ST CROIX — An authentic Crucian experience awaits you at Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism, Inc. (CHANT)! Preserving Crucian culture and heritage and promoting sustainable community development is at the core of their organization, with a focus on tourism, traditional skills and heritage- focused workforce development. With this commitment in mind, CHANT has built a network of world-class local tourism providers, created and supports educational outreach programs for schools and the public and established and maintains a Crucian Cultural Center.
CHANT highlights Crucian culture and heritage through their various tours. The Frederiksted Walking Tour begins on the waterfront adjacent to the pier, winding its way through the wide avenues of the historic town. Guests will learn about the important architectural and design elements of the historic buildings which reflect the Danish Colonial and African influences of the builders, history of the families who own and occupy the buildings and their historic uses. The Alexander Hamilton Walking Tour traces the footsteps of one of the Founding Fathers of the United States in downtown Christiansted. Visits sites linked directly to Hamilton including his boyhood home, his mother store on Company Street and the building where he worked as a warehouse clerk.
CHANT’s Crucian Cultural Center is where the youth of Frederiksted and St. Croix receive educational programming, art programming, and workforce development training. For example, the traditional woodworking initiative provides students instruction and training in specific disciplines using hand and power tools. CHANT also preserves traditional arts and crafts through training and product development where students explore multiple artistic mediums, using them to investigate Crucian history, community organizing and social activism.
Another crucial piece of CHANT’s mission is preserving and restoring the historical architecture of the Virgin Islands. This is achieved by stemming the loss of traditional art forms and addressing the long-term problems of abandoned and derelict historic buildings in Frederiksted. Through the development of a local school, the Building Arts Institute, CHANT will provide the education and training necessary for local residents to be eligible for the historic preservation investments planned in the coming years. To learn more about CHANT and book one of their tours, visit their website at chantvi.org.
Written by Anquanette Gaspard agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com
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