NAAM and Committee join forces to preserve six islands’ slavery history

NAAM and Committee join forces to preserve six islands’ slavery history

Posted on 10/19/2026, 1:02 AM AST | Updated on 10/19/2026, 1:03 AM AST

WILLEMSTAD — The Slavery Past Commemoration Committee and the NAAM Foundation signed an agreement on October 16 to cooperate through 2029 on research, preservation and public access to Caribbean heritage.

The partnership includes reviewing existing publications on slavery in Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten to identify knowledge gaps and strengthen research from local perspectives.

Other projects include the “100 Years of Ompi Elis” programme in 2027, dedicated to Elis Juliana, and a digital platform bringing together research, publications, audiovisual productions and artworks.

A pilot project will also improve access to the Zikinzá collection, which contains approximately 1,400 recordings of stories and songs made by Elis Juliana and Paul Brenneker beginning in the 1950s. The aim is to preserve and share this material for education, research and future generations.