Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home features educational activities about local nature and heritage, updated daily.
Amuseum@Home provides fun, local learning activities for free. It was created by the Les Fruits de Mer association to support learning and lift spirits during the 2020 pandemic lockdown. Due to the delay in opening schools this fall, the program has been relaunched with lots of great new activities.
“Our mission is to promote learning about local nature and heritage,” explained Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “The Amuseum@Home program shares coloring pages and all kinds of fun activities that teach kids about the amazing stuff around them on St. Martin. The pandemic has created big challenges for educators and families. We hope these materials help parents, kids, teachers and youth groups during this time.”
Amuseum@Home activities are being published on the Les Fruits de Mer website every day. All of the materials feature the nature and heritage of St. Martin. Printouts of coloring pages and activities are also available at Amuseum Naturalis in French Quarter. Teachers and youth group leaders are encouraged to contact the association for additional resources and materials.
Free printouts of Amuseum@Home coloring pages and activities are available at Amuseum Naturalis in French Quarter.
You can find all the Amuseum@Home materials at: https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/. New activities are added daily. This project is made possible by support from the Collectivité de Saint-Martin, the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires, and Delta Petroleum.
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home présente gratuitement tous les jours des activités ludiques pédagogiques sur des sujets locaux. Trouvez d’autres choses à faire supers sur : https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/athome/
Amuseum@Home is a home learning program all about St. Martin’s nature and heritage. Download free activities and more cool stuff about St. Martin! You can also visit Amuseum Naturalis for free any day of the week. Find out about new activities by following Les Fruits de Mer on Facebook.
If you are a teacher or lead a youth group, contact us to learn more about free resources for your class or group.
Amuseum@Home is made possible by support from the Collectivité de Saint-Martin, the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires, and Delta Petroleum.
Amuseum@Home est un programme d’apprentissage à domicile sur la nature et le patrimoine de Saint-Martin. Téléchargez des activités gratuites et d’autres choses formidables sur le sujet de Saint-Martin ! Vous pouvez également visiter l’Amuseum Naturalis gratuitement tous les jours de la semaine. Découvrez les nouvelles activités en suivant Les Fruits de Mer sur Facebook.
Si vous êtes enseignant ou dirigez un groupe de jeunes, contactez-nous pour en savoir plus sur les ressources gratuites pour votre classe ou votre groupe.
Amuseum@Home est realisé avec le soutien de la Collectivité de Saint-Martin, de l’Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires, et de Delta Petroleum.
The Last Frontier is a new exhibit of etchings and memories of French Quarter by Sir Roland Richardson.
A new outdoor exhibit is now open at Amuseum Naturalis in French Quarter. The exhibit is titled The Last Frontier: Sir Roland Richardson’s French Quarter. It features etchings of people and places in French Quarter, and Richardson’s memories of the time he lived there. Visitors can come and enjoy the exhibit any time from sunrise to sunset, any day of the week.
“We are so excited to share this with St. Martin,” said Amuseum co-founder Mark Yokoyama, who developed the exhibit with Richardson. “It is an exhibit about art, and about French Quarter, and about St. Martin’s past. Sir Roland’s etchings aren’t as well-known as his paintings, but they are historical treasures. This exhibit presents them much larger than life size, and the detail is amazing. Combined with his memories, this is an exhibit that transports you to a time and place that no longer exists.”
The Last Frontier features eight Richardson etchings. Subjects include an etching of the house where Richardson lived in French Quarter, and The Old House, the historic building where Amuseum Naturalis is located. The text, taken from interviews with Richardson, reveals a French Quarter where traditions still survived on a rapidly changing island. He also shares insights into his artistic process.
Sir Roland Richardson remembers his time in French Quarter fondly, “I felt that was part of my real privilege, that opportunity to sleep with my doors open. I didn’t have any worries and I felt totally at home, but I felt really privileged to have out of every door or window where I looked, the natural landscape. I did a huge, huge body of work during those years.”
The Last Frontier features French Quarter people and places, like The Old House.
