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PHILIPSBURG:--- The One Tete Lokay statue that was damaged by hurricane Irma was restored and replaced on Thursday.
Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport, Rodolphe Samuel thanked the Foundation Community Aid Sentry Hill, Mag Tech BV, TelEM Group, and First Response for their initiative to restore the statues on the three roundabouts as a contribution in support of Sint Maartens Culture and Heritage.
In particular, as Minister said his gratitude is towards the restoration of the One Tete Lokay, Peridot Foundation/Domestic Violence and the Salt Pickers statues.
Our statues, portraying a significant role in displaying not only our countrys heritage, but also the strength, defiance, and courage of our women especially during the enslavement period.
With the understanding that the foundation, which strives on providing financial aid to various organizations on the island, the Minister acknowledged their contribution to not only this project, but also their contribution to education and youth related projects.
Minister Samuel said he hoped that by restoring these statues, which display St. Maartens heritage and oral history, and by continuing to display them to the public, this can further solidify the importance of Culture and the Creative Industry to our brand that is Sint Maarten.
He said he also hoped that this would also increase the awareness and understanding of the importance of public-private partnerships and that more can be done in the future to help restore and maintain not only our statues but also our existing tangible and intangible heritage.
Thank you once again to The Foundation Community Aid Sentry Hill, I applaud you and encourage you to continue with your efforts to preserve the Culture and Heritage of Sint Maarten.