Generations Die Waiting For Anegada Land
Anegadians continue to face immense frustration over unresolved ancestral land rights, with generations passing away without receiving legal title to their property. Community advocate Daryl A. Ruan Jr recently highlighted the ongoing delays, calling for swift action and the reappointment of key advisory bodies.
Ruan Jr has voiced profound frustration regarding the unresolved land rights on Anegada, stating that generations of residents have died while waiting for legal title to their ancestral property. Speaking on the radio show Honestly Speaking with Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline, Ruan Jr underscored that the island's land situation remains one of the most pressing and protracted historical injustices in the Virgin Islands.
Highlighting the deep roots of Anegadian heritage, Ruan Jr explained that local lineage predates British colonization. He noted that the issue stems from an 1885 ordinance in which Queen Victoria allotted the island to its inhabitants. While the ordinance is an official part of the Territory's statutory record, full legal clarity has been repeatedly complicated by the absence of an accompanying letter from the monarch, as well as shifting administrative rules over the decades.
While acknowledging that current leaders, including Premier Dr. the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley, have expressed a desire to settle the matter, Ruan Jr lamented that successive administrations have continually kicked the can down the road. He pointed out that compliance with established regulations has yielded little progress, with recent hurdles like the Commission of Inquiry recommendations and frequent political transitions repeatedly resetting the process for applicants.
Ruan Jr also drew comparisons to Salt Island, observing that the only two landmasses historically bequeathed to the people have become prime areas for development, yet the rightful descendants still struggle to obtain legal deeds. He noted that the ongoing lack of resolution has left many elder residents feeling deliberately sidelined by systemic delays.
Looking toward potential solutions, Ruan Jr pointed to the Crown Lands Management Act, which established the transition of the former Anegada Land Development Advisory Committee into the Anegada Standing Committee. With prospective committee members recently contacted, he urged the government to officially reconstitute the body without delay so that local representatives can resume their work and finally bring closure to the longstanding issue.
Primary source: VINO