‘Indigenous Guyanese youth facing racism, human trafficking challenges.’

‘Indigenous Guyanese youth facing racism, human trafficking challenges’
By Michelle Loubon
Trinidad Express Newspapers | Oct 19, 2013 at 9:27 PM ECT

Unemployment and human trafficking are two of the major issues confronting indigenous youth in Guyana.

Michelle Williams, a youth leader among Guyana’s First Nation Peoples, made this comment during a 2013 panel discussion on International First Peoples at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) campus, O’Meara Road, Arima, campus earlier this month.

The theme of the conference was “Exploring Heritage, Consolidating Traditions and Creating A Legacy”.

The theme of the panel was “Youth, Gender and Elders of the First Peoples Communities”.

Williams said: “Our youths are finding it hard to get a job. There is human trafficking. Some of them are lured away with promises of good jobs. And they are often faced with a different dilemma when they are far away from home. Some opt to leave their homes and the capital of Georgetown and they are exposed to different threats.”

“They face other challenges like racism. They are called ‘bucks’. They do not mean Reebok. The Dutch called them buck because they are fleet footed. They say they move fast as a buck,” she added.

Apart from unemployment and human trafficking, Williams said there was the social problem of incest.

“Incest is taboo in Guyana. Cousin to cousin and they are having relationships. The Village Council has a role in ensuring it does not happen. Some youths feel there is no shame in doing it.”

Despite the challenges, Williams said: “It is important to work towards leaving a lasting legacy and creating a fortified regional approach to the treatment of First Nation peoples.”

At the end of her presentation, Williams presented documents on data about Guyana’s First Nation Peoples to Chief Ricardo Bharath, from the Santa Rosa First Peoples’ Community.

First Peoples hold the key: Protection of our natural environment.

First Peoples hold the key. Protection of our natural environment.
By Heather Dawn-Herrera
Trinidad Express Newspapers | Oct 17, 2013 at 12:58 AM ECT

As the events of Amerindian Heritage Week unfold we continue to be privy to smoke ceremonies, water rituals, and ceremonies to ancestral spirits of Anaparima or San Fernando Hill and much more. From the just concluded conference we learned much about the relationship between man and nature, how God manifests in all things natural.

The life of First Peoples the world over revolves around nature. In Central and South America, even as far as Australia, First Peoples are heavily dependent on nature. Here in Trinidad and Tobago, First Peoples have adapted to some extent to ways of life set upon us by our colonial past. Yet that is just on the face of things. Our First Peoples still practise their traditional ways of life as is evident in their contribution to our cuisine, spirituality, health and wellness of our natural environment, and much more.

My question is, is our natural environment being taken for granted in this modern day world even by our First Peoples?

As Dr Brinsley Samaroo observed at the conference, Nature was abundant before the coming of Europeans into the Caribbean. There was never a problem with lack of natural resources. There was generation and regeneration in the circle of life that our First Peoples lived.

Ricardo Bharath Hernandez Chief of the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community spoke of the intimate connection that First Peoples have with nature.

“First Peoples culture and spirituality is nature-based. God manifests through nature. We cannot exist without fire and water because we have these elements in us. Without them we cannot survive.”

My question is are we taking these basic gifts for granted in today’s world?

Because we live on two small islands Trinidad and Tobago, our lands are limited. We look around and see the extensive quarrying of our watersheds in important places such as Guanapo, Tapana and Blanchisseuse, some of our last remaining pristine areas.

Blanchisseuse is the very area where a minimal amount of land has been returned to our First Peoples. Our watersheds are not as inexhaustible as we may think especially in this period of the onset of climate change and the continuing abuse of man on our natural resources. We need water to survive. Water is life and it gives life.

We look around and see heavy deforestation across our landscape. We need our forested hills and valleys for food, shelter and medicines and much more. The threat of denudation of our natural landscape is very real. The air we breathe, the very survival of life forms that form the chain of life in our support system are threatened. This is far more serious than we think.

Cristo Adonis, Pyai of the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community gave some insights into protection of the natural environment as practised by our First Peoples, some of which are no longer present in today’s existence.

“We share the earth with other entities; fish, animals plants. We were taught to respond to all these things. Harmony in diversity. We ask permission of the plant when we approach it for medicinal uses. When we hunt, we hunt only for survival. All parts of the animal caught must be used and shared. Nothing is wasted because everything is sacred. This preservation of all things natural was destroyed by the invaders and now they are making more laws and setting boundaries.”

What needs to be done now is for a national call to be made for the protection of what remains of our natural environment. To this column’s mind, this is the most important decision that must be made before anything else. Preservation of what remains of our watersheds, our aquifers, and our rain forested hills and valleys must be enforced by declaring sanctuaries of them all.

The minimal amount of lands returned to the First Peoples does not have that vital presence of life support water, that precious element that is so basic for the activities that have been listed as part of the recreation of the life of the First Peoples Village.

Given the history of sustainable use of our natural environment, respect for nature and co existence with all forms of life, lands returned to our First Peoples must be increased to include a number of sanctuaries that only our First Peoples have the knowledge and practice to preserve.

As citizens struggling for equal importance in Trinidad and Tobago, our First Peoples must be given the chance to contribute to the health, wellness and productivity of our land. Our land must return to one of abundance as we see from the examples set by our First Peoples, examples that must be studied and emulated by all.

‘Stop Orange Grove aquatic centre’ ...historian calls for archaeological probe.

‘Stop Orange Grove aquatic centre’...historian calls for archaeological probe.
By Charles Kong Soo
Trinidad and Tobago Guardian Online | Sunday, October 6, 2013

Topsoil being removed in the Orange Grove Savannah.

Historian Angelo Bissessarsingh says all construction work should be halted on the Government’s aquatic centre in the Orange Grove Savannah (also called the Eddie Hart Grounds) so that an archaeological investigation can be carried out. This was to determine if the area contained priceless historical and cultural artefacts dating back to Spanish colonial times or the First Peoples and can be declared an indigenous protected area.

Bissessarsingh said, “These spaces are very important to the history and culture of the area and by extension T&T. “When projects like these are undertaken, there should be an archeological investigation before anything is done given the lack of consultation with the community.

“When those construction equipment went in, I grieve for what might have been lost. My experience has taught me that when public spaces have existed for as long as the Eddie Hart Grounds has, there are usually artefacts such as coins and ornaments in the subsoil and topsoil.”

Approximately two lots of topsoil was removed from the Eddie Hart Grounds during excavation on September 20. Residents said they were told that the excavation was done without the knowledge of officials at the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago or the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation. Bissessarsingh said there were First Peoples’ settlements spread across that corridor leading into Arima.

He said during the 18th century onwards, there were Spanish encomiendas or plantations given to conquistadors along with an allocation of semi-enslaved First Peoples. Bissessarsingh said there were encomiendas at Tacarigua, Arouca and Caura and that certain spaces existed in perpetuity, especially cemeteries and public spaces such as the old Spanish Square in St Joseph, since 1595.

