Trinidad Caribs Inaugurate New Queen

Republished from:
NEWSDAY, October 13, 2019

Caribs crown queen Nona
First Peoples conduct ceremony in Arima

by Janelle De Souza, with photos from Ayanna Kinsale

Carib royalty: Nona López Calderón Galera Moreno Aquan is regal, during her inauguration as the new Carib Queen in the Carib Centre on Paul Mitchell Street, Arima.

It was a very emotional moment for 63-year-old Nona Aquan when she was inaugurated as the new Carib Queen.

The indigenous ceremony took place yesterday at the Carib Centre, Arima, in the presence of First Peoples and political dignitaries alike.

Aquan, full name Nona Lopez Calderon Galera Moreno Aquan, shook, cried and smiled in her seat as she was surrounded and blessed by pyai (shamans or religious leaders) from TT, Suriname, Guyana, Guatemala, and Guyana. She, along with First Peoples chief Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez, will work together for the leadership and upliftment of TT’s indigenous people.

The ceremony started with Aquan cleansing her face and hands with consecrated water before seating herself on a chair at the centre of a large carat shed as Bharath-Hernandez explained the history of the institution of the Carib Queen.

He said the mission of Santa Rosa was established for the First Peoples but some Spanish people, and eventually others, settled and ‘mixed’ with them. He said while the chiefs had the authority there was always a female elder who would be their Keeper of Traditions. However, in the 1800s there was a crisis in the male leadership and so the Carib Queen was sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church.

Carib Queen Nona Lopez Calderon Galera Moreno Aquan receives her blessings from 100-year-old-Moruga Chief Paul Navarro during her inauguration at the Carib Centre, Paul Mitchell Street, Arima

Aquan was then blessed by the pyai. The smoke of incense and tobacco filled the air as the pyai, including 100-year-old Moruga Chief, Paul Navarro, prayed to the great spirits in their native languages, and blessed her by wafting and blowing the smoke in her face and on her body.

During the blessing by the Suriname contingent, the queen’s headdress was placed upon her head. She was then invested with special beads and a cape before several First People’s women held sacred palm branches over her head and sang spiritual songs in tribute to the queen.

Explaining the symbolism of the branches, Bharath-Hernandez said when Jesus was born and King Herod pursued the family as they fled, palm branches fell on Mary to hide her from her attackers. Therefore the branches was a symbol of protection.

For the last part of the ceremony, Aquan knelt in front of her mother to receive her blessing – a kiss on the forehead.

With tears in her eyes, Aquan told members of the media she was touched and overwhelmed to see and feel her connection to all the indigenous people in TT and abroad. In between numerous hugs, congratulations, and well-wishing, she thanked her relatives, friends and all other supporters for being at the ceremony.

Asked what she planned to work on as queen she said, 

“I want to see more things for the youth... get them more involved with the community because we are stronger in numbers. I think they should have a daycare for young mothers. There are a lot of aunties at home, providing (care) so the younger ones can go out and be comfortable.”

Carib Queen Nona Lopez Calderon Galera Moreno Aquan, right, dances with guests at her inauguration held at the Carib Centre, Paul Mitchell Street, Arima on October 12.

Arima Mayor Lisa Morris-Julian attended the ceremony. She said, 

“I am extremely proud. I love how the First Peoples took something so colonial and made it so much theirs. The queen of the First Peoples is not just a title. She’s going to be responsible for so many things in our community, keeping the children of the community alive, so I am very happy.”

There to witness the event were Permanent Representative to the UN, Pennelope Beckles; former culture minister Joan Yuille-Williams; Toco/Sangre Grande Regional Corporation chairman Terry Rondon; PNM PRO, Laurel Lezama-Lee Sing; and former minister of national diversity and social integration, Dr Roger Samuel. Also in attendance were visitors from the US, Belize, Dominica, and Japan.

The indigenous ceremony was followed by an inauguration mass at Santa Rosa RC Church, Arima.