Amuseum Naturalis is located at The Old House in French Quarter. It is always free to visit, and all displays are now outdoors. Guests are welcome to make a self-guided visit any time during daylight hours, any day of the week. The Last Frontier is on permanent display just in front of the house. For more information, visit amuseumnaturalis.com.
This exhibit and other projects were made possible by support from the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.
St. Martin has some delicious native fruit trees, but many favorites were brought from other places. The Mango and Pomme Surette come from Asia originally and were brought during the colonial period. Other fruits were probably brought by Amerindian people during prehistoric times, like the Papaya and Kinnip. All of these trees have been part of the local landscape for generations, and their fruit is part of local culture and cuisine.
Mango (Mangifera indica) is perhaps the most popular fruit on St. Martin and in the Caribbean. The tree is originally from South Asia. There are many varieties. The “Julie” is one that is particularly popular on St. Martin. Usually mango trees produce a tremendous amount of fruit in early summer. Hurricanes or drought can disrupt this, causing trees to bear fruit at other times or not at all.
Papaya (Carica papaya) is grown all over St. Martin. The name “papaya” comes from the Arawak language. The Spanish adopted the word from the Amerindians they met in the Caribbean. Studies show the plant itself is native to Mexico, and was spread by Amerindian peoples during prehistoric times. Today, many enjoy its colorful fruit. Papaya fruit, seeds, leaves and roots are also used in bush medicine, to aid digestion and get rid of worms.
The Kinnip (Melicoccus bijugatus) is a popular fruit on St. Martin. When it’s in season, kids sell clusters of these small green fruits on the roadside. Beneath the skin of the kinnip is a thin layer of sweet pulp and a large seed. The kinnip tree is native to South America, and was probably brought to the Caribbean by Amerindians during prehistoric times.
The Jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana) has many names, but on St. Martin it is almost always called Pomme Surette, even by English speakers. It is originally from Asia, but has been introduced to many tropical areas. It was probably brought here for its fruit, but its leaves are also used to feed goats and other animals. It sends down deep roots quickly, helping it survive dry conditions.
Building a guest house, surviving a hurricane, harvesting salt, teaching painting: St. Martin people have many stories to tell. At Amuseum Naturalis, we have added an exhibit with six stories from six St. Martiners. You can read in their own words about their life experiences and accomplishments. In every story, you can learn about the way St. Martin once was, and how it came to be the way it is today. Visit the Amuseum for free!
Special thanks to the participants who shared their stories and the Les Fruits de Mer interview teams that recorded these oral histories!
Would you like to explore medicine and life on St. Martin in the 19th century? Amuseum Naturalis recently added a new exhibit featuring a 19th century medical notebook from St. Martin. The exhibit explores the text of the notebook and what it can tell us about St. Martin at that time. The exhibit is in the front yard of Amuseum Naturalis, visit any time during the day. You can also download a book on the same topic here: The Book of Cures.
Dive into the wild world of St. Martin wildlife and nature. Caribbean Curiosities explores all kinds of unique nature stories happening all around us on St. Martin.
Use the links below to download it for free, or order it online if you’re not on St. Martin. If you are on St. Martin and would like to get a print copy, visit Librarie du Bord de Mer in Marigot, or send a message to [email protected].
If you are a teacher or work with kids, contact us and we will do our best to provide copies for your class or group. If you or your business want to help us provide copies to schools, let us know!
Caribbean Curiosities
Take a deeper dive into some of the amazing plants and animals of St. Martin. St. Martin is full of unique animals. Many are found only in the Caribbean, and some are found only on St. Martin. Each species has its own story, and exploring this rich natural heritage is a fascinating way to explore the island. Learning how our wildlife became so unique is also a great way to understand the way all life has evolved and diversified. From prehistoric times to the present day, one of the most important ways humans have impacted St. Martin is by introducing new animal and plant species. Discover them through tales of animals that were brought to St. Martin by people and how these new species have changed the island. How has the island been changed forever by these new arrivals and what are they doing right now to change the island’s future? Buy the book. Download the book (PDF, 86 pages, 10MB).