He said Palmiste Park in South was not as old as the Eddie Hart Grounds and treasures such as 19th-century coins, gun flints, pottery bottles and objects of great antiquarian value to the history of the Republic can still be discovered there.

Bissessarsingh said many people knew the savannah as the Eddie Hart Grounds but it was known long ago as the Orange Grove Sugar Plantation. He said the plantation was owned up to 1850 by William Hardin Burnley, who was the richest man in Trinidad, quite possibly the richest man in its history. Bissessarsingh said upon Burnley’s death, his net worth was probably millions of pounds.

When he died, the property was inherited by his son William Frederick who lived in England and could not come to Trinidad, so it was managed in trust by William Eccles, who founded the St Mary’s Anglican Church and the St Mary’s Orphanage in Tacarigua. He said parts of the estate were sold off to various private entities such as Caroni 1975 Ltd, parts became Trincity, Blue Waters, Trintoplan and Belgrove Funeral Home.

Bissessarsingh said the ground itself was not just a space, it was a social structure and gathering space where generations of people from the time of slavery to the present day met. He said he understood the need for growth and development, but he believed that more consultation with the people had to be done before the aquatic centre was built and not in an ad-hoc manner.

Belix: Protect indigenous peoples’ sites

President of the local indigenous peoples group Partners for First Peoples Roger Belix said the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which was adopted by 144 member states, including T&T, stated quite clearly that burial sites and artefacts of indigenous peoples should be protected and returned.

Belix said, “These sites are sacred and also historical to the peoples of indigenous blood. While they would want to say we don’t exist, they should be preserved and be recognised as indigenous peoples’ sites and returned to the indigenous peoples by the people who now occupy our land.”

Resident: We were not adequately informed

Vernon De Leon, 63, a resident of Arouca for the past 43 years, said there was still no meaningful response from the Government, and the community was still at square one since consultation was limited.

De Leon said while the residents were not against the Ministry of Sports or the Government, appreciating that they had noble intentions, they believed, however, that they were not adequately informed about the implications of converting a section of the savannah into a car park for 300 vehicles, a swimming pool and a road running through the savannah. He said since the car park area was paved there was an increase in flooding on the southern side of the savannah.

De Leon said paving over and destroying the aquifer in the savannah will cause even more flooding in the area and negatively impact the water supply for a significant part of the country as it served WASA’s eight water pumps around the savannah and provided water to north, east and central Trinidad.

He said the low crime in the area was a result of having access to the facilities in the savannah for activities ranging from picnics, sporting events and elderly people coming from as far as Arima to walk leisurely in the outdoors. He feared that this may reverse. De Leon, whose children, Melissa and Marlon represented T&T in track and field, said they were part of “Buggy” Haynes’ football club before they went into athletics, and he used to take his daughter jogging on the field.

He said the area had a rich sporting tradition with the likes of Stern John, “Buggy” Haynes, Eddie Hart, Ellis “Puss” Achong and Keith Aqui and he feared the demise of that legacy with the loss of the savannah. De Leon said of historical significance was a Chinese Pistash tree that still stands in the savannah that dates back to the 1800s to the time of William Hardin Burnley. He said there were alternatives for the location of the aquatic centre and other facilities to be considered such as Trinity College East.

De Leon said there was enough space to accommodate all the proposed facilities in one location south of the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway, opposite Pan Trinbago and Blue Waters without “ripping out the heart of the community.”

Give Red House bones proper burial.

Give Red House bones proper burial.
By Miranda La Rose
T&T Newsday | Wednesday, September 18 2013

MAKING HER POINT: Deborah Koylass of Penal, makes a point 

at a meeting of the First People in Arima on Monday night...

A United Nations advisor to the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is advising that the State turns over the remains of bones found recently under the Red House to the local indigenous people for a proper burial.

The advisor, St Lucian-born Albert Deterville is also advising that the remains should not be placed in a museum.

Addressing members of the Partners for First People’s Development on Monday evening at the Photo House building in Arima, Deterville said,

“Normally what happens, when the remains of indigenous peoples are found, the State turns over the remains to the descendants of the remains, or to indigenous peoples. I would hope that the State in its wisdom would do so.”

Stating he does know what the State will do, he said, “I hope that a proper burial would be executed for the remains that were found, and that they are not be placed in a museum.”

He has always questioned, he said “why anthropologists and archeologists are so interested in the history and past of the indigenous peoples, and like to keep their bones, but they do not take the bones of other ethnic groups.”

The bones of the dead, he said “are sacred and it is disrespect for the bones to be kept by somebody who has no relationship with it.”

Noting he will support the decisions of the indigenous community on what should be done about the historical remains, he said he intended to hold discussions yesterday with officials of the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism on the implications of the find, as well as, to raise a number of issues with respect to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

On March 26, 2013 during initial excavation work undertaken as part of the restoration of the Red House — the country’s seat of governance — a number of skeletal remains, cultural and historical artifacts were found on the site. Subsequently, a composite of material comprising human bones, fragments of animal bones, shells, pottery and other artifacts were discovered and extracted from the soil in other areas at the Red House.

Another indigenous group, the Santa Rosa First People’s Indigenous Community on July 14 performed a spiritual ritual to “appease the spirits” of bones disturbed during works at the site. They were given approval by officials of the House Cultural Heritage Team, a Cabinet-appointed committee to manage aspects of the historical find.

The issue of land and land titles to indigenous communities, Deterville said was another “vexing problem” faced by indigenous communities, not only in TT, but in other parts of the region, and the world. He was surprised, he said, when last year, the UN representative in Geneva boasted that TT had granted 25 acres of land to the indigenous community in Trinidad.

The statement made by the representative in Geneva, he said, was made against the background that the Government of TT was protecting the rights of the indigenous peoples of TT, and as such gave them 25 acres of land. His statement evoked some laughter from the audience.

Noting that he was concerned about the dignity and respect for indigenous peoples, he said he questioned if the lands were titled and vested with the indigenous community and the response was in the negative.

“How many hundreds of thousands of acres of land are in Trinidad and Tobago for the Government to be handing over only 25 acres to the rightful owners of the country?” he asked.

Return of the First Nations.

Return of the First Nations.
By Angelo Bissessarsingh
Trinidad Guardian | Sunday, August 18, 2013

A Warao homestead in 1900

"In parts of Trinidad, there are places with the names Indian Trail or Indian Walk. These have nothing to do with Indo-Trinidadians but with the first peoples of the nation. Many roads that wind sinuously atop ridges also follow old footpaths beaten out through centuries of traversing. In the 17th century, encomiendas or estates were formed by the Spanish colonists where the native Amerindians were herded to become de facto slaves. Only slightly better were the missions established by Capuchin monks from 1687-90 and 1758-86. By 1770, the Amerindians had been decimated by disease and ill usage. Those belonging to the old missions in the north were marshalled in 1786 to a new allotment around the church of Santa Rosa in Arima and the arrangement was described thus in 1857 by Louis A DeVerteuil: “The village of Arima was, for a long time, an Indian mission. Soon after the settlement of the colony, these Indians had been formed into two missions, at Tacarigua and Arima. But as the formation of ingenios, or sugar estates, was proceeding eastward, they were removed to the quarter of Arima, where a village was formed, and houses built by them, on about one thousand acres which had been granted for the formation of a mission, along the right bank of the river, and as the full and unalienable property of the inhabitants. The mission of Arima was settled and governed on the same plan as all such establishments in the Spanish colonies. The Indians had their own municipal government, the first and second alcalde being chosen from among themselves, but under the control of the missionary priest.”

