June 13, 2008 — A Constitutional Convention committee tweaked its definition of a V.I. native Friday, adding the word "domiciled."
The definition now reads: "A Native Virgin Islander shall be defined as any person born or domiciled in the Virgin Islands prior to 1927 and who was not a citizen of any other country or nation and any person who is an offspring of parent or parents born or domiciled in the Virgin Islands prior to 1927 and who was not a citizen of any other country or nation."
The change was made by the Citizenship, Virgin Islands' Rights, Environment and Cultural and Historical Preservation Committee of the Fifth Constitutional Convention. Remaining unchanged is the provision, "or any person born outside the Virgin Islands to native V.I. parent or parents while that parent or parents was studying abroad, employed abroad, or in active military service."
The year 1927 is when V.I. residents received citizenship from the United States. The change came about to include people living in the territory but not born in the Virgin Islands when citizenship was granted.
Meeting at the Legislature building on St. John, the committee also upped the number of years for people to be considered V.I. citizens from one to five. About 20 people attended the meeting.
While most of the delegates favored including a definition of native in the constitution, former Gov. Charles Turnbull begged to differ.
"It creates a hanger on which to hang discriminatory legislation," he said. "I see icebergs ahead for this ship."
Turnbull is a veteran of five constitutional conventions.
St. John resident Paul Devine, who has drafted a constitution himself and given it to delegates, opposed inserting any native definition.
"Why would one segment of our society be included in the constitution and not another?" he asked.
He later walked out of the meeting after former Sen. Adelbert Bryan, who serves on the committee, harangued him for his constitutional efforts.
"I take offense to Mr. Devine writing a constitution," Bryan said. "Who gave him the right to write for us?"
It went downhill from there, with Bryan continuing to reproach Devine, Devine yelling at Bryan, Delegate Stedmann Hodge standing up to chastise Devine, and Devine stalking out of the meeting.
"Goodbye and good luck," Devine said as he left the meeting. A handful of other St. John residents followed.
Devine was one of three people testifying at Friday's meeting.
Natives are simply people born in the territory, said St. John resident Myrtle Barry.
"Taking it further gets it complicated," Barry said. Although her parents were not born in the Virgin Islands, Barry said, she was.
Lorelei Monsanto sided with those who want the native Virgin Islander definition as it currently stands.
"This is about the Virgin Islands and about my future," she said.
People born or domiciled in the Virgin Islands before 1927 are a special group of people, said Delegate Gerard Emmanuel.
"They are charter members of V.I. society," he said.
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