At the National Heroes Day wreath-laying ceremony on Monday 14 March, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said it had been twenty years since the Excellent Joseph Chatoyer was named a national hero.
Gonsalves said it is high time twenty years later to place others into the Pantheon, other persons Vincentians consider to have achieved that status.
Gonsalves stated that there had been a lot of discussions and debates and spoke to the criteria for someone to be conferred with the order of National Hero.
When the British attempted to expand their presence on the island in 1772, the native population again showed their determination to protect their land by rebelling in the First Carib War. Led by Joseph Chatoyer, a local Garifuna chief, the Caribs forced the British to sign a peace treaty that set out the boundaries between British and Carib areas of the island.
In 1795, frustrated by the British continually ignoring the terms of the treaty, the Second Carib War began. On March 14th 1795, Chatoyer was killed by British troops at Dorsetshire Hill. Though the war continued until October 1796 under the leadership of his brother, the death of Chatoyer proved to be a key moment.
For his efforts in defending his country, Chatoyer is a national hero of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and although National Heroes’ Day celebrates all those who have made contributions to the nation, it is fitting that the date honours the original hero.
A monument to Chatoyer stands on the spot at Dorsetshire Hill where he died. As part of the Heroes Day celebration, a wreath-laying ceremony is held there.