"In the same year, those settled in the south at the foot of Mt Naparima were sent to the Mission of Savanna Grande (Princes Town) in order to make way for the new town of San Fernando. While the people of Arima prospered and mixed into other populations, those at Savanna Grande were seized by apathy due to abuse from those appointed to oversee their welfare. By the time the mission was scrapped in 1840, the Amerindians had fled to South America to live among the Warao of the Orinoco Delta or else had retreated to the high woods. By 1850, there remained almost no evidence that Savanna Grande was once home to the second largest indigenous population in Trinidad. Nevertheless, a strange return occurred every year which saw first peoples coming out of the mangrove swamps of the mainland to visit Trinidad hinted at by EB Underhill in 1862: “The village retains the name of “The Mission,” and has still its Catholic church; but the Indians have long abandoned it, a few only once a year coming over from the continent of South America to pay a brief visit to the graves of their ancestors, and to gather the fruits of the forest in which they formerly lived. They bring with them a few rude baskets and mats for sale.”

"With the passing of the years, those who left Trinidad died but this did not stem the flow of communication between the first peoples and the land from which they were driven. San Fernando Hill (Annaparima) is a sacred place to the Warao and regular pilgrimages were made to this place. The landings would take place on beaches of the south coast such as Erin and Quinam with the silent men and women scantily clad, as was their custom, making their way along long-forgotten pathways to visit their ancestral places and also to trade. San Fernando was a major destination and their arrival never ceased to cause a stir as the ladies of the town sometimes cast clothing on the women to cover their nakedness. Baskets, hammocks and parrots were the trade goods and sometimes gold nuggets from the El Callao mines. Into the well-stocked mercantiles of High Street they went and bartered for shirts, cloth and sometimes fancy items like alarm clocks. Once, an intolerant inspector of the constabulary had a hapless band of these people arrested for indecency owing to their nakedness. These visits were common well into the 1930s but seemed to wane with the advent of World War II and the heavy military presence in the waters around Trinidad. All the same, there are sources who tell that as late as the 1960s canoes were beached at Puerto Grande near Erin and these ancient peoples wended their way across paths known only to them, returning before sunset and departing over the horizon."

First Peoples Lament Scarcity of Timite Palm.

First Peoples lament scarcity of Timite palm.
By Heather-Dawn Herrera
Trinidad and Tobago Express | Aug 7, 2013 at 10:42 PM ECT

"Many of us only see the Timite palm when its leaves cover the roof of the Benab of the First Peoples. To locate growing Timite you have to travel to such areas as Tapana and Matura where there is soil that is poorly drained and swampy. This is the true habitat of the Timite manicaria saccifera

The leaves of the Timite are harvested by our First Peoples to thatch their Benab, a large conical hut or shelter used as a meeting place.

"Cristo Adonis, Pyai of the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community, formerly known as the Santa Rosa Carib Community, has been harvesting Timite leaves since younger days.

“Sankarali Trace in Tapana was always the place where Timite grew profusely. The wet soil conditions supported an abundance of this palm. Some people wonder why we use the Timite and not carat as other groups do.

"The Timite leaf is one of the largest in the palm species. This means that it covers a wider area and you use less leaves as a result. It is also preferred because of its durability, coolness and water proofing.

"This is an example of how the First Peoples practise sustainable use of their natural environment. When we harvest the Timite, we collect the larger leaves on the outside, then a few of the younger leaves closer on the inside. The younger leaves are used for the top of the Benab and the larger for the sides. We do not harvest all the small leaves because you need to leave them for the palm to continue healthy growth. We clear away the vines that might be threatening to fester the palm. Again, this is our way of living sustainably.”

"What Adonis and the other men of the community now find when they go to harvest the Timite is that there is an alarming scarcity.

DESTROYED: Quarrying has destroyed much of the natural vegetation of Tapana. 

—Photo: Heather-Dawn Herrera

“We now have to search further for the Timite because most of the areas where this palm used to flourish are now being quarried on a large scale. We also find that not only quarrying is causing the destruction of these habitats but an influx of ad hoc gardens. People have entered the area and cut down large tracts of native vegetation. Permits are issued to us by the Forestry Division to harvest the Timite but I doubt that these gardeners get permission to use the land in like manner.

"What these people don’t know is that when they clear these areas, this leads to the drying out of these habitats. The resident vegetation cannot survive in drained soil. They need swampy conditions for successful growth. We now see a scarcity of the Timite. We see one Cocorite palm here and there fighting to survive but of the Timite, there has been significant loss.

"Timite grows by the seed and if there are no bearing trees to disperse seed into the water for new plants to grow then this is the beginning of the end for this palm that is so important to us First Peoples. It takes three years for the Timite to be mature enough for harvesting and six years for us to get those really large leaves

"Twenty five acres of land have been returned to the First Peoples by the State. This land is in an area where the eco-systems are vastly different from that that supports growth of the Timite. We therefore cannot transfer the Timite to this area because it would disturb the balance of the hilly natural environment.

"What might be possible and more feasible is for the State to grant us at least five acres of land at Tapana where we can maintain a thriving Timite plantation. We see this as saving that part of our landscape from certain desertification, preventing the total disappearance of the Timite palm, and ensuring the continuity of our intangible heritage.”

“Some people don’t care about maintaining a clean environment. They are making the Tapana area the alternative dump to that of Guanapo. It is shameful to meet all types of garbage dumped along the roadway into the area. We need to preserve this part of Trinidad and not destroy it.

"When these habitats have been destroyed and the Timite has been lost forever, then the First Peoples way of life will be seriously impacted. The art of sewing the Timite for thatching is not generally known outside the community and we are in the process of passing this information on to those who are interested. This is all part of our intangible heritage and we fear that this might soon be lost if the present rate of destruction of landscapes continues.”

First People’s integral part of TT.

First People’s integral part of TT.
By Corey Connelly
T&T's Newsday | Sunday, July 21 2013

Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez was not even a teenager when he first experienced the healing power of the First People’s.

Bharath-Hernandez, 58, Chief of the Santa Rosa First People’s Community, recalled that as a young boy, growing up in Calvary Hill, Arima, he had seen his late maternal great grandfather, Jacinto Hernandez, an elderly descendant of the tribe, perform a ritual on his sister, Diane Rudolfo, which he said, left him dumbfounded.

“My sister had bitten off a small part of a rubber slipper and pushed it into her nose and this affected her ability to breathe,” he told Sunday Newsday in an interview at the Carib Centre, Paul Mitchell Street, Arima.

Bharath-Hernandez recalled that his frightened mother, Elsie Rita Hernandez, had attempted to use a clip to extract the piece of rubber but instead of removing it, pushed the rubber further into his sister’s nostril.

