Fri | Apr 10, 2026

Bust of National Hero Nanny unveiled

Published:Wednesday | March 8, 2023 | 12:48 AM
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Spor, Olivia Grange (centre), admires a bust of National Hero Nanny of the Maroons, in Holywell, at the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park. Sharing in the moment are Executive Director of the Jamaica C
Contributed
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Spor, Olivia Grange (centre), admires a bust of National Hero Nanny of the Maroons, in Holywell, at the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park. Sharing in the moment are Executive Director of the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust, Dr Susan Otuokon (left), and Acting Colonel of the Charles Town Maroons, Marcia Douglas.

A bust of National Hero, Nanny of the Maroons was recently unveiled in Holywell, at the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park (BJCMNP).

It was donated to the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust by sculptor Mark Treunfels, who first came to Jamaica in 1989 as a United States (US) Peace Corps volunteer, after finishing art school in California.

The initiative was part of a Reimagined Nanny Project, and the 30th anniversary celebrations for the BJCMNP, Jamaica’s first United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation World Heritage site.

Speaking at the park’s 30th anniversary celebration launch held at Holywell, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange reminded the participants that Nanny is a source of inspiration and strength for Jamaican women of all ages.

She said the activity has again raised the importance of Nanny and “what she represents to her descendants, the Windward Maroons and, indeed, all of Jamaica”.

“We must continue to collectively raise awareness, and should seek to continually engage those who, through their actions, aim to negatively impact the forest, trails, archaeological sites and other cultural spaces,” she said.

Referring to the BJCMNP, the only mixed site for cultural and natural heritage in the Caribbean, Minister Grange urged citizens to continue to aim to preserve the environment for current and future generations.

“This is especially important in the ever-increasing threat of climate hazards such as tropical cyclone events, droughts and sea level rise, all of which affect our lives, livelihood and cultural heritage,” she added.

Minister Grange commended the work of the site managers for maintaining the health of the national park and for raising awareness among the Maroon communities, as well as Jamaicans at home and abroad.

The anniversary celebration also featured a panel discussion involving Acting Colonel of the Charles Town Maroons; Marcia Douglas, artist and winner of the Re-Imagining Nanny Visuals Arts Competition, Richard Nattoo; and national parks advocate and author Audrey Peterman.