On the Passing of Carib Queen Jennifer Cassar

Tributes for queen of First Peoples

The Guardian, July 21, 2018

“The Santa Rosa First Peoples Community is mourning the death of its Queen Jennifer Cassar. Cassar, 66, died on Thursday after a brief illness. She would have celebrated her birthday on August 4. She was elected Queen of the Santa Rosa First Peoples’ Community in 2011, until her death. Cassar succeeded then ‘Carib Queen’ Valentina Medina, who died at the age of 78. A statement from the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community said Cassar would be remembered ‘as being a very warm, humble and compassionate Queen of the Community, who worked tirelessly with the young Community members.’ She was a cultural activist for over 20 years and known for her advocacy for the arts…. The ‘Carib Queen’ as she was affectionately called, Jennifer Cassar was born on August 4, 1951 at Malabar, Arima to Nicholasa Lara-Pile and Rawle Pile. She is the first of five children. Her ancestral line was quite deep as she was descended from the full Amerindian bloodline through her maternal great, great, grandparents—Jose and Annicasia Lara (nee Lopez); Great Grandmother Maria Chichita Lara and Grandfather Pablito Lara, also called Hubert de France. Her paternal grandmother was also of full Amerindian blood from Guyana while her mother was also a descendant of the Caribs. Cassar was a member and Assistant Secretary of the Santa Rosa First Peoples (Carib) Community. She was a practising Roman Catholic who lived the Amerindian way of life through her grandparents who observed a staunch indigenous lifestyle through their involvement with the Santa Rosa Festival. She was a member of the Cabinet-appointed Amerindian Project Committee for five years. Cassar represented the Santa Rosa First Peoples Carib Community at the 3rd Indigenous Leaders’ Summit of the Americas in Panama City, Panama in April 2009. In December of that year she participated in a seminar on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples for the Caribbean held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. She had was a cultural activist for over 20 years and was a member of the Regional Carnival Commission with responsibility for co-ordinating National Stick-Fighting Competitions. As a career public servant, Cassar joined the Public Service of T&T in 1971 and served the country for 40 years. She worked in several government ministries including the Ministries of Education, Community Development, Culture, Sports, Health and the Judiciary. She was also a certified Home Health Care professional.”

Please note: Carib Queen—no quotation marks needed—is not an “affectionate title”. It is a formal title in the Carib community, as has been the case for a period stretching now across three centuries.

Read more at:

http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2018-07-20/tributes-queen-first-peoples

Condolences on the passing of the Carib Queen Jennifer Cassar

Government of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, Statement from Prime Minister Keith Rowley.

“I wish to extend sincerest and heartfelt condolences to The Santa Rosa First Peoples Community on the passing of the Carib Queen Jennifer Cassar. As the First People mourn this loss so too do the people of Arima, as Mrs. Cassar was a symbol of strength, will and power within this community. Though today we feel sadness having experienced this loss, I feel comforted by the fact that as Carib Queen Jennifer Cassar was able to experience the celebration of the First People across Trinidad and Tobago in 2017. This celebration and recognition of the community showed to all of us the vigour, energy and excitement that was Jennifer Cassar as she ceremoniously paraded through the streets in this celebration. Mrs. Cassar was not only the Carib Queen but also heralded a career in the Public Service of Trinidad and Tobago and served this country for over forty years. She contributed to the development of her country through work in Education, Community Development, Culture, Sport, Health and the Judiciary. Today I take the opportunity to again express my humblest gratitude to Mrs. Jennifer Cassar for her yeoman service to the First Peoples Community, to the Borough of Arima and to Trinidad and Tobago. May her life be an example to those in and outside of the Carib community and may her legacy be carried with love, light and positivity. May she rest in peace”.

PM issues tribute to late Carib Queen

CNC3, no date

“Mrs. Jennifer Cassar worked tirelessly to sensitise us to the role and contributions of the First Peoples Community and continuously strived to preserve and revitalise Amerindian history and traditions. The Carib Queen was one of the key advocates who lobbied Government to honour a long-standing call for a one-off holiday to formally recognise her Community’s presence and contribution to our country. Government granted the request and the holiday was celebrated on October 13th, 2017 with Queen Cassar leading a procession through the streets of Arima. She was a member of the Cabinet-appointed Amerindian Project Committee from 2007 and also a member of the Regional Carnival Committee of the National Carnival Commission with responsibility for coordinating National Stick Fighting Competitions”.

Read more at:

http://thebigboardcompany.co.tt/press-release/pm-issues-tribute-late-carib-queen

Carib Queen’s life celebrated by President
Sunday Express, July 25, 2018

President of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, Paula-Mae Weekes:

“Having worked for forty years in the public sector before her retirement, Ms. Cassar devoted almost her entire life to the service of her country. I have known her since 1996 when I had been working at the Hall of Justice. I quickly became aware of the esteem in which Ms. Cassar was held by members of her team and was struck by the diligence with which she executed her duties. She was fiercely loyal to the judge for whom she was the Executive Secretary for many years and involved herself with many other ancillary functions of the Judiciary until she retired. During her tenure at the Judiciary, Ms. Cassar held a deep concern for the welfare of the First Peoples of Trinidad and Tobago. She had always wholeheartedly embraced her indigenous identity and sought to encourage others to also take pride in their heritage. Her inauguration as Carib Queen in 2011 therefore acknowledged her many years of activism and her standing in the First Peoples’ community. I was pleased to follow her leadership as Carib Queen as she worked tirelessly to improve the unity and solidarity of the indigenous people and to secure greater recognition for their customs and traditions, such as stick-fighting [sic]”.

NCC Mourns the Passing of Jennifer Cassar, the Carib Queen

National Carnival Commission, July, 2018.