“My sister ended up at the Arima Hospital and was told by the doctors that surgery may have had to be performed,” he said.

“But they were skeptical because they would have had to get permission from her father who was at work, so it was my grandmother who suggested to my mother that they take her to see our great grandfather.”

Bharath-Hernandez recalled that his great grandfather quickly performed an ancient prayer ritual on his sister, which, he claimed, saved her life.

“He (great grandfather) put his hands on her head and said prayers of the religious tradition,” he said. “While saying the prayers, he said she would sneeze three times before the piece of rubber came out. And the third time she sneezed, it really came out.”

Bharath-Hernandez, who was possibly about ten at the time, said the experience stuck with him, so much so that he had resolved, even at that tender age, to devote his life to preserving the heritage of the country’s indigenous peoples.

The Santa Rosa Chief recalled fond memories of his life on Calvary Hill, traditionally believed to be the home of the indigenous peoples.

Apart from experiencing the abilities of his great grandfather, whom he learnt, also healed persons with various complaints, ranging from snake bites to ailments about the body, Bharath-Hernandez recalled seeing his grandparents and other relatives preparing busily for the Santa Rosa Carib Festival. The event now forms part of the annual Arima Fest celebrations in August.

“As a child these things attract you because it meant time away from home and the children in the area were all part of the activity,” said Bharath-Hernandez.

“We would all go to the church (nearby Santa Rosa RC Church at the foot of Calvary Hill) to help them and we would be scolded if we did something wrong. It had an enduring effect on me and I continued where others did not have the drive to do so.”

But, decades later, the desire to effect change for his people has, for the most part, been an uphill battle, he says.

“Sometimes, it appears as though it is a lesson in futility but then something comes and re-inspires you to keep on,” Bharath-Hernandez said. “I would have left a long time ago but then something comes to encourage you.”

As head of the Santa Rosa First People’s Community, a position he assumed during the 1980’s, Bharath-Hernandez has been lobbying aggressively for “meaningful recognition” for his people for more than three decades.

Bharath-Hernandez said his family business, which produces indigenous foods such as cassava breads, ferine and related items, for sale, locally, is evidence of his desire to preserve aspects of the heritage.

The Carib Centre, established during the 1970’s alongside his home on Paul Mitchell Street, also bears testimony of the community’s efforts to preserve its ancestry, he said.

The centre, which can be regarded as a museum, contains instruments, writings and artifacts relevant to the First Peoples and remains a must-go destination for many visiting the eastern borough.

However, mild-mannered Bharath-Hernandez lamented that many in the society, including past governments, have not valued the contribution of the First People’s in shaping Trinidad and Tobago’s historical landscape.

“We are not a club or a parang association,” he said, alluding to the feeling that the community was simply about acquiring funding from the Government and other organisations.

The feeling by some that descendants of the First People’s, locally, were largely “watered down” versions of the indigenous inhabitants, have also contributed to the failure of the authorities to comprehensively address their concerns over the years, Bharath-Hernandez believes.

“But look at the Metie People in Canada. They are an indigenous group of mixed blood line and they enjoy protection under the constitution of Canada,” he argued.

In his latest battle, Bharath-Hernandez, supported by other members of the community, is urging the Government to develop a portion of the Red House, Port-of-Spain, into a national heritage site following the discovery of bones and artifacts of the indigenous people, several weeks ago.

Last Saturday, the group visited the Red House, where they performed the first of a two-part Purublaka ceremony to appease the spirits of the indigenous peoples whose remains are buried at the site. The second phase of the ritual is expected to be performed in October by a Shaman, preferably from one of the neighbouring countries in which there are First Peoples inhabitants.

Bharath-Hernandez, who served as a PNM councillor on the Arima Borough Council for some 18 years, regarded the find at the Red House as significant.

“It is not only about remembering those whose spirits lie there but also those who still live here and do not have their rightful place,” he told Sunday Newsday.

According to Bharath-Hernandez, descendants of the First Peoples in this country have long been viewed as “another cultural minority group,” when, in fact, they should enjoy “inherent rights” with respect to land titles. “These rights are supported by the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples which 144 countries voted for and Trinidad and Tobago is one of them,” he said.

The First Peoples, Bharath-Hernandez said, had initially been granted some 1,300 acres of land through a then Treaty by the Spanish Government.

“But somehow, they lost their lands under the British. That, to me, is a legal issue,” he said.

Bharath-Hernandez said since that period in the country’s history, descendants of the First People’s survived in scattered, unorganised communities in areas such as Caura, Tacarigua, Arouca, Lopinot, La Pastora, Santa Cruz, Maracas/St Joseph, Tamana and San Rafael.

The father of three estimates there are about 10,000 descendants of First Peoples living in the country. However, he claimed the community in Santa Rosa, Arima, was by far the most structured.

Nevertheless, Bharath-Hernandez said the community, a registered body which now falls within the purview of the Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration, is not without its challenges.

Although there are about 700 First People’s descendants in Arima and its environs, the Chief lamented that only about 120 participate actively in ceremonies and rituals.

He said these are usually limited to the Santa Rosa Carib Festival and the Heritage Day event in October, both of which receive government assistance.

Attributing the shortfall in participation to the fact that many descendants have different occupations and responsibilities, Bharath-Hernandez said many of the young people were also integrated heavily into the wider society and, as a result, were not focused on the indigenous aspect of their heritage.

He admits, “There is hardly anybody that lives the indigenous heritage to its fullest because things have changed. That has gone from us a long time. But there are still those who still practice aspects of the spirituality.”

Bharath-Hernandez said the most popular ritual was perhaps the smoke ceremony in which tobacco, herbs, leaves and other items are used during prayer sessions.

“Different items are used depending on what is being prayed for,” he said.

The former Deputy Arima Mayor said, however, that a “significant portion” of young descendants still want to know more about their heritage.

As such, he believes the 25-acre plot of land, which First People’s descendants have received (five acres from the PNM and the other 20-acres from the People’s Partnership Government), along the Blanchisseuse Road, Arima, holds the key to their future.

“It would mean that they (young descendants) can become involved in something to create a greater awareness. For now, there is nothing to hold on to and see returns,” he said, adding that the land, located in a forest reserve area, was being surveyed.

Bharath-Hernandez said the land has been earmarked for the construction of a full-fledged Amerindian Village, which would contain a cassava factory, craft museum, home for the Carib Queen, guest house, among other amenities.

Saying he expects that a major part of the project should be realised in three years time, Bharath-Hernandez said a master development plan for the Amerindian Village still had to be drawn up.

“That is a very costly exercise,” he said.

Bharath-Hernandez insisted that the community was not interested in hand-outs.

“All we are asking for are the basics - infrastructure, access to the site and some start-up funding,” he said, adding that there are plans to access funding from other sources. Bharath-Hernandez said when completed the Amerindian village would benefit the entire country.

“While it is not a tourism project, it is going to have a tourism component,” he said. “This can be a major aspect of divestment as it relates to preserving the culture. It would not be a URP or a CEPEP that could be taken away.”

