Farewell to our Queen

IN A send off befitting her status as Carib Queen, Jennifer Cassar was honoured not only by members of the local First Peoples community, not only by Arimians from all walks of life and not only by others in society but also by First Peoples from other countries in the region.

Carib chief Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez led the celebration of Cassar's life saying the night before they selected a new Carib Queen seven years ago, he called on the ancestors for guidance. "She came as an answer to my prayers and she emerged without a dissenting vote," Bharath-Hernandez said.

Cassar, 66, who died on July 19, was celebrated during a funeral mass at the Santa Rosa RC Church in Arima. Two hours before the funeral, Cassar's body lay in state at Arima Town Hall as members of the First Peoples locally, the United States, Suriname and several other South American countries paid their respect.

President Paula-Mae Weekes, Chief Justice Ivor Archie, Arima Mayor Lisa Morris-Julien and others also paid respects Lisa Morris-Julien. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley attended the funeral.

Cassar was dressed in the traditional white Amerindian shawl, the halikaby, and the ceremonial head band, the ulemari.

The body was taken through the streets in a procession filled with a myriad of colours worn by members of First Peoples community.

Bharath-Hernandez later proposed that one of the buildings at the first Santa Rosa First People's Community heritage site be named in honour of Cassar, their sixth Carib Queen. She was instrumental in engaging Government to donate 100 acres in Blanchisseuse.

Chairman of the National Carnival Committee Winston "Gypsy" Peters felt he could better pay tribute to Cassar in song and proceeded to sing Frank Sinatra's classic, "I did it my way". However, almost to the end he forgot the words which prompted Rowley to ex-tempo the rest, resulting in thunderous applause from the congregation.

Delivering the homily, Fr Steve Duncan compared Cassar's death to the 1990 attempted coup which coincidentally happened on the same date of her funeral yesterday, 28 years ago.

He said the same way the country fell apart and was left grieving after the uprising and because of the resilience the country rose and recovered, so too will the local Carib community. Cassar's son John described her as, "my best friend, my teacher, my queen." Following the funeral, she was buried in the church's cemetery.