Date de création: 1998
Budget: U.S.$200000
Domaine(s):

- oral traditions and expressions
- social practices, rituals and festive events
- knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe
- traditional craftsmanship

Mesure de sauvegarde:

- identification, documentation, research (including inventory-making)
- preservation, protection
- promotion, enhancement
- transmission, (non-)formal education
- revitalization
- other
- legilation

Objectifs:
To disseminate knowledge about the cultural history and the cultural- tangible and intangible - heritage of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, S1. Eustatius en St. Maarten and strengthen the cultural identity of their population in a Caribbean perspective.

It includes traditional tasks of a museum, like conservation and documentation of archaeological and anthropological collections, NAAM also works on cultural resource management through
• The identification of threatened locations and sites, its mapping, conservation and registering of collection, and digitizing
• Archaeological & anthropological research, with priority fOf oral history
• The production of educational materials for schools and training
• Advice and services to policy makers and professionals about safeguarding and the enrichment of our collective cultural memory and its legislation.

Safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage is an Integral part of the documentation of collections and the reconstruction of a fragmented memory.
Activités:
Actual projects of the NAAM foundation in relation to Intangible Culture Heritage are:
a.the safeguarding, digiti~ing and analyzing of the 1400 songs and stories collected in the fifties and sixties of the 20th century recollected by Paul Brenneker and Elis Juliana.
b. Related to this oral treasure is the need to continuing study of the creole language of Curacao, Bonaire en Aruba: the Papiamentu.
c. the documentation of religious afro Caribbean practice and rituals, With special attention to the ocho die or Yukan, rituals after the death).
d. The inventory of main maritime arChaeological sites through knowledge of local fisherman.
e. Documentation on the knOWledge and practices of the sound of Curacao, the cylinder piano. 'Ka" orgel', it's rhythmic instruments, the wirl in combination with the still very popular dance parties in the orchard.
f. Documentation of Living Human Treasures, with priority the persons who possess the knowledge and skills relating to the traditional agricultural practices of kunuku (conuco), musical instruments, especially ka'i orgel, talented tradition bearers and practitioners of the popular music of the Dutch Caribbean, and the spiritual leaders of Afrocaribbean
tradition.

Additional information:

NAAM's safeguarding measures aimed at ensuring the viability of the intangible cultural heritage are:

Actual projects of the NAAM foundation in relation to Intangible Culture Heritage are:
1. From 2001, ongoing : Identification, documentation & research about origin, development and craftsmanship of local musical instruments. Examples: benta or mouth bow, chapi (hoe), banjo (2002), beku, ka’i orgel , steelpan ( 2005) are published in Papiamentu, English and Dutch in 3 local newspapers in the Series Cultural Heritage. Some are on the website www. naam.an. The articles are written by research journalists and/or anthropologists and submitted to experts of musical heritage. Idem: about traditions as the Masquerade (Bonaire), Ponum dance (St. Maarten).
2. Research & documentation of oral history. The history of slavery, its resistance and daily life on the plantation in the afterwards of slavery, title: History of Savonet, Western Curacao, narrated by habitant and descendent of enslaved Francisco Doran, written by anthropologist L. Weeber, final redaction NAAM, I. Witteveen (2003-2004). This material was used for the script making of an open air museum in Savonet, opened in 2010 with involvement of the local community.
3. Documentation & transmission of knowledge of craftsmanship: art of tin smith, fisher boat builder, aloe cultivators, and ceramics is transmitted in a line of school material, including 3 books and 3 manuals, CD’s and a wooden box with replicas. This wooden box resembles the boxes that were used in the old thatch houses to keep clothes. Education and heritage experts of the five islands did review the texts several times. It was in 2008 published and distributed in Papiamentu (Tempu Tempu) and Dutch (Van Tijd tot Tijd) for the pupils in Cycle 2 of Elementary Education of all the schools in Curacao and Bonaire.
4. Safeguarding through digitizing and analyzing of collections of Fundashon Zikinza, 1400 songs and stories collected in the fifties and sixties of the 20th century recollected by the (ongoing).
5. Identification and rescuing collections of oral history tapes, of former research in Curacao, Saba, St. Eustatius, Bonaire. This is done with assistance of a free-lance audio-archeologist and anthropologist, living human sources, in cooperation with the heritage institutes of the mentioned islands (started 2008, ongoing till 2012)
6. Documentation & publications of Afro Caribbean religious practices and rituals. It resulted in an inventory of collection and songs (2005) and in an exhibition and publication Altá di Kòrsou (Altars of Curacao, 2009), written based on oral and written knowledge of local experts, in combination with lectures and articles in the newspapers.
7. Transmission of knowledge and revitalizing dance parties with ka’i orgel (pianola).
a.the knowledge and practices of the sound of Curacao, the cylinder piano, ka’i orgel, documentation, acquirement of ka’i orgel made by living human treasure, Serapio Pinedo (2003, 2004)
b.revitalizing the use of ka’i orgel with rhythmic instruments of African heritage, the wiri combination with the still very popular dance parties in the orchard in the rural part of Curacao (2006).
c.Honouring the Living Human Treasures of the ka’i orgel tradition (players and dancers) during an festive ceremony in the Central Bank, of the Netherlands Antilles.
Coopération:
Working in small island community we do include in the activities of the Foundation the groups, cultural bearers of tradition and communities involved.

Examples: honouring the Living Human Treasures of the Ka'i orgel tradition Serapio Pinedo and others in the formal and inclusive ceremony in the Central Bank, activities with the trade~unions to honour first trade-unionist leaders. rescuing Places of memory of the Slave Route with the neighbourhoods involved. International Museum Day with the
colleagues museums and the community.

Additional information:

a. Honouring the Living Human Treasures of the ka’i orgel tradition (players and dancers) during an festive ceremony in the Central Bank, of the Netherlands Antilles (2005).
b. revitalizing the use of ka’i orgel with rhythmic instruments of African heritage, the wiri combination in the organisation of the very popular dance parties in the orchard (hofi) in the rural part of Curacao (2006).
c. Community participation in annual Museum Day in Curacao
d. Honouring Carnival Tumba compositor and singer with participation of former tumba kings and composers (february 2010).