Curiosités des Caraïbes
Caribbean Curiosities examine de plus près certains des animaux et plantes fascinants, qui met en valeur l’histoire naturelle de St. Martin et des Caraïbes. Téléchargez une copie gratuite. Achetez une copie.
Have you ever wondered why St. Martin can seem so lush and green in November and so dry in April? How is climate change impacting nature and people? Shadow of a Drought uses striking images of the 2015 drought to explore some of these questions.
Use the links below to download it for free, or order it online if you’re not on St. Martin. If you are on St. Martin and would like to get a print copy, visit Librarie du Bord de Mer in Marigot, or send a message to [email protected].
If you are a teacher or work with kids, contact us and we will do our best to provide copies for your class or group. If you or your business want to help us provide copies to schools, let us know!
Shadow of a Drought
During 2015 drought conditions impacted much of the Caribbean. This photo essay documents some of the impacts of drought on St. Martin. It was produced by Les Fruits de Mer as a companion piece to the 2015 Migratory Bird Festival. All photos and text by Mark Yokoyama. Translation into French by Jennifer Yerkes. Buy the book.
Download it as an ebook: English (PDF, 30 Pages) – French (PDF, 30 pages)
En 2015, les conditions de sécheresse ont touché une grande partie des Caraïbes. Cet essai photographique documente certains des effets de la sécheresse sur Saint-Martin. Téléchargez une copie gratuite. Achetez une copie.
St. Martin and the Caribbean are special because there are many unique animals that live here and nowhere else. Get to know them and learn how adaptation and survival created these exceptional animals.
Use the links below to download it for free, or order it online if you’re not on St. Martin. If you are on St. Martin and would like to get a print copy, visit Librarie du Bord de Mer in Marigot, or send a message to [email protected].
If you are a teacher or work with kids, contact us and we will do our best to provide copies for your class or group. If you or your business want to help us provide copies to schools, let us know!
Eye on Endemics: Caribbean Originals
This book showcases over a dozen animal species that are found only on the island of St. Martin or only in the Caribbean region. Get to know two species of lizard that live only on St. Martin. Discover insects you can’t see anywhere else. Find out which common birds on the island are Caribbean originals. And learn why there are so many unique animals on St. Martin! Buy the book. Download the book (PDF, 64 pages, 5MB).
Regard sur les Espèces Endémiques : Uniques aux Caraïbes
Ce livre présente plus d’une douzaine d’espèces animales que l’on ne trouve que sur l’île de Saint-Martin ou dans la région des Caraïbes. Apprenez à connaître deux espèces de lézards qui vivent uniquement à Saint-Martin. Rencontrez des insectes que vous ne pouvez voir nulle part ailleurs. Découvrez quels oiseaux communs sur l’île sont uniques aux Caraïbes. Et apprenez pourquoi il y a tant d’animaux uniques à Saint-Martin! Téléchargez une copie gratuite. Achetez une copie.
Ponds on St. Martin are amazing places full of birds and other life. Take a closer look at our amazing ponds and all the creatures that live there in the book Pond Life.
Use the links below to download it for free, or order it online if you’re not on St. Martin. If you are on St. Martin and would like to get a print copy, visit Librarie du Bord de Mer in Marigot, or send a message to [email protected].
If you are a teacher or work with kids, contact us and we will do our best to provide copies for your class or group. If you or your business want to help us provide copies to schools, let us know!
Pond Life
If you like your ecosystems wet and wild, then you will love Pond Life. Each chapter explores a different view into these ever-changing wild spaces. How do they transform with the seasons? What has changed in recent years? How do they reflect centuries of history? Like St. Martin itself, life on the pond is rich and always in motion. Ponds connect sea and land, human and nature, past and present: dive in, and discover. Buy the book. Download the book (PDF, 70 pages, 9MB).
