“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; None but ourselves can free our minds.” — Bob Marley.

For decades Bermudians have been celebrating a mid-June holiday known as the Queen’s Birthday. Colonial-themed pageantry complete with a full military parade on Front Street. About as British as a British colony can get.

Recently we began to emancipate ourselves from these colonial shackles by renaming this mid-June holiday “Heroes Weekend”.

As with most other things, the evolution of a concept takes time to reach its full potential. The Heroes Weekend of 2015 has propelled Bermuda and Bermudians closer to recognising their very own Heroes.

Commencing on Friday, June 12, Bermudians of West Indian heritage unshackled themselves to embrace their inner drumbeat, creating our first ever Carnival.

Thousands attended a free soca show on Front Street, where there was a massive show headlined by soca artistes such as Kerwin Du Bois, Kes the Band and Lyrikal.

This event saw thousands upon thousands of every stripe lined up on Front Street to “jump and wave as one big family”.

Then at 3am on Saturday, June 13 — Bermuda’s first ever J’Ouvert celebrations at Dockyard — hundreds of revellers made their way to early morning madness of passion, paint and good old Bermudian pokiness. They wined and grind until the sun came up.

Later that day came the Parade of Bands, which saw thousands of Bermudians donning festive carnival clothing and following multiple soca trucks.

Once again “jumping and waving like one big family”.

Saturday, June 13, and Sunday, June 14, was highlighted by the St David’s Island community coming together to have their bi-annual Powwow.

The people of St David’s have fully embraced their biological and cultural ties to the Aboriginal Nations of Native America. Every other year they hold a Powwow at St David’s Cricket Club.

At this, Powwow Libations are poured for their elders and ancestors. There is a singular drum that reverberates the beat of multiple drummers, who take turns singing the high-pitched notes of a thousand moons.

Many were proudly dressed in native wear, totally emancipating themselves of any western garb. Several native dances were done to the pulsating drum beats. Dances with names such as “Sneek up” and “Two Step”.

Unique to Bermuda, the Native American drummers and dancers were joined by our own Warwick Gombeys. With a joint history and heritage of African warriors and Native American Warriors, the similarities in drum beats and dance steps were without question.

The Powwow affirmed that we are one. Bermuda is an island of multiple cultures. Yet for far too long Bermudians of Azorean, Caribbean and Native American decent have not fully embraced their individual cultures.

What we have witnessed over the past weekend has proven that we are now picking our own kings and queens to celebrate.

Those kings and queens came from the Azores

Those kings and queens came from the West Indies

Those kings and queens came from North America.

Those kings and queens are the ones that live in our DNA and our heart beats every day.

Each one of them are our heroes and as Bermudians we have honoured them and our diverse, yet mixed heritages.

Salute yourselves, Bermuda.

Won’t you help to sing These songs of freedom? ‘Cause all I ever had: Redemption songs All I ever had: Redemption songs: These songs of freedom, Songs of freedom. — Bob Marley.