“The National Carnival Commission of Trinidad and Tobago (NCC) joins with the nation in remembering the life of Jennifer Cassar – beloved Carib Queen, organiser, and cultural pioneer – who died on July 19, 2018. Cassar is widely lauded as a smiling, kind-hearted leader who worked alongside her community to organise events such as last year’s grand celebration for the First Peoples Public Holiday. Additionally, she has been an invaluable contributor and guiding figure in the Annual Arima Fest celebrations, Santa Rosa Festival, and First People’s Heritage Week. Cassar would also have a tremendous impact in an area outside of First Peoples’ empowerment movement. She is also fondly remembered for her work in bringing Stick Fighting to the fore and her tireless energy in giving the artform the respect and recognition it so rightly deserves. Remembering Cassar’s legacy and invaluable contributions, NCC Chairman, Winston ‘Gypsy’ Peters said, ‘We, at the Commission, are deeply touched by her passing’”.

Read more at:

http://www.ncctt.org/new/index.php/media-centre/news/624-ncc-mourns-the-passing-of-jennifer-cassar-the-carib-queen.html

Passing of Carib Queen, Jennifer Cassar Sends Arima into Mourning

Power 102 FM, July 19, 2018, Press Release from the Arima Borough Council.

“Mayor Lisa Morris-Julian and the Arima Borough Council are grieved by the passing of beloved Carib Queen, Jennifer Cassar. The Council describes the loss as a blow to Arima’s foundation, which is rooted on the First Peoples’ contributions. The Council laments the loss of a phenomenal woman of pure Carib descent. However, the council is thankful that she assisted in extensive work to keep persons of First Peoples’ lineage united and thriving in the Santa Rosa First Peoples’ Community. It recognizes her decades of labour which assisted to create a space in the borough where the First Peoples are acknowledged and respected. The Council recalls fond memories of the late Carib Queen as a smiling, kind-hearted leader who worked alongside her Community to organize events such as last year’s grand celebration for the First Peoples one-off Public Holiday. The Council will miss her contribution to this year’s Arima Fest celebrations, Santa Rosa Festival and First People’s Heritage Week. The Arima Borough Council wishes to express sincere condolences to her family, the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community and all of her loved ones”.

The Carib Queen has died

Daily Express, July 20, 2018, by Sandhya Santoo

“Education Minister and Arima Member of Parliament Anthony Garcia also extended condolences on the passing of Cassar….’She contributed to the development of her country through work in Education, Community Development, Culture, Sport, Health and the Judiciary. Today I take the opportunity to again express my humblest gratitude to Mrs. Jennifer Cassar for her yeoman service to the First Peoples Community, to the Borough of Arima and to Trinidad and Tobago. May her life be an example to those in and outside of the Carib community and may her legacy be carried with love, light and positivity. May she rest in peace,’ he said”.

Read more at:

https://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/local/the-carib-queen-has-died/article_8cecf37c-8c22-11e8-9366-233b1a58cf45.html

The Carib Queen is dead

Trinidad & Tobago Newsday, July 20, 2018, by Carol Matroo

“Arima Mayor Lisa Morris-Julien said Cassar was not only Carib Queen but the ‘Queen of Arima’…. ‘We expected to have Mrs Cassar with us for a very long time. She was loved by everyone, by her neighbours, by the entire community. Every Arimian was proud that she was our queen. She was heavily involved in culture and I credit her for bringing back stick fighting back to Arima, always trying to ensure that we become the cultural mecca that we should be,’ Morris-Julian said…. It was Cassar’s dream to establish an Amerindian village in Blanchisseuse and the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community was granted 100 acres towards this venture. ‘Government gave them the land and I’m so happy that she lived to see the one off holiday (last October 13). Her role in the community could never be underestimated. She was the right hand of the chief (Ricardo Bharath) and she always took the needs of her people before her own. She was an excellent mother and wife,’ she said.”

Read more at:

https://newsday.co.tt/2018/07/20/carib-queen-jennifer-cassar-has-died/

Regional Amerindians for Cassar’s funeral

Trinidad & Tobago Newsday, July 24, 2018, by Carol Matroo

“Her casket will be open for public viewing at the Arima Town Hall on Friday from 10 am to 12 noon and a funeral service will be at the Santa Rosa RC Church. A full Amerindian ritual service will be conducted at the Santa Rosa Cemetery ‘where her body would be offered back to the elements from which she came.’ Indigenous members from Guyana and Surname are expected to attend”.

Read more at:

https://newsday.co.tt/2018/07/23/regional-amerindians-for-cassars-funeral/

Carib Queen’s funeral on Friday

Daily Express, July 23, 2018

“Viewing of the body will take place at the Arima Town Hall from 10 a.m. to 12 noon where a condolence book will be available. After this there will be a procession through the streets of Arima and then to the Santa Rosa Catholic Church on Woodford Street for the funeral service. Following the interment at the Catholic Cemetery, guests will gather at the Santa Rosa First Peoples Centre at Paul Mitchell Street, Arima. Nightly wakes will be held today and on Tuesday at Koon Koon Street, Malabar, Arima from 7p.m. to 12 p.m. On Wednesday, the wake will be held at the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community headquarters at Paul Mitchell street”.