"The Sidelining of Trinidad's Indigenous People."

The sidelining of Trinidad's indigenous people.

By Tony Fraser

Caribbean Intelligence

Trinidad's Amerindians seeking a heritage site

 

         

The fast-disappearing Amerindian community in Trinidad is petitioning for the national Parliament, housed in the history-rich “Red House”, to be moved.

 

Instead, they say, the area in downtown Port of Spain should become a heritage site dedicated to their ancestors buried under the building more than 1,700 years ago.

 

This community – approximately 1,000 to 1,500 descendants of mixed blood – are, thankfully, willing to compromise, but want some recognition as the first people of Trinidad.

 

“If that be asking too much to remove the ‘seat of power’ to allow a shrine to be built here to commemorate our ancestors, then in the restored building, there must be a recognition of our ancestors buried under the building,” said the chief of the Carib community, Ricardo Bharat-Hernandez.

 

The chief, the Carib Queen and a small group of the First Peoples of the Community of Arima were recently allowed access to the compound of the Red House.

 

The seat of the Trinidad and Tobago parliament is now undergoing major reconstruction. During this work, archaeological artefacts and human bones were discovered in March.

 

“What was found so far is a small amount of pottery, but it fits the period of AD 0 to AD 350,” said University of the West Indies (UWI) archaeologist, Peter Harris.

 

“While we haven’t got the whole story yet, I’m sure that if things were found so closely together in a place, they’re likely to be related. 

 

“We’re a long way from knowing what village or what was there on that site, but we do know the bones found are almost certainly Amerindian.”

 

Chief Bharat-Hernandez told Caribbean Intelligence© that the small group of Amerindian descendants who went on to the Red House compound “communicated with the ancestors in the prayer and ceremonial ritual known as the Purublaka”.  

 

Ancient battleground

 

Archaeologists believe the site could have been a battleground between two tribes, in what was then a forested area. 

 

“The Community wishes to assert their rights to revitalise their cultural traditions and to maintain protect and develop this archaeological site and the remains found therein,” Chief Bharat-Hernandez said.

 

He sent a letter to the Speaker of the House, Wade Mark, seeking to establish their rights as enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Peoples.

 

Article 11 of the UN Declaration states: “Indigenous peoples have the right to practice and revitalise their cultural traditions and customs.

This includes the right to maintain, protect and develop the past, present and future manifestations of their cultures, such as archaeological and historical sites, artefacts, designs, ceremonies, technologies and visual and performing arts and literature.”

 

Chief Bharat-Hernandez pointed out to the Speaker that the Declaration requires that “states shall provide redress through effective mechanisms, which may include restitution, developed in conjunction with indigenous peoples, with respect to their cultural, intellectual, religious and spiritual property taken without their free, prior and informed consent or in violation of their laws, traditions and customs.”

 

Whether such claims would extend to a country’s seat of parliament is another matter.

 

But the Carib community are sure to press their claims for space and recognition as renovations at the 106-year old Red House continue.

 

Red hot Red House

 

Historically, the Red House is no stranger to controversy.

 

The present building was reconstructed in 1907, four years after the original building was burnt to the ground by residents of Port of Spain in protest at an attempt by the Legislative Council of the day to place water meters in homes as a means of charging water rates.

 

In the 1930s, the period of the country’s Labour Riots, it was a focal point of protest by trade union agitator Uriah “Buzz” Butler and a large group of Grenadian-born workers in the oilfields of south Trinidad, who engaged in a Hunger March to the city.

 

In 1990, at a sitting of the national Parliament, the Red House was the target of a group of Black Muslim insurrectionists under Imam Yasin Abu Bakr.

 

Having bombed the next-door police headquarters, the Muslimeen group stormed and took over the Red House, in effect the Parliament chamber, in their attempt to stage a coup.

 

Prime Minister ANR Robinson, several members of his cabinet and members of the opposition were held hostage in the building for six days before the group surrendered to the armed forces besieging the building.

 

The Muslimeen, having negotiated what they believed was an amnesty given by the President of the Republic, surrendered only to face lengthy national and appeal court hearings.  

 

Raze the Red House

 

Today, the Amerindian population wants to level the Red House, or at least to see it recognised for different reasons.

 

But those ambitions of the Amerindian population long pre-date the archaeological find of a few months ago.  

 

For many decades, the Amerindian community in Arima, a town 17 miles east of the capital which hosts a statue of 17^th Century Amerindian warrior chief Hyarima, has petitioned successive governments for a 25-acre plot of land of its own.

 

“The intention is to re-create a model Amerindian village, to establish a cassava factory [cassava being a staple of the Amerindian diet] and to develop it as a tourist venture for the community to be self-sufficient; we don’t want hand-outs from the State,” said Chief Bharath-Hernandez, proclaiming the pride of his ancestral community.

 

Dominica’s Kalinago

 

He likens the idea to the Amerindian community in Dominica, which belongs to the Kalinago people of that nation.

 

The chief says that establishing the village community has the potential to encourage the young people of Amerindian descent to aspire to knowledge of their ancestral cultural patterns. 

 

He notes that, at present, there is little that keeps them attached to the way of life of their grandparents and great-grandparents.

 

But Chief Bharath-Hernandez told Caribbean Intelligence© that, while there are far larger Amerindian communities in Dominica and Guyana with descendants who have stronger blood ties to the past, the smaller Trinidad community has still “preserved quite a lot of the rituals and ceremonies of our forefathers”.

 

Outside Arima, in the deep south-west of Trinidad, towns and villages such as Cedros, Icacos, Siparia and Erin all derive their names from the First Peoples. Communities of Amerindian descent have been claiming sites such as the San Fernando Hill, once named Naparima, and also want to establish them as heritage sites.

 

“We have been living here for the past 7,000 years,” Rabina Shar, leader of the group in south Trinidad, said in January 2011 in a letter of complaint to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. 

 

“We want to organise and approach the government for recognition and lay claim to sacred sites.”

 

He noted in his letter that the national census had failed to recognise and categorise the indigenous peoples.  

 

“We are the first nation and everybody [else] come late. We want to be respected by all in society.”

 

Indigenous background

 

The United Nations 2009 report State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples paints a frightening picture of the condition of indigenous peoples today.

 

“The situation of indigenous peoples in many parts of the world continues to be critical: indigenous peoples face systemic discrimination and exclusion from political and economic power; they continue to be over-represented among the poorest, the illiterate, the destitute; they are displaced by wars and environmental disasters; the weapon of rape and sexual humiliation is also turned against indigenous women for the ethnic cleansing and demoralisation of indigenous communities; indigenous peoples are dispossessed of their ancestral lands and deprived of their resources for survival, both physical and cultural; they are even robbed of their very right to life. In more modern versions of market exploitation, indigenous peoples see their traditional knowledge and cultural expressions marketed and patented without their consent or participation.”

First People wants Govt to relocate Parliament.

