NASSAU, The Bahamas — Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis was excited to participate in the National Time Capsule Packing Day exercise – coordinated by the National Independence Secretariat on Monday, July 1, 2024.
During a press conference at The Office of the Prime Minister, the nation’s chief was joined by a number of students in wrapping the first set of historic items in archival paper, to be placed in the New Providence Time Capsule.
Simultaneously, on each Family Island District – time capsules were packed and historic items wrapped in archival materials for long-time preservation.
The event closed out activities on the 50 th Independence Anniversary Calendar The 51st Independence Anniversary activities started on Friday, June 28, 2024 with National Flag Day.
This time capsule project is one of the National Independent Secretariat’s signature events designed to involve the Family Island communities in an initiative aimed at determining how they will be preserved by future generations.
This historic collection of information and objects is meant to ensure that there are various methods of communication left for people in the future; of what the present times are like. Generally, the time capsule is intended to be sealed beyond the lifetime of the present generation. Thirty years is the accepted time of a generation.
Her Excellency Leslia Miller-Brice, who is Chair of the National Independence Secretariat said in keeping with international best practices, experts at The Department of Archives and The Antiquities, Monuments & Museums Corporation (AMMC), provided guidelines on what items are best preserved when encased in a time capsule.
Dr Christopher Curry, Director, Antiquities, Monuments & Museums Corporation (AMMC) said that each community has unique history which would be reflected in items they are putting in their respective time capsules. Such items being historica documents, newspaper clippings, fabrics, straw work, recipes, cookbooks, aprons, commemorative stamps and coins, and photos spanning 50 years, and in some cases, predates independence.
Each capsule, nationwide – will also include:
A geographical information sheet containing basic statistics about the
community:
Size area in miles and metres
Population – a breakdown according to age and gender
Full name of community/island/settlement
Capital of the district
Names of bodies of water i.e. lakes or ponds
“The greatest challenge for The Bahamas with time capsules is determining where and how to contain the capsule. Burying the capsule is not a very viable option in our low-lying communities,” said Mrs. Miller-Brice.
It is probably more feasible to consider building a concrete plinth where the capsule is sealed for the designated time. The highest elevation in the community is the place recommended for the plinth/concrete container to be, the secretariat was advise by the AMMC
It is generally recommended that the capsules be sealed for thirty years for the Family Island communities, and that there be at least two capsules in New Providence, one sealed for thirty years and the other for fifty years.
For this particular Time Capsule project – the time capsules will be buried at a date to be determined, and unsealed in 2049 during the country’s Diamond Jubilee Independence Anniversary.
Also present during the press conference were: Permanent Secretary, Creswell Sturrup; Lindsay Thompson – Coordinator, National Time Capsule Day; Sandra Hylton Kemp – Office of the Prime Minister; Antonio Smith, Personal Assistant, Ministry of Foreign Affairs/National Independence Secretariat (NIS); Demetria Rolle, Ministry of Education; Cynette Archer, Events Coordinator, NIS; and a number of students and their parents.
The students who wrote their wish list for The Bahamas over the next 25 years – to be placed in the time capsule are:
Tyler Penn: Grade 5, Sadie Curtis Primary School
Mackaya Paul: Grade 6, Stephen Dillet Primary School (Head Girl)
Shiloh Adderley: Grade 6, Enusta Academy
Rhurley Alexis, Jr.: Grade 5, Yellow Elder Primary School
Malasia Adderley, Home Schooled
Vandrika Butler: Grade 8, S. C. McPherson Jr. High School
Aryauna Davis: Grade 9, L. W. Young Jr. High School
Sierra Sawyer: Grade 11, R. M., Bailey Sr. High School
Jaydn Williams: Grade 10, C. R. Walker Sr. High School
Christopher Dillet: Grade 11, Government High School