Read more at:

https://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/local/carib-queen-s-funeral-on-friday/article_fa3a2e10-8ea0-11e8-a0f3-d7ca371cf031.html

T&T mourns passing of Carib Queen Jennifer Cassar

Caribbean National Weekly, July 22, 2018

“Carib Chief Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez has described her passing as a great loss to the Community, especially coming on the eve of the Santa Rosa De Lima Festival on August 26, the 223rd Anniversary of the festival. ‘She was indeed a Queen, for our time’”.

Read more at:

https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/caribbean-breaking-news-featured/tt-mourns-passing-of-carib-queen-jennifer-cassar/

Updated on July 29, 2018

The Santa Rosa Carib Community of Arima, Trinidad and Tobago: A Video Introduction

Carib Community of Arima, Trinidad and Tobago from Maximilian Forte on Vimeo.

This video introduction is the start of a long overdue series of video documentaries to come, this one focusing on photography and providing a condensed overview of the key themes in the history, politics, and culture of the Caribs of Arima, Trinidad. It also presents much of the material of what used to be available on the website of the Santa Rosa Carib Community, which has since expired and which has not yet been replaced by Indigenous members of the community (I am the former webmaster)--although it remains archived here. (In addition, see this tremendous effort to put material about the Carib Community online, by primary school students in Trinidad, hosted by the Ministry of Education.) With time, I will be posting the best of the materials from the former Carib Community website, so that they are still "active" online.

The video above is based on both ethnographic and historical research. The contents of the video are organized according to the following sections:

1. The Mission

The loss of lands under colonial rule; racism; displacement.

2. The So-called "Extinction"

How the Caribs were abolished by the stroke of a pen; historiography; stereotypes; censuses; "the only real Carib is a pure a Carib, and the only pure Carib is a dead Carib".

3. The Traditions

Loss of land, but perseverance of the essence of indigenous affectivity: belonging, Home. The mutation and multiplication of traditions: glimpsing what the Caribs mean by retained, maintained, and reclaimed traditions.

3-A. The Santa Rosa Festival

Processions. Gathering together.

3-B. Work duties for the Santa Rosa Festival

Carib labour; maintenance of a Carib hold on Trinidad's oldest public festival.

3-C. The Smoke Ceremony

Indigenous resurgence, reclamation, shamanism. Indigenous language reacquisition. Prayers.

4. The Resurgence

A focus on key actors in the Carib Community, and the role played by Indigenous Peoples outside of Trinidad who visit the Arima Caribs.

4-A. Chief Ricardo Bharath Hernandez

How he started the resurgence. Formation of the Santa Rosa Carib Community as a new organization. Being landless.

4-B. Shaman Cristo Adonis

The shaman is the one who sings--a short overview of Cristo Adonis' work in the community.

4-C. Carib Queen Justa Werges

Extensive quotations on the role and power of the Queen, the vision of Just Werges.

--Brief notes on other Carib Queens (in this video, a total of four appear: Maria Werges, Edith Martinez, Justa Werges, and Valentina Medina)

4-D. International Indigenous Connections

Selective, based on the photographs available: Assembly of First Nations of Canada, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, Tainos, Australian Aboriginals, Dominica's Gli-Gli Carib Canoe, Guyanese weavers, Surinamese singers.

5. The Question of Recognition

The paradox of recognition as another act of dismissal. How the Caribs have been monumentalized, enshrined, museumized, and continue to be stereotyped and appropriated. The national mainstream media. State support and government recognition.

Yet, the state will only recognize one single organization, and only then after having pushed it to formally incorporate itself as a limited liability company, which is the legal status of the Santa Rosa Carib Community.

Funds provided to the Community are for the purposes of mounting shows and displays, not for the Community's own sustenance, to achieve self-reliance, for its own long-term benefit.

Recognizing only one organization, in one single place, as Carib means that all of the descendants of Trinidad's Indigenous Peoples, spread throughout the country, go unrecognized.

The Caribs have been boxed up. The state mounts an implausible explanation to the United Nations: that all Caribs died off, except for in Arima, only one of over a dozen mission towns to have existed.

If before the only real Carib was a pure Carib, and the only pure Carib was a dead Carib...today that has become:

"The only recognized Carib is an Arima Carib."

Otherwise, the state dares not to even speak the name Carib, Warao, Indigenous, Amerindian, or First Peoples on the national Census.

And so the struggle continues...

Closing with a collage of members of the Carib Community throughout history.

