02/10/2026
I got a comment on TikTok and I've been thinking about it ever since. I made a personal TikTok, I mean I have Caribbean Honduras, but the behind-the-scenes side of what I do never really fit there. So I wanted one to show what it takes to put together the projects I do.
On a video from St. Helene, I introduced Amilcar. He's originally from Yoro but lives in St. Helene; Mr. Matthew introduced me to him. When it comes to knowing where the caves are he's incredibly knowledgeable. For the historical side, Mr. Matthew is the better guide. The comment said: "When you come to the island, look for real islanders, please."
And I have. My first trip to St. Helene was back in 2019, and that was the first time I sat with locals and recorded stories. I've even paid for stories, only to find out later that they weren't true. A few years ago I shared some really interesting duppy stories from a lady who said her father had experienced them. Her own family, including her siblings, came forward to say none of it was real. So I always come back to this: if someone isn't originally from the island but knows exactly where the caves are or knows the historical background, why wouldn't I learn from him?
A few days ago, someone also sent me a comment a lady had made about me, saying I get all my information from Google, or from books by Americans who passed through, asked a few questions, and wrote something up. Honestly, I don't think I've ever read a book like that. Most of what I share comes from real academic research. And I want people to understand what that kind of research involves. It's not just showing up on the island and writing down what you see. You have to study trade across the Caribbean,dig through archives; sometimes you're handling old letters that are falling apart in your hands. You trace timelines, cross-check sources, interview people, etc.
Someone who has built a career in anthropology, earned a master's, and completed a PhD does not know less about our history just because they weren't born here. I don't say that to offend anyone. I say it because I think we, as islanders, don't read enough about our own heritage.
Dr. Ross Graham wrote a PhD thesis of over 600 pages about our history. He's in his 80s now, if I'm not mistaken, and he recently traveled all the way from Ireland, where he lives, to visit. It was an honor to meet him. I've learned so much from his work, and so have other members of the Preservation Society.
I also met a woman who directs the anthropology career at an Ivy League university in New York. We met up again recently, and she wants to get involved and help with our projects. So many of these researchers came here, fell in love with the islands, and never stopped caring about them. That's something to be grateful for. It's not a crime to learn from someone else. It's not a crime for someone to choose the Bay Islands for their thesis. Sure, some people got things wrong back in the day. That's exactly why we need to read. When we read, we learn, and when we learn, we're the ones who can correct the record.
Negative comments like these are rare for me. Whenever I get one, I try to read it carefully and put myself in that person's shoes. But this is one subject where I still don't understand why it's seen as offensive. Learning from people who've done the work doesn't take anything away from us. It gives us the tools to know our own story better, it gives us a broader context that later on will have us going "ohh so that's why we have these traditions."
