ST. EUSTATIUS–Last week’s meeting of the Island Council of St. Eustatius’ Central Committee produced a rare occasion of unanimity amongst its members. It was a shared outrage at the tampering with one of the island’s national symbols: its coat of arms. Meanwhile, it has become a hotly-discussed topic on the island.
Leader of Progressive Labour Party (PLP) Clyde van Putten had invited the designer of the coat of arms, local historian Walter Hellebrand, to explain what took place.
Interestingly, Island Councilmember for the opposition Democratic Party (DP) Frini “Adelka” Spanner has been the one to point out that a “wrong design” was sometimes used. Hellebrand was able to provide clarity. He is to help the Island Government redress the situation.
A committee, appointed by the local Government, had been set up to select Statia’s national symbols. In 1999, they chose the design that became the island’s coat of arms, which has been used as such since then.
The design was sent to the Hoge Raad van Adel (High Court of Nobility) in The Hague, the Dutch Government entity in charge of coats of arms and flags of Government entities. The High Court of Nobility suggested changes to “simplify” the design.
Hellebrand explained that this was to bring it in line with Dutch taste, which is more in favour of simplicity and abstract, sleek design.
However, he brought forward that he did not design the coat of arms for a Dutch municipality but for a Caribbean island, where taste is different.
The Island Government chose not to follow the advice of the High Court of Nobility, and by Island Ordinance in 2004 adopted Hellebrand’s design.
This is the design that is used on the island’s identification (ID) cards, vehicle licence plates, official Island Government correspondence, and Statia’s Golden Rock League of Merit medals.
The same design is on the flag pole at Fort Oranje, and even hangs in the Ridderzaal (Hall of Knights), at the centre of the Dutch Parliamentary complex.
However, Dutch Government institutions, including Dutch Government Service Caribbean Netherlands (RCN) use a different design. This is because by Royal Decree of September 20, 2010, another design, made by the High Court of Nobility, was declared the coat of arms of St. Eustatius.
This was done without involvement of the highest political body on the island, the Island Council.
Whereas the original design, as adopted by local government, had a shield “per pale with an enté en point,” the coat-of-arms as put together by the High Court of Nobility is “chapé ployé.” In the language of heraldry – the knowledge of coats-of-arms – that is a completely different thing.
“A neat little triangle has been turned into a gash that ruptures into the shield,” heraldry expert Hellebrand explains.
“It is interesting, because right now you can immediately see if a message comes from the Central Government. They use their version of the coat of arms. And the local Government continues using the version they legally adopted in 2004. Hopefully, I can help to end this confusion,” Hellebrand added.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/72736-outrage-at-tampering-with-st-eustatius-coat-of-arms
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