New Carib Queen Elected in Trinidad: Jennifer Cassar

First published in the Trinidad Express as "Jennifer Cassar is new Carib Queen"

By Kimberly Castillo

02 July 2011

Carib Queen Jennifer Cassar

AUGUST 6 will signal a new chapter in the history of the Carib community.

On that day, Jennifer Cassar, 59, will walk out of the Santa Rosa RC Church in full Carib regalia, as the new Carib Queen.

The event is expected to draw supporters and members of the indigenous community bearing the traditional halekebe (crocheted poncho).

Cassar will take her place among her predecessors including Dolores MacDavid, Maria Werges, Justa Werges and Valentina Medina.

Her inauguration next month will be the first time in more than a decade that the community has elected a titular head.

For 11 years Medina served as Carib Queen until she succumbed to breast cancer in April at the age of 78.

Carib queens are elected based on their maturity and their vast knowledge of Carib history, practices, customs, way of life and oral traditions.

To say that Cassar is knowledgeable of her heritage would be a big understatement.

Since she was a child, Cassar was groomed in the indigenous customs, so much so that today she is like a walking encyclopedia on indigenous history.

"Although my mother was around, I also grew up with my grandparents and they lived a strict Carib way of life, this involved all aspects of Carib life. My grandmother was involved heavily in the Santa Rosa festival, I had to be part of the the procession with her. I made a commitment before she died that the lifestyle she had, I would emulate. I have to carry the mantle of my ancestors," said Cassar as she sat in the Carib Centre at Arima, surrounded by life-sized wooded sculptures, palm fronds and hand-woven baskets.

Cassar's appointment was based on more than her knowledge of the indigenous community. President of the Santa Rosa Carib Community, Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez explained that Cassar's cultural activism and her public service made her an obvious choice for Carib Queen.

For more than 20 years, Cassar has been involved in Carnival related activities, and has been the main organiser for the regional Carnival committee of the National Carnival Commission.

It is hard to imagine that this wife and mother of two, who is reserved by nature, is also a coordinator for stick-fighting competitions.

She has also spent 40 years as a public servant.

For the past five years, Cassar has also been a member of the Cabinet-appointed Amerindian project committee and has participated in a seminar on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples for the Caribbean.

"Cassar has what it takes," said Bharath-Hernandez, to take the Carib community further.

Cassar made it clear that her role would involve more than simply being the face of the Carib community.

Her duty as Carib Queen will include supervising the Santa Rosa Festival, one of the major highlights on the local indigenous calendar.

She will take on the responsibility of cleaning and decorating the church in preparation for the festival.

Cassar will also take the lead in the procession and offer prayers and she is tasked with passing on Carib traditions to members of the community.

There are burning issues which Cassar says need to be addressed as a matter of priority.

"We want to ensure that the land that was promised to us by the last Government comes to fruition, at least during my lifetime, and to ensure that the people of Amerindian descent become actively involved in the Santa Rosa Carib Community, because there are a lot of them out there who do not want to be identified as Carib or indigenous, so we want to create projects to woo young people and also go out there on a campaign to encourage them to come to the community," said Cassar.

One of Medina's unfulfilled wishes was to see a united indigenous community.

Cassar says she is committed to making this a reality as she paid homage to her predecessor: "She was a very pious individual, very devoted to Santa Rosa, she was like a matriarch. Even though I have a lot of experience in many areas, I am a simple person, very approachable and open to any idea anyone may have on how we can take this community forward."

---

First published in Newsday as "Caribs elect new queen"
Saturday, 02 July 2011

Jennifer Cassar is the new Carib Queen-elect.

Following the passing of former Queen, Valentina “Ma Mavis” Assing, who died of cancer, in April this year, Cassar was chosen to take up the mantle of the indigenous Carib community.

Cassar is the sixth woman to head the Carib community since female rule was introduced in 1875. She said she is elated and is looking forward to her responsibility.

Cassar said she has embraced the Carib way of life since childhood.

“I’ve been a Carib all my life. My great-great grand- parents were full blooded Caribs; my grandfather and my mother are half Caribs.

I know a lot of the history because I lived my life as a Carib,” Cassar said. “There is a lot that I have to look forward to as the Carib Queen,” she added.

Cassar, who has two children, said although she tries to impart the Carib influence on her children, they prefer to be “modern” in their ways. She said one of her aims would be to try to encourage more awareness of the Caribs and their way of life. She said the Carib community has a lot to offer.

President/Chief of the Santa Rosa Carib Community, Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez, said he believes Cassar is a noble Carib Queen.

He noted that Cassar has a wealth of experience that will benefit the Carib community, which is also known as the Santa Rosa First People’s Community.

