Go behind the scenes of Whispers of the Past with host Fi de Wit, as she shares the story behind the series. From childhood summers on Statia to archaeological digs and the legacy of women left out of the archives, this episode traces the emotional and creative process behind season one.

Discover the inspiration, the unexpected turns, and the team that brought these whispers to life. Learn how grief, memory, and community shaped a podcast rooted in care and resistance, and how the journey continues. This is more than a recap. It’s a love letter to ancestral resilience, and a call to keep listening.

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Produced by Simpler Media

In Awakening from the Echoes of the Past, we explore Stacia’s transformation from 2000 to 2025. From the quiet rumble of the Quill to the deep impact of 10-10-10, we trace how memory, gender, and governance intertwine. Featuring reflections from Governor Francis, historians, elders, and heritage experts, this episode uncovers the emotional legacies of post-emancipation grief and the unspoken costs of resilience. What happens when silence is no longer enough? How do women lead, heal, and preserve in the face of historical fracture? Through personal truths and public shifts, we ask what it takes to move from survival to liberation and how the echoes of the past can guide a freer future.

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Produced by Simpler Media

In Tides of Transformation, we explore St. Eustatius from 1950 to 2000, a period of quiet but profound change. As men migrated for work, women led households, nurtured communities, and anchored culture. We reflect on intergenerational silence surrounding slavery, the resilience passed down through women, and the economic shift brought by Statia Oil Terminals. 

Through stories from elders, nurses, activists, and Governor Alida Francis, we witness the strength of matriarchal leadership. These aren’t tales from textbooks—they’re lived memories, told in the flicker of oil lamps and the rhythm of daily care.

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Produced by Simpler Media

In Amazonia of the Caribbean, we explore the early 20th century on St. Eustatius, when migration and hardship gave rise to a powerful matrifocal society. With men away at sea, in oil fields, or in war, women anchored homes, raised children, ran farms, and led communities.

Through oral histories and expert insights, we uncover how station women without titles or formal authority became the foundation of resilience. From backyards to bakeries, their leadership shaped a cultural legacy of quiet strength, enduring care, and generational survival. Their story is not mythology—it’s the living truth behind the phrase “the women held the island together.”

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Produced by Simpler Media

In this powerful episode, Freedom in July, we explore the meaning of emancipation in St. Eustatius. Through oral history, music, ritual, and memory, we uncover how freedom was celebrated, mourned, and redefined by women who shaped a new world from the ashes of bondage. From red ribbons and flamboyant flowers to the rise of education and migration, this episode traces the legacy of resistance and quiet revolutions. With voices like Governor Lady Alida Francis and Mr. Richardson, we remember how the enslaved reclaimed dignity—not through reparations, but through presence. What does it mean to be free when freedom came with nothing but a proclamation?

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Produced by Simpler Media

In this spring break update, we reflect on the journey through St. Eustatius’ history—from blue beads symbolizing resistance to the unseen rebellions of enslaved women. As we pause for a brief break, we invite you to revisit past episodes and immerse yourself in the powerful stories of women who shaped the island’s past. With the expert voices, we’ve uncovered resilience, intelligence networks, and defiance. When we return, we’ll continue exploring the timeline from 1850 to today. Until then, let’s keep honoring history’s echoes and the lessons they hold for our present.

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Produced by Simpler Media

Between 1800 and 1850, resistance surged across the Caribbean as the enslaved refused to wait for freedom to be granted. But rebellion wasn’t just about battle—it thrived in quiet defiance, spiritual leadership, and intelligence networks. Women played vital but often overlooked roles, shaping revolts from the shadows. From secret messengers to spiritual guides, their impact was undeniable. In this episode, historian Dr. Zara Anishanslin and local experts unravel the ways enslaved women challenged colonial rule, fought for sovereignty, and ensured survival. Their resistance didn’t always take the form of weapons—but it was powerful, strategic, and relentless.

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Produced by Simpler Media

In Part 2 of Golden Rock Dreams and Nightmares, we delve into the paradoxical history of St. Eustatius during its "Golden Rock" era (1750–1800). The island flourished as a global trading hub, connecting continents and fueling revolutions, yet its wealth was built on exploitation and the labor of enslaved people. 

We uncover the critical, yet often overlooked, contributions of the elite women on St Eustatius, whose strategic alliances and property management helped consolidate power—even as systems of oppression underpinned their privileges. How do these hidden narratives challenge our traditional views of colonial history, and what do they demand from us today?

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Produced by Simpler Media

Explore St. Eustatius from 1750 to 1800, where booming warehouses, bold rebellions, and hidden stories of enslaved women intersect. Historian Dr. Allain reveals sweeping Caribbean upheavals while shining a light on how women quietly resisted an oppressive system. Discover the “First Salute,” recognizing American independence, and witness a fierce hurricane that exposes the island’s fragile success. 

Throughout, pressing questions echo: Where were the women in the archives, and why are their voices so rarely heard?  Part 1 of “Golden Rock Dreams and Nightmares” challenges the usual accounts, pushing us to look beyond the usual tales of wealth and uncover the hidden truths that shaped this remarkable slice of colonial history.

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Produced by Simpler Media

In “Shadows of Suffering in Buccaneers Paradise,” we travel to St. Eustatius (1700–1750), an era of booming trade, shifting European alliances, and the exploitation of enslaved labor—particularly women. Fragmented records reveal how free women inherited property and shaped local economies, sometimes defying rigid colonial norms. Meanwhile, enslaved women bore the dual burden of forced labor and reproductive exploitation yet preserved cultural traditions and asserted agency against all odds. Most intriguing is the island’s mysterious blue bead—initially just a piece of currency, it became a hidden emblem of defiance and survival. Join us as we unravel Stacia’s paradoxical prosperity and the quietly courageous acts that challenged a system built on human suffering.

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Produced by Simpler Media