, chair of the Independence Secretariat, said the capsule holds artefacts of “our time, symbols of our achievements, traditions and aspirations”.

“Within this capsule lies a special note to the 75th independence anniversary planning committee, urging them to honour their sacrifices and triumphs of our journey while continuing to build a Bahamas worthy of those who will come after us,” she said. “As we seal this capsule today, we also seal within it the stories of our founding fathers, suffragettes, the joy of our accomplishments and the dreams we carry for the future.”

Education Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin, speaking on behalf of Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, highlighted the widespread participation of people in the project.

“In every corner of our beloved nation, communities answered the call,” she said. “Committees were formed, historic treasures were gathered and with great care, these items were wrapped and packed to be sealed away for 25 years.”

“Each capsule contains items of historical, educational, cultural and sentimental value. This includes geographical fact sheets, photographs of our leaders, snapshots of historic buildings, samples of passports, newspaper clippings, Bahamian cookbooks and even wish lists from our youth.”

“Each time capsule is a mosaic of who we are, preserved with precision and care under the guidance of experts from the Smithsonian Institute, the Department of Archives, and the Antiquities Monuments and Museum Corporation (AMMC).”