19/01/2025
The National Emblems of Trinidad and Tobago (Regulation) (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was unanimously passed in the House of Representatives on Monday, January 13, 2025. The Bill replaces the depiction of Christopher Columbusโ ships on the Coat of Arms with the Steelpan, the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago.
This amendment reflects the governmentโs commitment to celebrating national heritage and addressing calls to remove colonial symbols. The current Coat of Arms may continue to be used until January 1, 2026, after which the updated version will become the official emblem.
The Bill now proceeds to the Senate for further debate and will become Law once proclaimed by the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
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The National Emblems of Trinidad and Tobago (Regulation) (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which allows for the replacement of illustrations representing ships led by explorer Christopher Columbus, with the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago, the Steelpan, was unanimously passed in the House of Representatives on Monday January 13, 2025.
The Coat of Arms of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago will now feature the treasured image of a gold Steelpan and its iconic pan sticks.
During the piloting of the Bill, Senator the Honourable Randall Mitchell, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, gave some insight into the Bill saying that, โThe Bill seeks to bring into force Governmentโs position and intention to modify our countryโs coat of arms established in 1962 by replacing the representation of Columbusโ ships with our national treasure, our very own national instrument, the Steelpan.โ Minister Mitchell continued by sharing that, โGovernmentโs proposal was made in direct response to the loud and decadeโs long clarion calls of our citizens clamouring for the removal of painful colonial vestiges of our past.โ
Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, during his contribution in Parliament highlighted that, โSymbolism matters. Itโs not a question of either or; we can have it all. We can have symbols, we can have jobs, we can have food, but at the end of the day, symbolism matters.โ
โ...and seeing today in this Parliament, that Parliament has taken the step to remove the misrepresentation of Columbusโ ships on our national coat of arms and replace it with the Steelpan, would know that pan has reached the highest heights in Trinidad and Tobago.โ
The Prime Minister continued saying that โ...but the symbol says that we donโt accept what you think of us and if when we came here we picked up the pan that used to carry oil and hit it in a way that we discovered that we could make music and we now make the magic that comes out of the steelband, then we should be proud to say that we claim that on our coat of arms and not the misrepresentation of (Columbusโ ships)โ
The former Coat of Arms of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago may be used until January 1, 2026, or such later date as the Minister may prescribe by Order.
The Bill will now proceed to be read and debated in the Upper House (Senate). Once passed in the Upper House, it will then proceed to be proclaimed by the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago after which it will become Law.
