The amended National Emblems Act came into operation on 25 February 2025, replacing the three ships associated with Christopher Columbus on the coat of arms with a steelpan. The change made a musical form created by Afro-Trinidadian communities a central state symbol, responding to longstanding criticism of colonial imagery. It is a symbolic revision rather than a material remedy for slavery’s enduring effects, and the public debate also raised questions about consultation and who decides how national memory is represented.
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👉 Steelpan replaces Columbus’s ships on the national coat of arms
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25 Februari 2025
The amended National Emblems Act came into operation on 25 February 2025, replacing the three ships associated with Christopher Columbus on the coat of arms with a steelpan. The change made a...
At the African Emancipation Day gathering in Port of Spain, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced a four-point plan linking cultural guardianship, curriculum restoration, economic ties...
