Officials in Trinidad and Tobago are redrawing the island\u2019s coat of arms for the first time since its creation in 1962 to remove references to European colonization in a move that many are celebrating. <\/p>\n
Christopher Columbus\u2019 three ships \u2013 the Pinta, the Ni\u00f1a and the Santa Mar\u00eda \u2013 will be replaced with the steelpan, a popular percussion instrument that originated in the eastern Caribbean island. <\/p>\n
Prime Minister Keith Rowley made the announcement on Sunday to a standing ovation, saying the coat of arms would be reconfigured before late September. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat should signal that we are on our way to removing the colonial vestiges that we have in our constitution,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
The current coat of arms also features hummingbirds, a palm tree and a scarlet ibis, Trinidad\u2019s national bird. <\/p>\n
Rowley\u2019s announcement comes roughly a week before Trinidad and Tobago is scheduled to hold a public hearing on whether certain statues, signs and monuments should be removed. <\/p>\n
The upcoming change is part of a worldwide movement that aims to eradicate symbols of the colonial era, with statues of Columbus removed or toppled across the US in recent years. <\/p>\n
Columbus arrived in Trinidad and Tobago in 1498. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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