Bermuda needs to look deep into its past to find symbols which unite everybody, Government Senator Walton Brown said yesterday.

Sen. Brown said some people still refuse to accept rebel slave Sally Bassett as a hero, even though she was fighting against one of the most vicious practices invented by man.

He also questioned the continued presence in the Senate of portraits of figures from Bermuda's past.

Gesturing towards the wall, he told the Upper House: "Those two pictures, for example, I don't even know who they are.

"Perhaps they have to go, as we try to make a better connection with who we are."

Sen. Brown was speaking during the Motion to Adjourn as senators discussed the significance of all Islanders coming together to celebrate Bermuda Day next Monday.

Independent Senator Walwyn Hughes recalled how the annual occasion was renamed Bermuda Day to unite the Country after the riots of 1977.

"Bermuda Day does bring people together," said Sen. Hughes. "It's a place to start."

Progressive Labour Party Senator Marc Bean dismissed the notion of multiculturalism as an illusion.

Sen. Bean said communities within Bermuda, such as the Portuguese, should celebrate their strengths instead of allowing them to get lost in an "imaginary stew" made from a combination of cultures.

"Multiculturalism has never worked to bring peace," said Sen. Bean.

United Bermuda Party Senator Jeanne Atherden had raised the topic of Bermuda Day by saying: "Years ago, lots of individuals participated in the parade. It just seems to me over the last years it hasn't been as harmonious as it used to be.

"I would like to encourage individuals to turn around and take this opportunity to reflect on what Bermuda is all about."