Dear Source:
Sandra Bastian-Carty, one of the candidates for delegate to the Fifth Constitutional Convention for the US Virgin Islands featured in the St. Croix Source states the following, "My goal as a committed Native Crucian is to assist in the drafting of a document that will be beneficial to all Virgin Islands and identify and include inherent rights to all Native Virgin Islanders, who are presently in-dangered(sic) of becoming an extincted(sic) people." She also goes on to state that, "I would hope that we first divine who is a Native Virgin Islander and then review the enter Organic Act, make changes and add where necessary."
In the past, I used the term "Native" Virgin Islander to describe myself. I now think the word "Native" should be reserved for descendents of the original or indigenous people of the Virgin Islands, the Carib or Arawak Indians. Throughout the Americas, this term is applied to descendents of the original or indigenous people. As someone who was born and grew up on St. Croix and follows events in the VI on a daily basis, I would like to see the delegates to the Convention draft a territorial constitution and not engage in debates on "Nativism". Given the context, these debates are not only inappropriate and divisive but will also increase the probability that the Fifth Constitutional Convention will suffer the same fate as previous Constitutional Conventions. Residents of the Virgin Islands, carefully elect your delegates to the Fifth Constitutional Convention.
Marvin A. Titus
Raleigh, N.C./St. Croix
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