La vie des étangs
Si vous aimez découvrir d’incroyables écosystèmes, vous allez adorer La vie des étangs. Chaque chapitre explore une vision différente de ces espaces sauvages en constante évolution. Comment se transforment-ils avec les saisons? Qu’est-ce qui a changé ces dernières années? Comment reflètent-ils des siècles d’histoire? Comme Saint-Martin lui-même, la vie sur l’étang est riche et toujours en mouvement. Les étangs relient la mer et la terre, les humains et la nature, le passé et le présent–et vous invitent à la découverte! Téléchargez une copie gratuite. Achetez une copie.
Take a unique journey into St. Martin’s past through the pages of a notebook full of medical recipes. Find out what this unique artifact can tell us about life in the 19th century Caribbean.
Use the links below to download it for free, or order it online if you’re not on St. Martin. If you are on St. Martin and would like to get a print copy, visit Librarie du Bord de Mer in Marigot, or send a message to [email protected].
If you are a teacher or work with kids, contact us and we will do our best to provide copies for your class or group. If you or your business want to help us provide copies to schools, let us know!
The Book of Cures
In a small notebook, an unknown 19th-century author on the island of St. Martin recorded medical remedies and other useful information. Preserved for perhaps 200 years, through hurricanes and other calamities, this book of cures provides a unique window into life on St. Martin. Dive into this unique artifact on a page-by-page journey of discovery. Buy the book. Download the book for free. (PDF, 38 pages)
Le Cahier de Remèdes
Au 19ème siècle, sur l’île de Saint-Martin, un auteur inconnu a consigné des remèdes et autres informations utiles dans un petit cahier. Préservé pendant quelque 200 ans, après avoir survécu aux ouragans et autres calamités, ce cahier de remèdes offre une fenêtre unique sur la vie de l’époque à Saint-Martin. Page après page, plongez dans ce cahier extraordinaire et partez pour un voyage de découverte. Achetez une copie. Téléchargez une copie gratuite.
Wild Things! is a book that tells some amazing stories about animals on St. Martin. Learn which animals are found only on this island and nowhere else in the world. Explore caves and freshwater habitats. Find out how animals introduced by people are transforming the island.
Use the links below to download it for free, or order it online if you’re not on St. Martin. If you are on St. Martin and would like to get a print copy, visit Librarie du Bord de Mer in Marigot, or send a message to [email protected].
If you are a teacher or work with kids, contact us and we will do our best to provide copies for your class or group. If you or your business want to help us provide copies to schools, let us know!
Wild Things! Animals of St. Martin
Get to know the wild things of St. Martin! This entertaining overview of St. Martin’s land and freshwater wildlife will take you all over the island. Discover the unique animals living on the island of St. Martin. Learn about animals that live nowhere else in the world, explore caves and freshwater streams and find out how recently arrived species are changing the island. Buy the book. Download the book! (PDF, 46 pages).
Le Côté Sauvage!: Les Animaux de Saint-Martin
Découvrez les histoires incroyables de la faune de Saint-Martin! Apprenez à connaître les animaux qui ne vivent qu’ici, les nouveaux arrivants qui changent l’île, les bestioles qui crient la nuit et bien plus encore! Téléchargez une copie gratuite. Achetez une copie.
Enjoy exciting images and amusing verses about some of St. Martin’s littlest critters in the book Bugs in Paradise.
Use the links below to download it for free, or order it online if you’re not on St. Martin. If you are on St. Martin and would like to get a print copy send a message to [email protected].
If you are a teacher or work with kids, contact us and we will do our best to provide copies for your class or group. If you or your business want to help us provide copies to schools, let us know!
Bugs in Paradise
For our coming festival
We thought it would be nice
To make an ebook just for kids
Called Bugs in Paradise.
With photos to astound the eye
Of creatures where they dwell
The text is written all in verse
And will delight as well. Buy the book. Download the ebook (PDF, 24 pages, 3.2MB).
Are you curious about the wildlife of St. Martin? Get to know many of the creatures great and small that share the island with us. The St. Martin wildlife book is available in English and French.