Funeral Ceremony for Trinidad Carib Queen Valentina Medina

Carib queen gets ceremonial send off

Published in The Guardian on Mon, 2011-05-16

Michelle Loubon

The late Carib queen, Valentina Assing Medina, had three wishes. They were granted. Paying tribute to Medina, her daughter Loretta Medina-Grant said, “She wanted a pink rose in her hair. She also asked to see several people including Senator (Penny) Beckles (who read her eulogy), and Councillor Metevier. She especially asked for Msgr Christian Perreira to do her service.” The celebration and thanksgiving for the life of Medina, fondly known as Mavis, took place at the Santa Rosa RC Church, Arima, on April 29. Among those present were acting Prime Minister Winston Dookeran, Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism Winston Peters, and president of the Santa Rosa Carib Community Ricardo Bharath.

Lopinot/Bon Air West MP Dr Lincoln Douglas and chair of the Amerindian Project Committee Vel Lewis were also present. As a lagniappe, she was sent to the Great Spirit via a traditional Amerindian ceremony at the nearby Santa Rosa cemetery. Leading the cortege, was flagsman Peter Diaz. The strains of Pedro Lezama’s saxophone were replaced by the infectious sounds of traditional parang which permeated the landmark kirk. From vantage points at the Santa Rosa park, mourners, including filmmaker and journalist Tracy Assing, watched the celebration unfold. Delicate poui blossoms formed a purple carpet closer to the boys’ school. The cortege was en route to God’s acre to bid their final rites to Medina. Another famous Arimian, calypsonian Aldwyn Roberts, fondly known as Lord Kitchener, was buried there.

Clutching palm fronds, members of the Carib clan decked in traditional vestments followed reverently. Their pretty faces were wreathed in smiles. Retired Spanish teacher at Arima Government Secondary School, Beryl Almarales, was spotted. She was joined by Jennifer Cassar, Antonia and Catherine Calderon, Maria Hernandez and Mary Noreiga. Elders, including Ramona Lopez and Metrina Medina, paid their final respects.

Even the menfolk such as Partners for the First Peoples, Roger Belix, donned waistcoats etched with bird figurines. As they wended their way, traditional Arima families like the Martinez clan watched the procession from their home—which was a blend of modernity and colonial architecture.

Amerindian ceremony send off

In the cool of the evening, Bharath and medicine man or shaman, Cristo Adonis, officiated at the smoke ceremony. They were assisted by her grandson Zachary Medina. Among those present were Arima Mayor Ghassan Youseph, and Arima MP Rodger Samuel. The aroma of forest incense wafted. Mourners coughed, and some retreated as the fire blazed. Under the boughs of a mango tree, neighbours espied the religious spectacle. Quizzed on the ceremony, Bharath said, “It is a smoke ritual. But it has different components to it. It is done in begging for a request from the Great Spirit. It is done in thanksgiving and at the death of someone. Depending on the ceremony, you will use different ingredients. In the case of death, we used tobacco, incense and some medicinal herbs.”

During the ceremony, Bharath said, “We prayed to the Great Spirit (Tamushi) to allow the guardians of the four directions to guide the soul of the departed to find rest and peace. It was simpler in the send off.” As custodians of the environment, Bharath said he prepared the incense from trees growing in the forest. “We use what is indigenous to the area. We get if from the gum trees in the forest.” Earlier on, in his tribute, Bharath had lamented that several traditions had died. “In the earlier days, they would have placed tools or what the person used in life. “If it was a medicinal man, they would have put herbs. If it was a hunter, they would have put his bow and arrow. They might have even put some food. But some of those traditions we don’t practice. The heavy traditions have died,” he said. After the religious formalities, traditional paranderos shook their chac chacs and strummed their guitars as they celebrated the life of a proud Arimian, who was “humble, dedicated, caring and loving.”

Santa Rosa Festival

Throughout her reign, she remained devoted to Santa Rosa. Accompanied by Father Perreira, Medina led the procession through Arima. The statue of Santa Rosa, was decked with rows of beautiful roses and a bouquet of red roses, perfected by whites, pinks and yellows. The celebrants sang hymns and chanted the Our Father. The Carib community and other participants clutched tropical blooms like anthuriums, ginger lilies and roses.

Carib strides

During her tenure, the government declared October 14 as the official day of recognition. In 2006, T&T was given the chairmanship of the Regional Council of Indigenous Peoples. She expressed gratitude to Works Minister Jack Warner, George Hadeed and Mayor Youseph for their assistance. Bharath said he regretted her passing without witnessing the land handover. In a previous interview, (August 11, 2002) Medina said: “If we get the land we will plant cassava, corn, too. “We want a place for agouti and deer to run. It will boost our heritage and culture. “We do not eat people—only wild meat like agouti, deer and tattoo,” she had joked.

About Valentina Medina

Valentina Medina lived at Wattley Street, Mt Pleasant, Arima. In 2002, she was one of many indigenous peoples celebrated by the United Nations on International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. She was born to Clemencia Hale Assing and Thompson Hale Assing at Rapsey Street in Caura. She was the wife of the late John Medina. She was the mother of Loretta, Camilus, Octave, Herbert and Bernadette. Medina grew up in Paria, a very pristine neck of the woods, in Arima. She lived and worked there. She was Carib queen for 11 years. She felt it was a “special experience to be queen of the Carib community.” She was elected based on her knowledge and history and traditions of the Carib community. She was the fifth Carib queen in the history of the Santa Rosa Carib Community.

