Mr. Artwell Cain presented 2 copies of his book “St. Eustatius: Restoring Our Ties. The voices of Statians making a difference” to the director of the National Library of Aruba, Ms. Astrid Britten.
In 2021, a historic cemetery was excavated on St. Eustatius where the mortal remains of enslaved people from Africa were unearthed. Protests broke out among those whose ancestors were buried in that cemetery. The book gives a voice to the inhabitants and presents the results of a study into their thoughts and feelings regarding their ancestors, their identity, commemoration, and the process of reburying the ancestors’ remains.
The author, Dr. Artwell Cain, is a cultural anthropologist and independent researcher. His research interests consist of studies in ethnicity and identity formation, transatlantic slavery, and cultural heritage.
“St. Eustatius: Restoring Our Ties – The Voices of Statians Making A Difference” (published in 2026) is a book by cultural anthropologist Dr. Artwell Cain that documents the heritage, identity, and experiences of the African diaspora community on St. Eustatius. The book gives a voice to the community of St. Eustatius, an island with a rich but painful history of colonialism, slavery, and cultural oppression.
“Restoring Our Ties” is a call for recognition, respect, and action—for the 69 excavated African ancestors who are still awaiting reburial, for the marginalized African burial grounds, and for a community reclaiming its own history.