Commemorating the 265th anniversary of the Stone of Possession |06 November 2021
Historian Tony Mathiot
To commemorate the 265th anniversary of the placing of the Stone of Possession on Mahé (1756-2021), a symbol that France had taken possession of Seychelles, a history talk was organised by the National Museum of History on Thursday.
The objective of the talk was to put emphasis on one of the oldest artefacts of our country. “The students and the general public know very little or nothing at all about the Stone of Possession. This talk will enlighten them on various aspects on the stone’s history and how it came to be placed in the National Museum of History. Moreover, they will also learn of how the stone marked the beginning of the eventful French period in Seychelles. Today, it is an appropriate moment for us to know the story of our Stone of Possession,” said Bella Rose, the curator of the National Museum of History.
The history talk was conducted virtually by historian Tony Mathiot and James August, a former school teacher and artist, who talked about his creation of the replica of the Stone of Possession.
Georgette Larue recited a poem on the Stone of Possession and three participants of the museum educational programme presented their drawings of the stone.
Ms Rose remarked that history museums have a unique opportunity to engage students in many and different aspects of our cultural heritage. Historians are not limited to issue discussions or narratives. By holding history talks the museum aims to encourage and cultivate a patriotic appreciation of our history.
The focus is on different age groups of society so that we are able to reach a wider portion of our adolescent and adult population.
“Our history talks are not strictly academic. We are of the view that we can make any aspect of our history an enjoyable topic for discussion between the historian and participants. It is crucial that small, local museums maintain relevance in the communities they serve, and museum workers remain good stewards of the public trust by acting deliberately to develop innovative, engaging narratives that tell yesterday's stories for tomorrow's generations,” she noted.
Museum staff also attended the talk.
The accompanying photos show some highlights of the event o Thursday to mark the 265th anniversary of the Stone of Possession.
Vidya Gappy
Photos by Thomas Meriton
