17/03/2026
Janice Pemberton Tutein, lovingly known as “Auntie Janice,” was a proud “Bahn Ya” Crucian—born and raised on St. Croix—with family roots on the island dating back more than two centuries. She earned a degree in elementary education from Morgan State University and devoted her life to teaching, storytelling, and celebrating Virgin Islands culture.
Widely respected as a cultural ambassador and recognized as a “Culture Bearer,” Tutein dedicated herself to preserving and sharing the rich heritage of the Virgin Islands. Gifted with a natural talent for storytelling, she kept the tradition of oral history alive, weaving moral lessons and Crucian dialect into her narratives so that younger generations could better understand and appreciate their cultural identity.
Tutein spent nearly three decades working as an elementary school teacher, including 20 years at Pearl B. Larsen Elementary School and 10 years at Juanita Gardine Elementary School. Beyond the classroom, she remained deeply involved in cultural preservation, serving as the cultural director of the St. Croix Agricultural Fair and helping promote heritage through Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism (CHANT).
In recognition of her lifelong dedication to the community and her efforts to preserve Virgin Islands traditions, the Legislature of the Virgin Islands passed a resolution in 2019 resolution to name a store and the Homestead House at the Agricultural Fair Grounds in her honor. Tutein passed away in 2019, leaving behind a lasting legacy of education, culture, and community service.