First People wants Govt to relocate Parliament.
By COREY CONNELLY | Trinidad & Tobago's Newsday Sunday, July 14 2013

Carib Queen Jennifer Cassar, second from left, and President of the Santa Rosa First Peoples' Indigenous Community, Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez, second from right, along with other members of the First People descendants, leave the Red House in Port-of-Spain, after performing a Purablaka ceremony to 'appease' the spirits of their ancestors, yesterday.
Author: ROGER JACOB

Members of the Santa Rosa First Peoples’ Indigenous Community have asked the Government to consider relocating the seat of Parliament in Port-of-Spain as a mark of reverence to the remains of their ancestral spirits, says Carib Chief Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez.

However, he said if this is not possible, some attempt should be made during the current re- construction exercise to preserve the remains of the First People’s ancestors, at the site of the Red House, for descendants as well as members of the international community.

Bharath-Hernandez expressed hope that the Red House could further be developed as a heritage site “for the remains that are found there.

“The bones must be dealt with in a special way,” he said.

Bharath-Hernandez was among a group of First Peoples’ descendants who performed what he called a “Purablaka” spiritual ceremony at the Red House, yesterday, “in the name of the departed.”

He said the one-hour long ceremony marked the first phase of a two-part ritual, which is expected to be performed “more extensively” by a Shaman of High Priest of the community in October.

Bharath-Hernandez said the person is likely to be sourced from the mainlands of Venezuela or Suriname.

Acknowledging that the Government has been more sensitive to matters involving the indigenous peoples, the Carib Chief said, however, that the process of drawing greater national attention to their plight was “going slowly.”

“It is not going at a pace we would like and deserve some more meaningful attention,” he said.

Bharath-Hernandez said the Government has already given the First Peoples’ a 25-acre plot of land, along the Blanchisseuse Road, Arima, for the development of an indigenous Amerindian village.

Saying that the land was being surveyed, Bharath-Hernandez said issues relating to comprehensive development plan and cost of the project, still needed to be addressed.

“We do not want handouts from the Government,” he said.

“What we want is an industry so that the people can benefit from it. Not a little bit here and there.”

When completed, Bharath-Hernandez said, the village will contain a cassava and craft factories. Tours are also expected to be conducted at the site.

“All activities will be geared towards sustainable development,” he added.

Asked about the response of the community’s descendants to the First People’s, Bharath- Hernandez said: “It is not as solid as we would like it to be, but once they have something they could identify (Amerindian village) we expect that we would get returns. People feel more empowered when they can identify with something.”

Trinidad and Tobago Organization of Indigenous People: Facebook

Trinidad and Tobago Organization of Indigenous People: Facebook

"The T.T.O.I.P. is a new organization working in conjunction with other indigenous groups in Trinidad and Tobago to preserve the heritage of our First People. We look to seek the economical, cultural, social, and political rights of Indigenous people, especially the young generation.

For we can not know where we are going, if we do not know where we come from."

Carib Community gets access to Red House

Carib Community gets access to Red House.
By Camille Bethel | Trinidad Express Newspapers | Jul 13, 2013 at 9:48 PM ECT

"Members of the Santa Rosa Carib Community were granted access to the Red House in Port of Spain to perform one of their requested rituals yesterday afternoon.

"Speaking with the media following what was described as a simple ritual in the name of the departed, Carib Chief Ricardo Bharath Hernandez said they were happy they were granted the request.

“What we did today was what we had requested—that we do one of two rituals today. It was a simple ritual and it was a ritual really in the name of the departed, it was not to the departed. When someone dies you have certain prayers and rituals that you do and because of the find and we do not know at the time of death, if the rituals were done.

“More than that, because they have unearthed the bones and remains of the ancestors we who are alive felt it necessary to do that ritual. So we have performed that simple ritual and there is just one part of another one that we hope to do in the month of October under the guidance of the shamans and the (priests) who still practise these rituals in other places,” he said.

"Hernandez said the shamans who are expected to carry out the other ritual will have to be found on the mainland of Venezuela and Suriname in time for the Heritage Celebrations in October.

“They will conduct the all-night rituals in the name of the ancestors,” he added.

"Last week the Carib Community called a media briefing outlining several requests to the 25-member Cabinet-appointed committee for the site at the Red House where bones and artefacts of their ancestors were found back in April.

"He said he believes that the find at the Red House is a cry for recognition of the descendents of the indigenous people locally as recognised by the United Nations.

"Hernandez admitted that 20 or 30 years ago they may have had “great resistance” against a ceremony like that.

“So we can perform these ceremonies and it gives us a sense of pride, a sense of knowing that that aspect of your culture, your heritage that you grew up with, you can now practise and can be on par with any other culture in this country rather than being stifled,” he said"

CARIB COMMUNITY CONCERNS.

CARIB COMMUNITY CONCERNS.
Trinidad Express Newspapers | Jul 9, 2013 at 10:47 PM ECT

A conflict between science and culture.

The discovery of Amerindian remains at the Red House has triggered the formulation of a special team of archaeologists and experts.

The indigenous community that's laying claim to the dead is concerned their traditions may be sidelined in the process.

Research team to oversee restoration of Red House. Skeletal remains found...

Research team to oversee restoration of Red House. Skeletal remains found...
Trinidad Express Newspapers | Jun 29, 2013 at 9:00 PM ECT

A research team has been appointed to oversee the restoration of the Red House now that skeletal remains found in March beneath the seat of Parliament have been determined to be from the period around 430 AD to 1390 AD.

The discovery of the remains, likely those of Trinidad’s first peoples, occurred during project works in March and included fragments of human and animal bones, pottery, shells and other artefacts.

Local archaeologist Dr Peter Harris was assigned to lead research into the find.

Harris died on May 18 and in a statement from the Parliament Friday, special thanks were sent for his expertise in handling the find.

The samples of the excavated remains had been sent to Binghamton University, New York and Beta Analytic Inc Lab in Miami for DNA and radiocarbon testing, respectively, the statement said.

The tests were aimed at determining age, gender and ethnicity and some of the remains have been confirmed as human.

While some works will continue, care must now be taken to treat the site with respect, the Parliament stated.

“As the discovery of these human remains and other artefacts could signal the existence of other historical and cultural material at the Red House, an Archaeological Research and Rescue Excavation Team has been assigned for a six-month period on a full-time basis, as of Monday 1st July, 2013,” the Parliament statement added.

“During this period, the Red House Restoration Project will focus on the completion of essential surveys and designs ahead of construction works scheduled to commence in February 2014. Only minor necessary works will be undertaken at the Red House site, during this period, under the supervision of the Project’s Consultant Historical Architect.”

The team is now headed by Dr Basil Reid and will comprise a site manager, two assistant site managers and 25 labourers.

The project manager of the restoration project is the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT).

Recognise Caribs too

Recognise Caribs too.
Trinidad Express Newspapers | Jun 9, 2013 at 9:14 PM ECT

WHY don’t the indigenous people in T&T have a public holiday or Carib reserve/Carib territory?

We recognise the groups who travelled to our shores from India and Africa, why not try to teach our people the culture and traditions of our indigenous ancestors of T&T?

We are introducing all other traditions and languages except preserving the language, culture and traditions of the Caribs and Amerindians.

