the 'tamarind tree' and 'resilience' mindset is causing harm for sint maarten

Understanding how Sint Maarten has functioned as an island territory and now as a constituent state is difficult. As someone who has observed the governance system for over ten years, the variable that explains why island territory and now country Sint Maarten can ever progress is us.  In the context of this essay, "us" is defined as persons who've been around and have had influences on the institution of the government. "Us" has had the option of a form of self-governance, informally under the establishment of the Netherlands Antilles and now formally as a constituent state. "Us" has led to the developments to become a tourist destination and the ability to invest or not invest in key areas that would help the nation. This essay will look at two personality traits that make "us", the 'tamarind tree mindset' and 'the resilience mindset.'

The tamarind tree mindset is a laissez-faire attitude that turns significant cultural practices into policy. The tamarind tree is significant to Sint Maarten. Brought over to the Caribbean in the 16th Century by the Spanish along with slaves from Africa, the tamarind tree has served as a refuge to many of our ancestors and home to many of our folklore. During the last 6 decades, the tamarind tree has served as a spot for social settings. The tamarind tree is where we play dominoes, drink rum, and mingle with friends, families, and loved ones. This type of lifestyle has also translated into how we view our governance. We have gotten used to a governance that is reliant on making crazy deals, no proper order or systems, and the concept of "I goin' do this because I wa".  

The resilience mindset is a mindset that has taken a new form after Hurricanes Irma and Maria and exacerbated due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The idea of the island being a resilient people has been the response when we question why certain systems aren't put in place or why we aren't making efforts to improve the systems. Resilience is a term used for people who have to deal with circumstances that are seen as undesirable by many. To the global community, what we are going through fits that lens. As a society, we praise people for living through, not overcoming, tough circumstances. Scholars see this as a policy and a scholarly issue. Cannon and Müller-Mahn(2010, p 623) state "the notion of resilience - whether derived from natural (ecosystems) or technological (physics or engineering) usage - is dangerous because it is removing the inherently power-related connotation of vulnerability and is capable of doing the same to the process of adaptation."  

These two mindsets are the foundation of "us". This foundation is detrimental if we ever actually want to see Sint Maarten improve and make the much-needed changes. The tamarind tree mindset is visible every day. Public radio and community conversations are filled with the idea that things are broken and or the quick solutions via policy aren't fixing. There hasn't been any change to address those situations. Why? "Us" has been doing this a certain way for so long, that there is no reason to find a new way. Or "us" believes that the process is too much work and is not willing to put the resources into the work because it does not provide the quick personal benefits for "us." "Us" under the tamarind tree mindset does not believe in accountability, following structures, systems, or putting in the effort. This mindset has led to the issues we've faced in our history, but especially within the last twenty years. This mindset has caused the not-so-great transition to the country of Sint Maarten. This mindset is the reason why none of our ministries are fully collaborative with each other and many government entities work on their own.  This mindset is the reason why many people are leaving the public sector. In this day and age, many new employees aren't willing to work in environments such as the tamarind tree as it is a place that does not treat their employees with care and respect. Combining these negative attributes with the negative attributes of us being resilient (as mentioned in every government press briefing since 2017), continues to fuel the issues that the country is facing.  

A good analysis isn't completed without possible solutions. The only way for 'us' to change from these mindsets is to change. This change has to come from people taking the chance to learn and remove themselves from this dangerous ideology and removing those in positions who have produced nothing for the country. Those are the solutions. From there, we can move into a country that values its people and is policy-oriented. A country that researches, listens and implements. Until then, “us” will continue to thrive and the people of Sint Maarten will continue to struggle.