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local Saturday 17 September 2022
National Archeological Museum of Aruba starts its series of talks
Jewels of Sub Aquatic Heritage of Aruba

ORANJESTAD – Yesterday, which means that they little by little it will be mag-
15th of September, the Na- could go for a longer time. nified. There will be a lot
tional Archeological Mu- This was simply a teaser of more lectures. But for this
seum of Aruba began its what’s to come. “There’s a year, we are waiting for the
series of talks which will lot more information”, Mr. ratification of the treaty of
become a series in order Dijkhoff said. “For me it was UNESCO 2001, that is on its
to provide information re- very nice to see the feeling way after October, then
garding our sub aquatic among the public, it was we will take our next steps
cultural archeological heri- very positive.” publicly”, Mr. Dijkhoff said.
tage. This was very well
received among the local Gendra Lacle, a Master Aruba National Park Foun-
community. Degree student, gave the dation is taking part as one
first part of the talk about of the stakeholders in mari-
Various people and orga- what is currently being time archeology that the
nizations joined this talk, studied in the sub aquatic archeological museum is
which was very interesting, realm. Next year Lacle will organizing and trying to
revealing the beginning of be graduating and thus gather information from it.
a series of information that Aruba will have its own sub
will be given to our local aquatic archeologist. Next Norman Kuiper, interim di-
community with great val- month there will be another rector of Aruba National
ue for the development of talk that will be about re- Park Foundation told our
our culture. Drs. Raymundo search that was carried out reporter that he thinks it’s
Dijkhoff, chief of the investi- in November, when 27 sub very beautiful that many
gation and collection sec- aquatic sites were found, people came to this pre-
tor in the National Archeo- and will explain more sentation. “This is helping to
logical Museum of Aruba, about this so that everyone bring awareness to people
gave a presentation. He understands that we need regarding what is involved
said: “I am very happy that to contribute together to in order to protect our heri-
the reception was so posi- the greatest cause. tage and give a more cor-
tive and that the interest rect cultural history tomor-
is great.” He added that “Once you see how much row for our students”, he
by the end of the presen- Aruba has to tell about the expressed.
tation there were a lot of past and the wealth that
questions and comments, we have, I am sure that A gentleman in the audi-
ence was asking where he
could find information be-
cause he works in the tour-
ism sector and these things
add a lot more value to the
product Aruba. If this is not
well organized, you find
yourself with the problem
of giving wrong information
and this can spread.

During the talk, references
were made to the territorial
planning policy, ROPv and
how this is put together in
regards to protection of our
natural areas, which goes
hand-in-hand with conser-
vation of our culture and
heritage as well, with all the
work done by the museum
and other organizations.
Our reporter asked Mr. Kui-
peri about this, and he said
he has simply one criticism
that he needs to highlight. who have studied for years ed, so to me, it means that
The ROPv was ratified in who came up with the draft they should have removed
Parliament in 2019, and Mr. for the policy. “It is regret- it if they want to protect
Kuiperi says that a part was table that because it was Aruba”, Mr. Kuiperi said.
change where at the end included that the minister
of the day a minister has has a right to change a site The next talk will take place
the right to change the that is protected in ROPv, on the 27th of October at
rules in it. “This weakens the for me it completely weak- the National Archeologi-
ROPv completely.” Mr. Kui- ened the ROPv.” This could cal Museum of Aruba at
peri adds that the idea is to have been fixed simply by 7:30pm in the auditorium.
protect what is out there, removing this added point. The talks are in Papiamen-
and its experts and those “It was not originally includ- to.