May Smith
via e-mail

Archeological survey of T&T. Bones beneath Red House, heritage consultant calls for...

Archeological survey of T&T. Bones beneath Red House, heritage consultant calls for...
Trinidad Express Newspapers | Apr 25, 2013 at 10:01 PM ECT

IT’S time to stop paying lip service to First Nation people and move to protect this country’s history, heritage consultant Dr Kris Rampersad has said in the wake of the discovery of a set of bones beneath the Red House in Port of Spain.

Two weeks ago, skeletal remains were found beneath the Parliament Building. The remains were accompanied by artefacts, such as pottery pieces, typical of the indigenous peoples.

In her Internet blog, Demokrissy, Rampersad referred to the need for a comprehensive archeological survey of Trinidad and Tobago.

“This also has value to the region and the world,” said Rampersad, who has been conducting training across the Caribbean in available mechanisms for safeguarding its heritage.

“We have for too long paid only lip service to our multiculturalism.

“The find under the Red House of bones potentially dating to the beginning of this epoch points to the significant need for a proper survey and actions to secure and protect zones that are of significant historical and prehistoric importance.”

Commenting on another famed--but neglected--historical site, Rampersad noted the neglect of the Banwari site in San Francique, south Trinidad.

The Banwari Site was the home of the Banwari man, a 7,000-year-old inhabitant and one of the most significant and well-known archeological treasures of the region.

Discovered some 40 years ago, little has been done to preserve and promote the site.

At a recent workshop, the potential of T&T’s heritage assets as UNESCO World Heritage sites were discussed, Rampersad said.

However, there was concern among Caribbean colleagues that this country was yet to move to effecting the research, legislation and other actions necessary to pin the sites as being of value.

Rampersad said Trinidad’s entire south-west peninsula was a key entry point in the migration of prehistoric peoples.

“So much of the history of the region is still unknown and so much of the accepted theories are being challenged,” Rampersad said.

A home for the Caribs. Plans for Amerindian Village in Arima.

A home for the Caribs. Plans for Amerindian Village in Arima.
By Irene Medina: Associate Editor | Trinidad Express Newspapers | Apr 22, 2013 at 8:04 PM ECT

TRADITIONAL: President of the Santa Rosa First Peoples (Carib) Community Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez, in traditional wear, shows off an artist’s impression of the Amerindian Village to be built on the 25 acres of land located on the Blanchisseuse Road, which was given to the community by the Government.

 —Photo: CURTIS CHASE | Trinidad Express Newspapers.

DNA (Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid) testing on descendants of the indigenous peoples in Arima has confirmed very strong ancestral links to Africa and to Native American Indians.

This was the finding of a National Geographic Genographic Project which was conducted on some 25 members of the 600-strong Santa Rosa First Peoples (Carib) Community sometime in July 2012.

With the results just in, president of the community Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez believes it is good for the community’s identity which is sometimes questioned, as to whether it is the real thing.

As he puts it, “We never claimed to be a pure indigenous community, we know we are of mixed descent, but at the same time we are very conscious of where we came from. We can trace our ancenstry.”

The results come at a time when pottery artefacts and bone fragments believed to be of Amerindian heritage dating back to AD 0-350 were discovered by workers doing restoration works at the Red House in Port of Spain about three weeks ago.

The fragments are strongly believed to date back to the Amerindian era and Chief Bharath-Hernandez has already visited the site, which formerly housed the Office of the Parliament, and stands ready to perform the necessary ancestral rituals once it is confirmed that the fragments are indeed Amerindian.

He explained that the community was excited to participate further in the Genographic Project in an effort to trace the paternal and maternal lineages of all of its 600 members.

The results of the project were released to Bharath-Hernandez on March 28 by Dr Jada BennTorres from the University of Pennsylvania, who is responsible for administering the project to the local community.

In her letter, Dr BennTorres thanked the Santa Rosa Karina (Carib) community for participating in the project and explained, “We have completed preliminary analysis of the mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome (NRY markers). These analyses will tell us about the maternal and paternal lineages of the community members.”

According to her, the findings of the genetic ancestry of the community “indicate a complex ancestry that includes Africans, in addition to a very strong Native American ancestral component”.

She added that all 25 individuals would receive their information at a later date and that more detailed findings of the analyses would be released to the community.

Bharath-Hernandez told the Express that swabs were taken from participants’ mouths and while members were fearful of giving blood, the tests did not involve blood samples. He said a lot of people were scared and sceptical so a mere 25 participated. He, however, hopes to convince more people to test their DNA.

At present Chief Bharath-Hernandez is consumed with plans to construct permanent home for his community on 25 acres of land given to the group by the State last December.

“We plan to construct a modern Indigenous Amerindian Village, meaning we want to keep the village as authentic and traditional as possible but with all modern-day amenities.

“It will comprise a main centre to be used as a meeting and cultural space, which will be located in the centre of the village. Spiritual rituals will also be conducted there. There will also be an official residence for the Carib Queen, Jennifer Cassar; a cassava-processing plant to make farine, cassava flour, cassava bread and casaripe; a craft centre where the people will be doing the indigenous craft, as well as an indigenous museum to display our artefacts.”

The president added that there will be a guest house to accommodate visitors and students who wish to do ethnographic studies.

“The plan is to have ten to 12 families living there permanently and they would be responsible for the management of the place. We are also going to have an agricultural focus, consisting of wildlife and crop farming.

“We intend to conduct eco-tours and nature trails, because the intention is to keep a major portion of land in its natural form,” the chief said.

He spoke of the need for a natural watercourse through the land, which, he said, would have been possible, had the State granted them the 200 acres they requested.

“There is one on adjacent lands, west of the village but that plot is privately owned and we may want to ask for that as well,” he said.

Originally, he said the Amerindians were given 1300 acres of land.

“We have evidence that the Mission of Arima was established and the land was lost to the British, but with the UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples, one of the articles states that governments should work with indigenous communities to redress some of those wrongs.”

He said the 25 acres was long in coming.

“The journey took 40 years to reach here, starting with Dr Eric Williams in the 1970s, who, on a visit to Arima, was approached by then-Queen Edith Martinez for assistance for the Santa Rosa Festival.

He instructed the Arima Corporation to give a grant of $200, which was used to register the community.

“That grant moved to $500 and now stands at $5,000. Successive governments over the years provided some assistance by way of small grants, but the idea of 200 acres of land was first discussed with the Basdeo Panday administration in 1995.”

“In 1990, the NAR government approved a $30,000 yearly grant, but it was in 1995 when then-prime minister Basdeo Panday met with us to discuss a request for 200 acres.

“The idea is that most of the land would remain in its natural formation, because of the importance of forest to the indigenous community, it would not be cleared for commercial use.”

Chief Bharath-Hernandez noted, however, that although the 25 acres were awarded in December 2012, he is yet to receive any official documents.

“We have also not yet discussed under what terms the lands would be given. We are hoping it is not a lease arrangement, but a grant in light of the fact that the community once owned 1,300 acres.

“It has been a long process, about 40-plus years, we are beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel. It may not be finished in my lifetime but a major part would be established, “he said.

