People
While there are some 40 plus cays that make up the Turks & Caicos Islands, only eight of them are inhabited by people. The Turks & Caicos natives are called “Belongers” or “Turks Islanders” and are either descendants from African slaves who were originally brought over to grow cotton on the island of Providenciales or have immigrated here from the Bahamas back in the salt raking days. The local population mixes harmoniously with a large expatriate community of British, American, French, Canadian, Haitians, Dominicans and Scandinavians, giving the islands an international influence and unique culture.
The people here, both Expats and Belongers, are relaxed and friendly and generally operate on “island” time, resulting in a low-key, slow-paced environment.

Turks & Caicos follows British Common Law. A queen-appointed governor holds executive power and presides over an Executive Council and a Premier heads the local government, which consists of several other ministers and a legislative council that can enact satutes. The Judicial Branch is headed by a Chief Justice, a Chief Magistrate, and three Deputy Magistrates.



Arts/Crafts
Artists in the Caribbean are blessed with an environment ripe for inspiration and in Turks & Caicos the sparkling turquoise waters along with the colorful characters of the local population provide even more drama and stimulation for sketches, paintings, drawings and craft work. Oil and watercolors are the two most widely used techniques of the local artist. With the colorful influence and broad styles of neighboring Haiti and the Dominican Republic, a new style of Turks & Caicos art is emerging to further define the scenes, themes and subject matter for young and upcoming artists as they capture the culture on canvas.

Phillip Outten, June Taylor and Ianthe George are three prominent local artists whose works standout and find their way on to the walls of many homes and businesses on the Islands and abroad. The Bamboo Gallery on Providenciales, offers a wide range of local and Caribbean pieces for sale and both Phillip Outten and Jean Taylor own and run their own art galleries and welcome one and all to visit and view their works. The art of basket weaving, plaiting palm leaves for straw hats, net making, binding mosquito brushes, and weaving fanner dishes and bowls is very much alive in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The majority of these craftsmen and women are found in the three settlements on Middle Caicos: Conch Bar, Bambarra and Lorimers.

Farming and fishing was the way of life for the people in the Caicos Islands and the need for these items necessitated this type of work. Nets were needed for catching fish and turtles. Baskets and bags were required to collect and transport the catch and the crops. Hats were used to provide shade during the long hours in the hot sun. Fanner dishes were ideal to separate the chafe from the corn when making grits. Mosquito brushes were useful in keeping the bugs away in the fields. Broom and brushes made from silver palmtop leaves were used to keep the house and yard clean.

Many of the craftspeople donate their time and skills for teaching and training the young people of the settlements. All with the intention of keeping the technique of making these crafts alive. These skills are a very important part of their culture and need to be preserved and passed on for future generations.

On your next visit to Middle Caicos, check out the Middle Caicos Co-op in Conch Bar. You can also visit the Middle Caicos Co-op in Blue Hills while in Providenciales or the National Trust office, where a wide range of local straw work and straw crafts are on display and available for sale.



Music and Dance
The national music of the Turks and Caicos is called "Ripsaw Music". Another name for this type of music is ‘Rake ‘n’ Scrape’. The basic instruments used are the saw, the goatskin drum, the hand accordion, also known locally as the Constentina, hand-made maracas and the acoustic guitar. The main instrument featured is the ordinary carpenters handsaw found in any hardware store. The saw is held with either end in a number of ways to produce a bend in the center of the blade. A metal scraper, usually a long nail, a fork or knife or a screwdriver, is raked and scraped over the teeth of the saw to produce a unique percussive scraping sound, this action is called "Ripping the Saw". Bending the body and ripping the saw in time with the beat of the music produces a wobbled overtone. This gives you the characteristic sound of ripsaw music. Lovey Forbes and his son Corry Forbes are the fore runners in composing and recording Ripsaw music in the Turks and Caicos.

Lovey Forbes came up with the name "Combina Music" to describe the new mix of Ripsaw and popular foreign music. Jamaican Reggae, Bahamian Calypso and Eastern Caribbean Soca all play a major role in the local music scene. Another popular form of music emerging in Turks & Caicos is Junkanoo. The exact origin of Junkanoo is not known, but it dates back to the early days of slavery, when the Christmas and New Years holidays were the only times slaves were given any recreational freedom. In the early days, Islanders would wear old clothes painted with bright colors or they would tie colorful strips of ribbons and cloth to their clothes along with other costumes made from cardboard and crepe paper. In thesecostumes, they would dance to the rhythm of the goatskin drums, cowbells and other handmade percussion instruments. They went house to house singing songs and performing for money, food, candy and drinks.

These days Junkanoo is more organized. Groups from different settlements compete against each other for the most outrageous costumes or the best drummers and rhythm section. The costumes have become elaborate, depicting different themes and characters. Junkanoo happens throughout the year for public holidays and local events. Visitors can see the biggest Junkanoo celebrations on the early morning of New Years Day in particular.

The most popular dance sytle in the Turks & Caicos is "winin" also known as "Wine-up" or "The Wine". To "wine" is to gyrate the hips from the waist in a circle in the time to the beat of the music being played, usually Rip-Saw, Soca or Calypso. More stylized dances such as the "Shati," which is a waltz dance and the heal and toe polka combine a mix of European and African heritage and are preferred by the older generation. The "Conch Style" is a local dance that is done by stepping and hooking one foot behind the ankle of the other in time to the ripsaw music.



Bush Medicine
Bush medicine is the term used for home made remedy’s made from herbs, plants, barks and roots of trees grown in the Turks and Caicos Islands and is extremely popular with the native residents of the islands. Without proper medical facilities and doctors, the early residents of Turks & Caicos relied on the passed down knowledge of the healing properties of their local plants and herbs to cure their ailments and most importantly the use of these “Concoctions” as preventative medicine. Most of these herbs, flowers, plants, barks and roots were boiled down or steeped in hot water to extract their active ingredients. The mixture was strained or mixed with other extracts, added to water, juice or tea and given in dosages depending on the age of the patient and the seriousness of the ailment. 

Besides being taken orally, bush baths, herbal rubs and ointments were and are still used as effective ways to apply the bush medicine. There’s even a remedy for putting the pep back into your love life with tea made from the Soldier Vine, Love Vine, Seaside Morning Glory and the ever-popular Strong Back shrub. As the old folks say, “Drink a sip and let it rip”. Bush medicine is still widely used in the Turks and Caicos Islands, especially in Middle and North Caicos where you will always find someone willing to enlighten you on its healing powers and some of the more popular brews.