The History of the Saxons Junkanoo Group

I believe that junkanoo played a pivotal role in the development of the good character of most Bahamians as it afforded us the opportunity to express our inner brilliance. It became the medium through which we would connect with the repressed ‘spirits’ of our African ancestry and discover our identity as a peculiar people. Additionally, this (junkanoo) masquerade provided our predecessors with an opportunity to express their displeasure over economic and social injustices imposed by their colonial masters and their descendants without fear of reprisal. In many aspects, the junkanoo culture mirrored the culture of the Bahamian people. These annual Christmas parades have created an indelible imprint on the Bahamian psyche which embodies a distinct connection between junkanoo and politics. The release of this ‘free spirit’ elevated our self- esteem and value for human life through the discovery of an inherent intimacy we had with our creator. Our creativity, genius, love, talent and perseverance, coupled with skill in music, art, drama and dance were all manifestations of this intimacy. It may seem that I am reaching a bit, but after reading our stories in this book you would favor my hypothesis on the value of the junkanoo experience to our spiritual development. The Junkanoo festival is an important part of Bahamian culture and recently there has developed an ever increasing interest in its history, but little has been written about it. Moreover, there is a growing consensus that junkanoo is not what it used to be and this has sparked a curiosity about the history of those times. Unfortunately, too much of it has been lost or forgotten as some of these junkanoo stories have been buried in our grave yards. This book is an attempt to capture and preserve the memories of the junkanoo experience of earlier years from the perspective of the Saxons junkanoo group.