Use the links below to download it for free, or order it online if you’re not on St. Martin. If you are on St. Martin and would like to get a print copy, visit Van Dorp in Madame Estate or Librarie du Bord de Mer in Marigot, or send a message to [email protected].
If you are a teacher or work with kids, contact us and we will do our best to provide copies for your class or group. If you or your business want to help us provide copies to schools, let us know!
The Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of Saint Martin
Called “the best, and most complete, natural history book I have read about any single Caribbean island” by Dr. James “Skip” Lazell, the updated and expanded second edition of this wildlife guide is a unique volume covering all the terrestrial wildlife of St. Martin, from mammals and birds to reptiles and insects. It includes over 500 color photographs, and features hundreds of species, including those which are found only on St. Martin. The text includes detailed information about both the biology and the local history of the animals featured and is written to be accessible to persons of all ages and backgrounds. Buy the book. Download the book for free. (PDF, 130 pages)
Guide incomplet a la faune sauvage de Saint-Martin
Le Guide incomplet de la faune sauvage de Saint-Martin présente la faune terrestre de l’ile, des mammifères aux oiseaux sans oublier les insectes et araignées. Ce guide décrit des centaines d’espèces et comprend plus de 500 photos en couleur. En plus de décrire les animaux sauvages, ce livre fournit des informations sur l’écologie des espèces et leurs habitats. Ce livre constitue un guide de terrain unique sur les animaux sauvages de Saint Martin et de la région Caraïbe. Téléchargez une copie gratuite. Achetez une copie.
Curious about St. Martin plants and their role in history and culture? Check out Plantilles: Plants of St. Martin, a brand new book all about St. Martin’s plants.
Use the links below to download it for free, or order it online if you’re not on St. Martin. If you are on St. Martin and would like to get a print copy, visit Librarie du Bord de Mer in Marigot, or send a message to [email protected].
If you are a teacher or work with kids, contact us and we will do our best to provide copies for your class or group. If you or your business want to help us provide copies to schools, let us know!
Plantilles: Plants of St. Martin
Plantilles is a book about plants and plant traditions on St. Martin. It tells the stories of native plants and how they survive on the island, farming and bush medicine traditions and the importance of plants in culture. It also includes a guide to local flowers. Buy the book. Download the book! (PDF, 95 pages).
Plantilles: Plantes de Saint-Martin
Saint-Martin est recouverte de plantes, et Plantilles vous donne l’opportunité d’en apprendre plus sur elles! Les plantes indigènes de l’île sont vitales pour toute vie à Saint-Martin, et elles ont des pouvoirs étonnants pour survivre aux sécheresses et aux tempêtes. Les gens dépendent aussi des plantes. Elles sont cultivées pour la nourriture et la médecine. Les traditions végétales de Saint-Martin remontent à des milliers d’années. Ces traditions proviennent de cultures différentes, notamment Amérindiennes et Africaines. Découvrez ces plantes et traditions fascinantes, et apprenez à reconnaître plusieurs des belles plantes que vous voyez chaque jour! Traduit de l’anglais par Jenn Yerkes, Amandine Vaslet et Julie Quéau. Achetez une copie. Download the book! (PDF, 95 pages).
Tamara’s interview was recorded in April 2019 at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House.
Local poet and entrepreneur Tamara Groenveldt shared some of her favorite St. Martin Christmas traditions in an interview in 2019:
Every family would do their potato pudding and on Christmas day they would visit different families and of course you would be exchanging foods. And of course, coconut tarts, guavaberry tarts, that’s a very big one at Christmas time.
We have sorrel, I like the juice, I’m not a big drinker. We have lime punch as well. We also have guavaberry punch. That’s a staple at Christmas time. Every family has a bottle in their house. And everyone usually knew how to make their own guavaberry rum as well. You would usually get the guavaberry and you put it to soak for at least a year. And then that would be what you would serve the serenaders when they would come by at four o’clock or whatever time in the morning.
