Dear Sir,

The Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis, is quoted in today’s Royal Gazette (October 21, 2022) as saying: “I think there’s a universal right for a person to determine his or her own destiny both individually and collectively, not influenced by outside influences.”

Let us look at the history of the Bahamas. It was originally settled by the Taino (Arawak) people from South America, who came from Hispaniola and Cuba between AD800 and AD1000. They came to be known as the Lucayan people. Unfortunately, there are no survivors of that race.

Christopher Columbus stopped by in 1492, but it was not until 1649 that the English Puritans attempted to settle; they were called the Eleutheran Adventurers. There was a shortage of food and Captain William Sayle went to the American colonies for supplies. It also became a hotbed for privateers and piracy, the most famous being Blackbeard and Calico Jack — and the women, not to be outdone, were Anne Bonny and Mary Read.

At about 1783, American colonists loyal to Britain arrived in Eleuthera, forcing the Spanish to leave. The Bahamas benefited from the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865. It was in 1973, the Bahamas became a free and sovereign state, ending 325 years of peaceful rule. The Bahamas did not wish to cut all links with Britain and remain a member of the Commonwealth.

When I googled the Bahamas, I found an interesting segment: “Bahamas fully self-governing member of the Commonwealth — violent crime, burglaries, armed robberies and sexual assault occur in both tourist and non-tourist areas. Be vigilant when staying at short-term rental properties when private security companies do not have a presence.”

Yes, the Bahamas was a colony. The definition of colonialism is “control by one power over a dependent area of people”. It occurs when one nation subjugates another, conquering its population, which forces its own language and cultural values upon its people.

Although we talk of Bermuda being Britain’s oldest self-governing colony, that is not technically correct. Bermuda was never colonised. It so happened that some British people going to North America ended up in Bermuda — no one was colonised. We have been self-governing since 1612.

I end with what I started, quoting the Honourable Prime Minister with the last part of his quote “...own destiny both individually and collectively, not influenced by outside influences”.

ANTONY SIESE

Paget