The community observes a Day of Recognition on October 14 annually, and Bharath-Hernandez is hoping that with a permanent and spacious home, the community could do more to mark its heritage.

As to how soon the development is expected to start, Bharath-Hernandez said “it could start as soon as tomorrow”.

He spoke of forming partnerships with numerous agencies, including the Ministry of Tourism, “who sees the village as having tourism potential”.

He said the promised lands are now before the Director of Surveys, the results of which will inform the type of development to take place on the land.

Bharath-Hernandez said preliminary discussions are also on with a well-known designer for possible layout of the village.

He added that his members have mixed feelings about the Amerindian Village. “They are excited, but because most of them are old they lament they might not be around to be a part of the development.

“But we are already seeing some interest expressed by the younger ones, because, for the first time, they could have a livelihood and see ways for their own development.”

The newly registered name, Santa Rosa First Peoples Community, has also gone a long way in removing the stigma of the community being associated with an alcoholic beverage, a popular brand name chicken and cannibalism, he said.

Indigenous People of Trinidad and Tobago.

Indigenous People of Trinidad and Tobago.
By Luna MoonLightandShadow
Moon, Light and Shadow | Wednesday, April 10, 2013.

The history of Trinidad begins with the settlements of the islands by Amerindians. Both islands were explored by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage in 1498. Tobago changed hands between the British, French, Dutch and Courlanders, but eventually ended up in British hands. Trinidad remained in Spanish hands until 1797, but it was largely settled by French colonists. In 1888 the two islands were incorporated into a single crown colony. Trinidad and Tobago obtained its independence from the British Empire in 1962 and became a republic in 1976.

Human settlement in Trinidad dates back at least 7,000 years. The earliest settlers, termed Archaic or Ortoiroid, are believed to have settled Trinidad from northeastern South America around 5000 BC. Twenty-nine Archaic sites have been identified, mostly in south Trinidad; this includes the 7,000-year-old Banwari Trace site which is the oldest discovered human settlement in the eastern Caribbean. Archaic populations were pre-ceramic, and dominated the area until about 200 BC.

7000 year old remains of Banwari Man (or woman)

click to read more.

Around 250 BC the first ceramic-using people in the Caribbean, the Saladoid people, entered Trinidad. Earliest evidence of these people come from around 2100 BC along the banks of the Orinoco River in Venezuela. From Trinidad they are believed to have moved north into the remaining islands of the Caribbean. Thirty-seven Saladoid sites have been identified in Trinidad, and are located all over the island. 

Saladoid red on white ceramic artifacts.

After 250 AD a third group, called the Barrancoid people settled in southern Trinidad after migrating up the Orinoco River toward the sea. The oldest Barrancoid settlement appears to have been at Erin, on the south coast.

Following the collapse of Barrancoid communities along the Orinoco around 650 AD, a new group, called the Arauquinoid expanded up the river to the coast. The cultural artifacts of this group were only partly adopted in Trinidad and adjacent areas of northeast Venezuela, and as a result this culture is called Guayabitoid in these areas.

Around 1300 AD a new group appears to have settled in Trinidad and introduced new cultural attributes which largely replaced the Guayabitoid culture. Termed the Mayoid cultural tradition, this represents the native tribes which were present in Trinidad at the time of European arrival.

Their distinct pottery and artifacts survive until 1800, but after this time they were largely assimilated into mainstream Trinidad society. These included the Nepoya and Suppoya (who were probably Arawak-speaking) and the Yao (who were probably Carib-speaking). They have generally been called Arawaks and Caribs. These were largely wiped out by the Spanish colonizers under the encomienda system. Under this system which was basically a form of slavery, Spanish encomederos forced the Amerindians to work for them in exchange for Spanish "protection" and conversion to Christianity. The survivors were first organized into Missions by the Capuchin friars, and then gradually assimilated. The oldest organized indigenous group in Trinidad is the Santa Rosa Carib Community centered in the town of Arima, although several new groups have developed in recent years.

This was my I post in the A to Z Challenge 2013. I live on the tiny Caribbean island of Trinidad, the larger of the two islands which make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. My theme this year is True to Trinidad and Tobago. I invite you to explore my home with me. The rest of my A to Z posts can be found here.

Banwari Man - Trinidad's Oldest Resident.

Banwari Man - Trinidad's Oldest Resident.
By Luna MoonLightandShadow
Moon, Light and Shadow | Tuesday, April 2, 2013

In as much as my first post for the A to Z Challenge 2013 was about Archaeology, I've selected this article about the oldest resident on my island: Banwari Man. I was hoping to visit the site where he was found but perhaps later in the year.

In November 1969, the Trinidad and Tobago Historical Society discovered the remains of a human skeleton at Banwari Trace. Lying on its left-hand side, in a typical Amerindian “crouched” burial position along a northwest axis, Banwari Man (as it is now commonly called) was found 20-cm below the surface and is presently located at the museum of the University of the West Indies. Its feet were higher than the rest of the body, and unfortunately were excavated and bagged separately. Only two items were associated, a round pebble by the head and a needle point by the hip. Its situation in a shallow pocket of humus, apparently excavated into the shell midden, and subsequently covered by normal shell refuse, places burial shortly before end of occupation, probably about 5500 years ago.

The archaeological site at Banwari Trace where the skeleton was found is located in Southwest Trinidad, and was featured in World Monument Watch 2004, an internationally acclaimed magazine that highlighted the world’s 100 most endangered sites. Dr. Basil Reid, Head of The University of the West Indies Archaeology Centre and Lecturer in Archaeology at UWI, wrote about the importance of this historical site to our cultural heritage and pre-Columbian history.

“Dated to about 5000 B.C. (years Before Christ) or 7000 B.P (years Before Present), it is the oldest pre-Columbian site in the West Indies. Banwari Trace sheds considerable light on the patterns of migration of Archaic (pre-ceramic) peoples from mainland South America to the Lesser Antilles via Trinidad between 5000 and 2000 B.C.”

Dr. Reid explained that Banwari Trace’s antiquity holds much significance for understanding the migratory patterns of Archaic peoples from South America into the Caribbean region. Also as the oldest Archaic site in the West Indies, Banwari Trace clearly indicates that southwest Trinidad was one of the first migratory “stops” for northward-bound Archaic settlers who eventually colonized several islands in the Caribbean archipelago.

The 3,127.2-m² property on which the site is situated is now Government-owned, having being acquired from a private landowner in March 2000; while the skeletal remains of Banwari Man are presently in the custody of the Life Science Department, U.W.I., St. Augustine. Preserved with cellulose-in-acetone, the skeleton is in a secure environment and is very much available for future studies by a physical anthropologist.

Banwari man, or woman, is still the oldest skeleton in the West Indies, and its survival for 5000 years at 20cm below the surface is nothing short of miraculous.

This was my B post in the A to Z Challenge 2013. I live on the tiny Caribbean island of Trinidad, the larger of the two islands which make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. My theme this year is True to Trinidad and Tobago. I invite you to explore my home with me. The rest of my A to Z posts can be found here.

Original articles on Banwari Man can be found here, here, and here.