Guavaberry tart is a St. Martin Christmas tradition. (Photo by St. Martin’s Sweetness)
So we still have serenading happening in Grand Case. We have a group of people who have decided to preserve that part of our history and they would go and they would serenade every year. It is important to me because growing up, I remember serenaders coming to your home. And it would be persons like Tanny and the Boys that were playing string band music. So they would come with like, the bath pan and the triangle, the grater with the afro pick. And they would be playing this traditional music.
They would usually sing something along the lines of “Open the door because the dew is falling on us.” So they would call your name, they would say “Charlie, open the door, open the door, for the dew is falling on us.” And so then you would have to get up at three to four in the morning, whatever time it was, and you would open your door and you should always have something prepared to give to the serenaders.
So they would want the bush tea, or they would want the guavaberry rum. If you have the potato pudding. And every household that they visit, you have to have something to offer the serenaders, ‘cause they’re coming and they’re playing for you. They’re out on your porch and they’re just playin’ all this music: “Mama make your johnny cakes, Christmas comin’!” It was amazing.
Guava and coconut tarts are also popular at Christmas time. (Photo by St. Martin’s Sweetness)
Because those persons in Grand Case still do it to keep tradition alive, it really helps me to feel the Christmas spirit. And I feel like when, some years ago, when there were all types of laws that came into being to regulate serenaders, I think that’s what actually helped our tradition of serenading to go down the drain. Because what happened was, according to how I understand it, persons who came to live on the island, who were not familiar with serenading, they started calling the gendarmes and the police and saying that these persons are disturbing us when we are trying to sleep.
Now traditionally, it is St. Martin tradition for you to come in those wee hours in the morning to serenade your friends and family and neighbors with beautiful St. Martin music. Now those persons who actually put the complaints in, they do not understand who we are as a people or what we do as a people. And by putting those laws and regulations in place, telling persons that, okay, you need to now get a permit to serenade, you know a lot of the locals felt like, “Why do I need to get a permit to serenade? I’ve been doing this for many years. It has never been a problem. This is who we are. I’m just not going to do it.”
So they refused to do it and that was what, in my opinion, helped the serenading part of our tradition to go down the drain. So kudos to the persons who are actually trying to revive it and keep it alive so that the younger generation can come in and know, or at least feel what it felt like to be serenaded by your neighbors or family or persons even coming from the other side of the island, the southern side of the island, to play music for family and friends at Christmas time.
Special thanks to the Les Fruits de Mer oral history team: Laura Bijnsdorp, Veronica Duzant, Charlie Gombis and Vida Hodge.
Learn more about Tamara’s company and their traditional St. Martin baked goods: St. Martin’s Sweetness.
Christmas house is always alive with vibrant colors and good cheer.
Christmas House is one of St. Martin’s most popular and unique attractions. It is a tradition that goes back over 30 years and has touched many thousands of lives. It can bring a smile to anyone in the world, and it is also a deep expression of St. Martin culture.
It all started as something simple. Bernadine Arnell Joe decorated her own home, and it became a place for family and friends to enjoy the holiday spirit. In her words, “We started from scratch. We made a little tree and the neighbors would come and the children would come and then it start growing. Then you start putting it outside and then people start coming and now it’s very popular.”
Today, Christmas House is still at the home of Bernadine and her daughter Monique Joe. Monique is the President of the Good Friends Association, which was created in 1987 to manage Christmas House as it grew.
Bernadine Arnell Joe tells the story of Christmas House.
Monique remembers family working together to create something for the neighborhood children: “My mother used to do a little Christmas deco in the yard and the neighbor children used to come around. I also had an uncle in The States who used to send little decorations. When I finished my studies, I also wanted give the children a little party in the yard and from there it grew to the Christmas house.”
The Christmas House has always been free. Visitors can make a donation, but there has never been a fee to enter. In the 1980s “the island was bloomin’.” Local merchants would provide candy and toys for the kids. Today, grants and supporters like Super U help make Christmas House possible.
