Red Bays, Home of the Bahamian Seminoles

There is a fantastic time-capsule of a village in North Andros which is the only settlement on the west coast of The Bahamas’ biggest island.

Red Bays is home to a unique people and culture. It is a link to the centuries-old Bahamas/Florida connection, dating back to the early 19th century Seminole Wars of the United States.

Red Bays inhabitants are direct descendants of the African and Native America Seminoles who fled across the Gulf Stream in small boats to find freedom in The Bahamas, bringing with them their ancestral coiled basketry weaving skills - a tradition passed down from their African ancestors through the generations - that they still practise today using the super-strong straw of the silver top palms that grown in the forests of Andros.

A sustainable generation of straw artisans work at their traditional craft. All photos shown copyright P. Neko Meicholas, 2019

In order to sustain this important livelihood, the Red Bays community has been trained to harvest the straw palms in the proper way to keep this tradition alive and well for generations to come. Learn how with this 5-minute harvesting video that was produced by Creative Nassau as a part of the Bahamas Pine Islands Project (BPIP) for this very purpose.