Amazonia of the Caribbean 1900-1950
What happens when women carry an island’s past, present, and future? In this episode, we step into 1900–1950, when Stacia became a matrifocal society. Through migration, war, and silence, women raised generations and redefined leadership—not in politics, but in presence, care, and resilience.
Host: Fi de Wit
Guests: Governor Lady Alida Francis, Mrs. Sylvia Angela Rivers, Mrs. Gay Soutekouw, Mr. Raimie Richardson, Mr. Ishmael Berkel
In Amazonia of the Caribbean, we explore the early 20th century on St. Eustatius, when migration and hardship gave rise to a powerful matrifocal society. With men away at sea, in oil fields, or in war, women anchored homes, raised children, ran farms, and led communities.
Through oral histories and expert insights, we uncover how station women without titles or formal authority became the foundation of resilience. From backyards to bakeries, their leadership shaped a cultural legacy of quiet strength, enduring care, and generational survival. Their story is not mythology—it’s the living truth behind the phrase “the women held the island together.”
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Produced by Simpler Media
