A Resurgence of Caymanian Heritage and Culture

By Stuart Wilson

Throughout the Cayman Islands, a resurgence of culture and heritage has been taking shape, as young and old alike embrace their Caymanian identity.

This renewed passion has been on display at events ranging from Cayman Art Week to community activities centered around popular traditional dishes.

From thatch plaiting(or platting) to the celebration of traditional homes, cassava cake baking classes, and maritime heritage exhibitions, locals have been beaming with pride and sharing that enthusiasm for their culture with visitors and residents.

Thatch Platting

One great example of this ‘Caymankind’ in action was the Thatch Lounge Pop-up at Sunset House on 30th May, hosted by Thatch and Clay, entitled ‘Island Essentials’collection.

Thatch and Clay is a home decor and lifestyle items online store owned by Rachel Morris.

The Caymanian Times had an opportunity to speak with Mrs. Morris about her store and the display of Caymanian art she was featuring both at the event and online.

“For the Island Essential Collection, we collaborate with local artisans, and today, we have collaborated with our thatch artisan, Mrs Annalee Ebanks and my daughter, Gianna Rankin, who is a young Caymanian graphic designer showcasing her photography and collage work,’ Mrs Morriss remarked.

She explained why it was important to highlight Caymanian culture and traditional artistry, and also to be a purveyor through her business.

“Because we are a home decor store and we are all about everything to do with Cayman, the Islands and island living, we thought that thatch, which plays such an important role in the tradition of the Cayman Islands, should not just be thought of as something of the past but something that can be carried forward and incorporated into everyday living,” she said.

“Thatch, which is such beautiful art, should not be something that people used to have in their homes but something that continues to be celebrated as an iconic piece in their household and a part of their decor. Anyone who lives in Cayman should strive to have a piece of thatch; whether it’s a hat on their wall, whether it’s a piece of thatch rope being displayed, or a ground basket that you can throw pillows in and put your ‘throws’ into,” she added.

Mrs. Morris said she also wanted to honour Mrs. Annalee for the amazing work she had produced for the store since its inception.

“She has been platting for decades and has been working miracles with her hands,” she noted.

Gianna Rankin was at the Thatch Lounge giving the option of three different collages to choose from, featuring professional headshots framed in a traditional Caymanian context.

“In the spirit of the Thatch Lounge, the entire concept is modernising the art of thatch platting, and I really wanted to honour our heritage in my work as well,” said.

Boat Building and Maritime Heritage

Charles Gilman, a Caymanian artist who hails from a family of mariners, is another young Caymanian who has been celebrating the Islands’ culture in his work.

The Caymanian Times caught up with him at his exhibition at the Catboat Club to learn more.

“This is the first exhibition that I have put together, and it’s focused on our maritime heritage and culture. I have spent a lot of time on the sea and my family are sea people and boat people. My father and brother are both boat captains on one side, and on the other side many of them are boat builders,” he explained.

Mr Gilman noted that as a result of his long-standing connection to that part of our culture, he has embarked on an artistic endeavour to capture that history through art. He described it as “expressing emotions and feelings through migration, through relationships to show what the sea has meant to our people.”

According to Mr Gilman, “Our history is being lost and is disappearing day by day. The boats are disintegrating, the history is being lost and retold, repurposed and shown differently than it was, but now we have a chance to preserve it through art. It’s places like the Catboat Club that hold the potential for this, and it’s through these kinds of partnerships that we will preserve our culture.”

Mr Gilman said the building itself, its architects, and the craftsmen who built boats there well over 100 years ago were also artists and should never be forgotten.

The easels he uses are made from ‘plop-nut’ wood, which is traditionally used to build catboats in the Cayman Islands.

“If we have a use for plop-nut, will we start to protect our forests, or as a beautiful tree with purpose, do we plant more in our yards?” he wondered.

Other artists whose works are on display at the Catboat Club include Ira Thompson who built the miniature models of schooners and catboats.

Cassava Cake Class

Culture is more than sights and sounds, and involves a bit of taste as well.

To this end, the National Trust for the Cayman Islands (NTCI) in conjunction with the Department of Tourism, have teamed up to offer a cassava cake class at the Mission House in Bodden Town.

The classes were initially conceptualised as a way to engage/capture stay-over visitors with Caymanian culture on Wednesday, as many of those persons travel to and from the Island on a Saturday, which is when the class was usually offered by the National Trust.

However, the response to the class, which is being offered totally free and sponsored by the DOT, has been overwhelming, and organisers said this is a testament to the hunger in the community for culture and heritage.

In fact, another class had to be added on Saturdays.

Hosted by Elizabeth Larsen of Jazzy Cakes, the class is followed by a tour of the Mission House.

“I wanted to do this class because our heritage can only survive if we teach it to others. Many of the recipes that we love so dearly are passing away with the older generation, and even though this is my grandma’s recipe for the cake and I feel very attached to it, I know that in order for it to go on, it has to be shared,” noted Mrs. Larsen.

“We want visitors to experience Cayman in a way that goes beyond the sea. We know that we have fabulous beaches, but there is more to us than that. We want visitors to meet our people, hear our stories and fall in love with our heritage,” added Tourism Development Supervisor at DOT, Carol Britton.