Ricardo Bharath on the Carib Queen, Land, Survival

Carib Queen could not witness land hand over

Published: Sun, 2011-05-01 in The Guardian

Michelle Loubon

[Senator Pennelope Beckles presented the eulogy at the late Santa Rosa Carib queen Valentina Medina’s funeral.]

President of the Carib Community Ricardo Bharath regrets that the late Carib queen Valentina Medina was not in a position to attend the handing-over ceremony of the land promised to the Carib community at Blanchisseuse Old Road, Arima. He also lamented that the community has not made more strides in the country because of a community leadership crisis since they were viewed as a minority group. Medina served the Santa Rosa Carib community in her capacity as queen for 11 years until her death from cancer recently. Bharath made the comment during a celebration of thanksgiving for her life at Santa Rosa RC Church, Arima, on Friday last. Among those in attendance at the church service were acting Prime Minister Winston Dookeran, Arima MP Rodger Samuel, Arima Mayor Ghassan Youseph and Senator Pennelope Beckles who offered the eulogy. Msgr Christian Pereira was chief celebrant.

Bharath said: “There is some disappointment she was never able to see the actual handover of the land. We are not asking for a gift.” Interviewed on Wednesday, Bharath said: “If only she could have seen the model village, that would have contributed to the sustenance of the community. “I am saddened by her passing and disappointed she never had that opportunity.” Bharath indicated the site would offer craft, a museum with indigenous forms of agriculture and offer information on cassava (manioc) processing. “It would be a living village. Many students would be able to get a hands-on experience,” he said. Bharath added: “I feel the government needs to step up but somehow things are moving too slow. Something should be done for the last remnant of the first peoples.” Quizzed on the elevation of a new queen, Bharath said: “After the burial (last Friday) a meeting would be called and her successor named.”

Challenges

Bharath said before the community came under the jurisdiction of the Catholic Church, they were represented by a chief. “But being placed in a Catholic Mission, they came under the control of the priest.” He lamented culture and traditions have begun to die. Meanwhile, women are emerging with leadership qualities. “Santa Rosa Festival was named for the first Carib queen.” Medina was the fifth Carib queen, from 1785, in what was known as the Santa Rosa Mission. Making reference to the community being viewed as a minority, Bharath added: “We are seen as incapable of making decisions. The change is gradual.” He called for mutual respect so they could move forward.

Trinidad Caribs Looking for New Queen

Caribs look for new queen
Published: Thu, 2011-04-28 in The Guardian
Brent Zephyrine

The process of selecting a new queen of the indigenous Carib community “will be a challenge” if adequate financial provisions are not allocated to the successor of the late Valentina Medina. So said president of the Carib community, Ricardo Hernandez Bharath, in an interview yesterday. Medina, 77, who had been ailing with cancer for three years, succumbed last Saturday, having served ten years as queen of the Carib community in Santa Rosa. Bharath said the queen, whose office was for life, acted as the official representative for the Carib community and made appearances at various events, fulfilled the duty of community consultant and functions as the chief public relations liaison for both visitors and students.

He said at present, the post did not come with a stipend and believed that something ought to be done to provide some relief in that regard. “If you want to give of that office a kind of respect and dignity, I believe that some sort of assistance from some government department must be afforded to that person,” Bharath said. He added that “it would be a challenge to appoint” a successor if stipends were not provided since it was necessary to assist the queen “in her day-to-day engagements, in preparation to attend functions and receive visitors” among other particulars. “We assist her with a little when we get our annual subventions,” he said.

“Apart from that, we depend on contributions from visitors, school children, the sale of art and craft and the little indigenous foods we do but it is not consistent, nor is it enough.” Asked to outline the procedure for the election of a new queen, Bharath said where the “queen did not name a successor,” the community would meet and nominate candidates who they felt were best suited to carry out her functions. “If there is just one nomination (which is unopposed) and it is accepted, that person will be made queen and where there is more than one nomination, then an election will take place and the majority will stand,” he said. Bharath said the requirements for the new queen “will need to be a bit more advanced” when compared to the past and more emphasis would need to be placed on “the qualities of the person.”

“In the past, you just had to look for someone knowledgeable of the Carib traditions, devoted to the Santa Rosa festival and committed to living a good life but today, it will require someone who can interact with the public,” he said. Medina’s funeral service will take place tomorrow from 2 pm at the Santa Rosa Roman Catholic Church, Woodford Street, Arima. Her body will lie in state at the Arima Town Hall from noon to 1.15 pm, after which there will be a procession through the streets of Arima. Medina will be laid to rest at the Santa Rosa Cemetery where Bharath will perform a special burial ceremony. Monsignor Christian Perreira of the Catholic Church will preside over the funeral service.

