The origin of the word Junkanoo is obscure. Some say it comes from the French “L’inconnu” (meaning the unknown), in reference to the mask worn by paraders; or “junk enow”, the Scottish settlers’ reference to the parades, meaning “junk enough”; or “John Canoe”, the name of an African tribal chief who demanded the right to celebrate with his people even after being brought to the West Indies in slavery. Here in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Junkanoo has been a celebration of the salt harvest trade which occurred during the trading of the salt. When merchant ships would bring goods to trade for the harvested salt, it was celebrated by the Islanders through the beating of drums, pots and pans, the scraping of saws, scrub boards, shaking of maracas, cow bells and the blowing of conch horns and whistles.