It was designed for kids, but as Monique says, “and of course we have the goodies for the parents. Mom always used to make the cake and the puddin’ and the punch, so we are famous for that.” Celebrating the local heritage of the island is a big part of the experience: guavaberry punch, coconut tarts and other local Christmas traditions are always shared.
After Hurricane Irma, many assumed that Christmas House would not be open in 2017. The house was damaged and many of the decorations were lost. As Bernadine recalls, “when I looked out the morning after, I thought this is it. All the stuff was put aside outside there, messed up.”
But Santa himself seemed to send a message. “There was a Santa standing up on the roof there, looking out at the street. And I said, but this is a sign. And then we had some flowers from garlands that stayed up from last year and they were still there. I said, with all this destruction and these things stay there, we have to do something. And with that spirit, we did something.”
Josianne’s interview was recorded in April 2019 at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House.
Hurricane Donna struck St. Martin on September 4th, 1960. It caused extensive damage and several deaths. Josianne Fleming-Artsen recounted her childhood memories of Hurricane Donna in an interview in 2019:
My name is Josianne Fleming-Artsen. I was born in Aruba because my parents went to Aruba for the Lago oil industry. At that time my father was moving around. Moved from Santo Domingo to Aruba and we were born there. Lago laid off the St. Martin people first who were working in Aruba and so we were to return to St. Martin in 1960.
That was the first time I flew on an airplane. I was maybe seven or eight years old, I think around that age. We came to St. Martin and we landed on this very simple airport. I think that was the first of August, around that time. The hurricane came a month later. That hurricane was Donna.
That was the first experience of us with the hurricane. In those days we had no phones and all of that and no weather reports. My father probably learned a lot when he was at Santo Domingo. He knew about the weather. He knew about birds. He knew about these things.
I remember him being in the garden and it was a very quiet day and there was no breeze; it was like the quiet before the storm and he said, “Something is going to happen.” He was looking up, he said, “The birds are going in a strange direction.” He said he’s going to bar-up the house because he said we have to get ready for weather. That same night around twelve o’clock Hurricane Donna came and destroyed St. Martin.
I remember that night because I was my father’s girl, so my daddy anytime he was up I’m up too. I remember him trying to keep the windows down and the doors that were in between. I was like, “What is going on here?” When we got up the next morning, I remember seeing all the trees were like, no leaves, everything was like a war zone in St. Martin.
I remember every morning, every day, the government brought us food, rations we called it at that time. A big truck would come and you would get water. You would get oil for cooking. You would get flour because flour was a good commodity. You could make your Johnny cakes and you could make bread. Those three things, I remember clearly that we received on a very regular basis.
Fast forwarding, all the repairs that were done were done with jollification. People would help each other repair their roofs, whatever needed to be done. It would be people coming together on a weekend, Saturday and Sunday was to help each other. The owner of the house would then prepare a big pot of food and everybody would chip in and help. That has been going on since I know St. Martin.
Special thanks to the Les Fruits de Mer oral history team: Laura Bijnsdorp, Veronica Duzant, Charlie Gombis and Vida Hodge.
In a clothbound ledger of salt production accounting from Pierre Beauperthuy’s collection, there are hints of many stories about the salt business and life on St. Martin from 1935 to 1950. The stories are hidden in expenses and timesheets and sales of salt to different ships.
Royalty shares for salt production rights.
Tucked between the pages of this ledger a few scraps of paper have even more to tell us. A small rectangle of paper shows the “Royalty for Salt Ponds for year 1941.” It shows the royalty shares for investors, 1/8 to L.C. Fleming, 1/6 to D.C. v Romondt & Co, 1/3 to D. Beauperthuy and 3/8 to L.R. v Romondt’s sons. The total amount is 205.25 francs.
Payment receipt for the salt royalty fee.
Also tucked in to the ledger is an official form from Guadeloupe. It is a receipt for the payment of the 200 francs royalty fee for the right to produce salt on the salt pond in St. Martin. It doesn’t specify the pond, but perhaps it covers all the ponds on the French side, and the 205.25 francs collected from the various families was for paying this fee.