Carib Queen Valentina Medina Passes On

By Leiselle Maraj Monday, April 25 2011
Published in Newsday

Carib Queen Valentina Medina passed away at her home on Saturday after battling cancer for the past three years. She was 77 years old.

She has been the Carib Queen of the community in Santa Rosa for the past ten years. May 6 this year would have been her 78th birthday and marked her 11th year as Queen.

Medina’s daughter, Lauretta Grant told Newsday yesterday the Queen passed away at her home at Mt Pleasant, Arima, at about 3.20pm on Saturday surrounded by her children and close family who lived nearby.

She said her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago and although she removed the cancerous growth, the disease spread to the rest of her body. A few days ago, Grant said, her mother visited the doctor who informed her that the cancer spread to her bones.

The queen was unable to attend several functions within the past year due to her illness. Grant said her mother was ashamed to be seen looking so frail after she lost so much weight due to illness.

Her last appearance was at a function for the feast of Santa Rosa last August.

“She was in a lot of pain then. My mother suffered a lot with her illness but she died peacefully and we were all with her,” she said.

The family is currently making funeral arrangements but Grant said there may not be a service before Thursday.

“She was very close with Senator Pennelope Beckles and my mother asked her to read her eulogy but she would not be in the country until Wednesday,” Grant explained.

The community now has to choose a new Queen. Grant said while she was not sure of the exact process, the community will have to hold a meeting and choose three women who meet the requirements to be Queen. The community then votes and the person with the most votes is declared the new Queen.

Medina leaves to mourn Grant and her three sons, grandchildren and great grandchildren. According to a media release from the office of Arima Mayor, Ghassan Youseph, she was the mother of five children, one daughter and four sons.

“On behalf of all Arimians, as well as the executive and staff of the Arima Borough Corporation, the Mayor and Council extend heartfelt sympathies to the Carib community on their loss,” the release stated.

Also sending condolences is the political party, the Congress of the People. In a separate media release, COP noted Medina’s passing is a great loss to the members of the Carib community and the wider citizenry.

“Queen Medina, queen for the past 11 years, represented the purity and soul of our First People. She worked assiduously to promote the philosophy and history of the great Carib community. Even though she was soft spoken she always made her passionate views heard. She epitomised the concept of religious and cultural diversity in Trinidad and Tobago, a feature for which she was well known,” the release stated.

COP called on Government to work with the new Carib leadership and honour her so she will be known by future generations.

President of the Santa Rosa community, Ricardo Bharath Hernandez could not be reached for comment.

Condolences to Carib Queen Valentina Medina and her family

John "Bertie" Medina, husband of Valentina Medina the Queen of the Arima Caribs, and great uncle to CAC Editor Tracy Assing, passed away today (Wednesday, 02 April, 2008). According to Cristo Adonis, in a phone call this evening, the tentative plans are for a funeral on Monday, 07 April, 2008.

I also knew Mr. Medina from the two previous times I lived in Arima (1997-1999, 2001-2003) and he was always a warm, gentle, humorous person. The photograph shown here was taken in August of 1997 at the Santa Rosa Carib Community Centre, where he was helping to clean rods used for the flags of the Santa Rosa Festival.

Roll Call for the Ancestors

It is very sad that in my limited time I have seen the passing of so many elders and key people in the Carib Community, including:

• Justa Werges, the former Carib Queen
• Alexander Calderon
• Julie Calderon
• Nemencia Calderon
• Elma Reyes
• Lawrence Augustus
• and now Bertie Medina

Our condolences to the family, relatives, and friends.

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Good Company

Thank you for the warm welcome and the invitation to join the CAC Review. I am grateful for your work. I thank all our ancestors for guiding us to each other.

I almost am not sure where to begin. But I guess as good a place to start as any is in my own back yard. I live on the island known as The Land of the Hummingbird. And there are many hummingbirds indeed. My island is beautiful but unfortunately much of its beauty remains undiscovered by many of the people who live here. For some the forest remains a place of mystery and danger, while it has been a place of reawakening for others.

Discovery. Now there’s a word that has caused trouble for us all. But perhaps the bigger problem lies in the question of who discovered what. And when.

On this Land of the Hummingbird, while the frogs and crickets sing a warm welcome to the rain and praises to the full moon, we are re-finding, redefining and refining our space. My people of the Santa Rosa Carib community who grew together as one tribe, have just about lost their young. Our grandmothers and great grandmothers, a few grandfathers, are the only ones bothered to come to gatherings.

My own great aunt is the Carib Queen. I decided against writing "reigning" there. I could not write it because it feels like she has no power at all. Her people sometimes don’t bother turning up. Sometimes her people have other appointments. Sometimes her people are surviving.

More in the days to come on survival.