UNESCO recognises Watt Town Pilgrimage

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is to recognise the Revival Pilgrimage to Watt Town in St Ann in December, a move that Culture Minister Olivia Grange has hailed as a timely tribute to former Prime Minister Edward Seaga, who was known to support revivalism.

Speaking at the HEART/NSTA Trust’s third annual Edward Seaga Human Development Lecture at the AC Hotel in St Andrew last week, Grange said this was Jamaica’s third inscription to UNESCO’s representative list, following similar action in 2008 and in 2019, in relation to Maroon culture and reggae music respectively.

“UNESCO will inscribe what we have termed the revival pilgrimage to Watt Town on its representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity and we were determined to get this inscription as a tribute to the most honourable Edward Phillip George Seaga,” said Grange.

She said this would take place during the 19th session of the intergovernmental committee on the convention for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, which will be held from December 2 -to December 7 in Asunción, Paraguay.

“By means of this inscription Jamaica’s cultural heritage has been recognised by UNESCO and indeed the world,” Grange said.

“What this means is that this component of revivalism which started from the early 19th century and continues to this day is being recognised as a unique cultural practice in the world,” the minister added.

The Watt Town Pilgrimage takes place on the first Thursday of March, June and October when revivalists travel from across Jamaica to the Watt Town in St Ann, which houses the Jerusalem Schoolroom, a place of worship and thanksgiving.

Advocated for Revivalism

Grange thanked Revivalists at home and abroad “who were very involved in the process” of preparing the nomination file and who gave their consent for its preparation.

“I also want to thank UNESCO for the signal honour which comes during the commemoration of our 62nd year of Independence and so this is a tribute to Mr Seaga. It’s timely, we got the news yesterday (last Tuesday) so it’s very timely,” Grange revealed.

While he was alive, Seaga embraced and advocated for Revivalism, which spread to Jamaica from the United States in the 1860s. Revivalists believe that the living and the spirits of the dead can communicate.

Grange, who also described Seaga as her mentor, said he was a “a builder of institutions”, citing the impact he made on Jamaica’s development.

“Mr Seaga also led the creation of a wide range of social programmes which expanded training in human resources aided small enterprises and protected the poor and vulnerable,” she said.

“Among his notable achievements are the introduction of the national school feeding programme; the introduction of HEART, the development of residential halls at UWI, UTech, the Cultural Training Centre.

“Indeed, no one has made an impact on Jamaican culture heritage and entertainment as much as Edward Seaga. He was in fact a music producer before he entered politics.

“Mr Seaga, throughout his life, laboured for the uplifting of the culture of the people of Jamaica. He was the master craftsman who helped us to understand and to appreciate the rituals that our people have created.”

Seaga served as Jamaica’s prime minister from 1980 to 1989. He died in May 2019 at 89 years old.

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