Discovering Every Day – Islander Interview with Mark Yokoyama
Todays’ islander highlight centers around Mark Yokoyama. Mark is one of the driving forces behind Amuseum Naturalis, a free and volunteer driven museum in between of Orient Bay and French Quarter, located in the historic Old House. He also published various books on St. Maarten / St. Martin nature.
Yokoyama is an avid nature photographer, and his pictures in the museum tell. “I love learning about stuff: nature, culture, literature, anything. Everything gets interesting once you start learning about it.”
Working on the expanding museum is not just driven by his own curiosity, but sharing gathered information after is also fulfilling for Mark. “I love getting to learn new things, especially getting the chance to meet people and learn about their lives. I also enjoy getting to teach kids things they didn’t know about their island.”
Discoveries all around
And one does not need to venture far for satisfying curiosity and doing discoveries on St. Maarten / St. Martin. “There is an infinite amount to discover about St. Martin. There are lizards that live on St. Martin and nowhere else in the world”. Mark also points to often overlooked built elements of historical and cultural value. “I think the stone walls are worth highlighting. They’re dry stone walls, so they are built with no mortar, just stones stacked on each other. It is amazing that they have lasted centuries, through hurricanes, fires and floods. They are a testament to the skills of the people that built them. They are often called slave walls because many were built by enslaved people. Fort Louis in Marigot was built by enslaved people, but for whatever reason no one calls it a slave fort. Anyhow, these walls are the legacy of past generations and they’re still here for us to see today, even though so many other things from that time are gone.”
A favorite spot for discovering nature is hard to name for Mark. “One favorite spot is the top of Billy Folly hill. It is a limestone area and there’s really no other spot quite like it on the island. The community of plants and animals up there is unique. It’s a tiny area, but so important. Of course, people keep building all around it. Talk about folly, there you go.”
St. Maarten / St. Martin Community Sense In The Core
Having published books with interviews with islanders, Mark considers community sense to be a core quality of St. Maarten / St. Martin. “I think there is a sense of community and also a sense of service that was a big part of St. Martin society and culture. You could see that in jollification – coming together to help do a project as a community. I’ve spoken to a lot of people from older generations. In the 60s, 70s and 80s, if the island needed a teacher or a policeman, they would ask someone and the person would do it. I think this comes from being a small community and depending on each other, which was very true until recently. Today there are a lot of people here who don’t come from that cultural background, so it is harder to say how true that is.”
But for sure, the broadly supported Amuseum builds on this tradition somewhat? “Our association, Les Fruits de Mer is a non-profit and it is 100% volunteer. Even our president and I are volunteers. Sometimes people think the museum is a business, but how could it be? We never charge anyone anything!” Mark continues: “The thing I love most about St. Martin is the people. Not everyone, of course, but there are a lot of great people.”
Intellectual In the Veins
Even in his private time, Mark can’t stop digging for new knowledge and insights about St. Maarten / St. Martin. “The St. Martin Book Fair is my favorite event on island. It’s been happening for more than 20 years, so it has a community around it, but there are always fresh faces. There are local authors and readers, but also guests from the Caribbean and beyond.”
When asked what islanders would deserve more attention, it is also local writers that prevail. “This list has got to be really long. Are there any St. Maarten or St. Martin figures that get enough attention? I think there are people like Joseph H. Lake, Sr. and Camille Baly that should have biographies or collections of their writings available. I think there are lots of people like Pastor Eugene Hodge who have great life stories that would be inspiring to younger generations.”
His love for culture and history makes the Philipsburg museum shop his favorite island store. “It’s got great books and local crafts.”
Love for Grand Case
When asked for where he would go on staycation, Mark would stay close to his beloved home in Grand Case.” I would stay in Grand Case, maybe go up to Hotel Esplanade.”. It is where you would find his favorite bar too. “Whatever the cocktail of the day is at Calmos Cafe, I’ll have it. Always something new and always great.”
He also has fond memories of meeting new friends in Marcel’s pirate bar almost 20 years ago. “It was a life changing experience and we didn’t know it until much later.”
For further visitor recommendations, Pinel comes to mind. “You’re on an even smaller island, you get a great view of St. Martin and a great lunch, especially if you are in the upstairs table at Yellow Beach.” Yvette’s in French Quarter is his favorite restaurant.
Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House, ofcourse, should be part and parcel of any visit. ” You can learn about nature, heritage and culture in a beautiful spot with great viewpoints. Am I biased? Of course.”
What is another fact people would not know about Mark, regardless of this interview and the many books he wrote? “I was in a country music band for many years. We were not that good, but we had a lot of fun and recorded a few albums.”
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