Carla Vlaun (centre left) presents a copy of “Tis We Ting, All Ah We: The Historical Development of Carnival on St. Maarten” to St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) President Alston Lourens (centre right) and board members.
POND ISLAND--In completion of her Master’s degree in International Affairs in 2017, Carla-Evelyn Vlaun wrote Tis We Ting, All Ah We: The Historical Development of Carnival on St. Maarten, an historical analysis of Carnival since 1970. She presented her work to the Board of the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) to contribute to the preservation of the history of Carnival on the island.
In honour of the 50th celebration of Carnival and with the help of Infomedia Foundation, she has printed 200 copies of her research to distribute to foster a greater discussion around the history of Carnival.
“This book is very important, not just for discussion purposes, but for general knowledge of Carnival which many people still do not have,” SCDF said.
“We would like to see it offered in schools, the public library and other institutions. It could help close the disconnect that sometimes exists between the public and the organising of Carnival. We are very proud of Carla, a young St. Maartener who loves Carnival and who has taken the time to produce this crucial book about the country’s national festival,” the SCDF added.
Vlaun’s research focuses on the roles of the different Carnival Committees in organising and developing Carnival over the years, starting with the Oranje Committee leading up to SCDF. Her research is based on interviews with Jocelyn Arndell, Valerie Giterson-Pantophlet, Keith Franca, Erno Labega and Michael Granger.
Through the lens of Carnival, the author analyses the construction of identity in St. Maarten, relating it to broader debates in the Caribbean on national and transnational identities, while also questioning the role of government in the formation and promotion of such identities.
Vlaun hopes making her research more accessible will inspire other students producing work about the island to bring their research home and connect with the discussions taking place here.