These papers help us see how salt production was managed collectively. They also show the relationships between the families with wealth at the time. Perhaps it tell us something about the unity on the island that these ponds were shared resources, managed cooperatively.
A tally of salt picking work.
Another sheet of paper shows personal relationships in a different way. It is a list of names, each one followed by a set of numbers added together. The page has no title, but it is almost certain that the people were salt pickers at the Orient Bay pond. The numbers were the barrels of salt picked per day. The names themselves certainly sound familiar: Alice Barry, Jane Hyman, Joseph Fleming, Susan Richardson, James Gumbs, Martha Brooks, Carmen Illidge and many more. They are people with family still living in French Quarter today.
In one way, this sheet of paper captures something almost timeless. The names have been St. Martin names for generations. The salt picking was done in a way that goes back hundreds of years. The ponds themselves and the spring sun that dries them out until the salt blows are far older still.
But this salt picking tally was actually written on the back of a notice sent by a trading company called Merritt and Critchley. Dated February 14, 1941, it announced that the company could no longer ship oils in metal containers, including kerosene and cooking oils. It had also finally got a license to sell rope again. These restrictions were put in place by the U.S. government as it began to control materials needed for the Allied war effort in WWII.
Trade restrictions due to WWII.
In 1941, local people picked salt in the traditional manner. In many ways they were distant from the outside world. But as a faraway war gathered steam, they would face hardships, being cut off from some of the goods they used in daily life.
If you want to take a closer look at these papers, visit http://soualibra.com and go to the Archives page to download them.
A clothbound ledger from Pierre Beauperthuy’s collection has “Beauperthuy Heirs Salt Sales and Expenditures” written on the cover in faded ink. Inside there are tall columns of income and expenses. Though it doesn’t have the thrill of a great novel, perhaps there are some stories hidden between the lines.
The first section is a tally of purchases and salt sales. It starts in August, 1935. Some of the first items include a pair of oars that cost 78 francs, and another pair that cost 25. The first income noted was salt sold to the schooner Inèse on September 30th. These entries continue for fifteen dense pages, ending in April of 1950.
This ledger tells a lot about the economics of salt production. Royalties are paid for the salt ponds and profits are paid out to shareholders. Costs for purchases like paint, rope, hoe picks and even a journal are recorded.
Some typical entries.
The ledger also gives us a sense of the ebb and flow of work on the salt pond. Salt is sold to various boats throughout the year. For each ship there is the value of the salt and of “shipping expenses” which probably covered the labor of bagging the salt and loading it onto the ship.
Salt reaping is usually done during the spring dry season. In 1936, the costs of salt reaping are recorded in a series of entries from May 2nd to June 5th. In 1937, no reaping is recorded, and only four sales of salt are recorded from June to the end of the year. There are only three sales in all of 1938. The expense of salt reaping in 1938 is recorded in January 1939. It seems to be a somewhat unpredictable business.
The cost of salt reaping may show the difference from one harvest to the next. In 1939, 11,557 francs were paid for reaping. In 1940, it was only 4,484 and in 1941 it was only 2,373. A low yield can be picked more quickly and cheaply, but the workers earn less and there is less salt to sell.
A year of sales and expenses.
The names of the ships are recorded for each sale. Inèse I and Inèse II, Nina and Nina II, and Louisa B come to pick up salt many times over the years. Ships like Javeline and Restless only appear once in this ledger. Each ship leads to a unique story of maritime trade and the connections between islands.
A few entries in the ledger leave us with little mysteries. On September 30, 1936, there is a 25 franc expense for “Truck (salt shipping)” and a 60 franc expense for “Donkey.” Was this a moment when machines were taking over the work done by animals? On December 30th, 1937, 54 francs are spent on a trap door. Where was that, and is it still there?
If you want to take a closer look at this journal, visit http://soualibra.com and go to the Archives page to download it.
