On July 1, 2024, Hurricane Beryl made history as one of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the Caribbean so early in the season.
For the people of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, the impact was catastrophic.
Nearly 90% of homes in Carriacou and 100% of homes in Petite Martinique were damaged or destroyed. Among the losses was the Carriacou Museum, the island’s only dedicated institution preserving local history, ancestral knowledge, artifacts, and community memory.
The museum's destruction was not solely structural.
It was cultural.
For decades, the Carriacou Museum has safeguarded:
- Oral histories of elders
- Artifacts of African, Indigenous, and European heritage
- Records of migration, music, masquerade, and resistance
- Community photographs, tools, textiles, and sacred objects
When the building was damaged, irreplaceable memory was put at risk.
Why Rebuilding the Museum Matters
Carriacou is a small island, but its history is vast.
In the face of climate change, small island nations are losing entire chapters of human history to storms, flooding, and erosion. When a museum disappears, so do the stories that help a people understand who they are and where they come from.
Rebuilding the Carriacou Museum means:
- Protecting cultural memory from climate erasure
- Creating a hurricane-resilient, elevated structure
- Digitizing archives so history survives future storms
- Providing a community space for education, healing, and gathering
- Supporting cultural tourism and local economic recovery
This is not about restoring the past exactly as it was.
It’s about building a future where culture is protected, accessible, and alive.
What We Are Building
The rebuilt Carriacou Museum will include:
- A restored second floor honoring the original design
- A new third floor with climate-resilient construction
- Secure archive storage for artifacts and documents
- A digital exhibition and oral history hub
- Education and workshop space for youth
- Technology for global access to Carriacou’s history
How Your Donation Will Be Used
Funds raised will support:
- Structural rebuilding and hurricane-resilient upgrades
- Artifact conservation and secure storage
- Digitization of oral histories, photographs, and records
- Exhibition design and museum technology
- Community programming and reopening activities
Every contribution, large or small, directly supports the preservation of Carriacou’s cultural legacy.
How You Can Help
- Donate to support rebuilding efforts
- Share this campaign with your network
- Support from the diaspora, your history lives here too
- Corporate and foundation partners are encouraged to reach out
Carriacou may be small, but its story matters globally.
Thank you for helping us protect it.
