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The Legacy Of The First Peoples

7/22/2021

Buried under the earthen ground of this twin-island state, are the whispers, stories and memories of a time once forgotten and unfamiliar faces. Trinidad and Tobago, much like Latin America and the Caribbean chain of islands, once beheld the presence of the indigenous peoples: Tainos and Kalinagos. With the arrival of Christopher Columbus, Christianity and the European colonisers, such tribes were decimated and close to perishing as they slaved away on estates. Yet their resilience and blessing of the Great Spirits, made them persevere.

In 2013, restoration of the Red House, one of the most iconic national buildings in Trinidad and Tobago, disrupted the sands of time and unearthed the treasures of the First Peoples. Their implements and very bones were discovered. Could it have been fate that served as a reminder to T&T that we ought not to forget our historical roots? Was it sheer luck? But the irony of it all — to uncover the burial ground of the first inhabitants of this country under the edifice where parliament and all major political icons sit and decisions are made for this Republic.

This brought great joy to the current descendants of the First Peoples’ community and so a call was made for a reburial to be held at the Red House. Six years later, once restoration was completed, a grand yet solemn ceremony was held by the surviving First Peoples of Trinidad and Tobago, along with others visiting from Guyana, Suriname, Guatemala, Venezuela, Dominica and as far as Canada and the US. They came to participate in a historical event, pay homage to their ancestors and an ode to the Divinities who walk with them.

The reinterment took place with huge pottery jars made with Amerindian accents from sister countries and the ritualistic outlay of the remains of almost 60 persons. Offerings of water, flowers, incense, tobacco and traditional music were made while vibrations rocked believers to heartfelt tears and ecstatic states of ‘manifestation’. The present Carib queen, Nona López Calderón Galera Moreno Aquan, participated along with First

Photo published by the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

Peoples’ Chief, Bharath-Hernandez, along with shamans, political ministers and other prominent guests. A call was made to institute a public holiday, 14th October, to commemorate those who first shaped the entire Caribbean. Many ethnic and religious groups are honoured; however, the Amerindian community was awarded a one-time holiday in 2017. Perhaps we need to reconsider the need for greater recognition and remembrance of their mark upon this land, similar to other communities.

Photo published by the Trinidad Express Newspaper

As part of the revival, monuments that serve as reminders of their legacy were erected throughout the land: ‘Hy Arima’ in Arima, ‘La Venezuela’ in Santa Cruz and now a new statue in Moruga, where there was once a very strong Amerindian presence. The new statue will be named once the elders receive enlightenment and it will be unveiled by Grand Chief Paul Navarro and members of the Warrao community. Finally, a statue

has been proposed to be erected over the Red House’s burial site in the near future called ‘The Blood of The First Peoples.’

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Let us know if you enjoyed this article in the comments below. Be sure to look out for Hy Arima and the Santa Rosa feast in August.

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Cuba: An Eye-Opening Experience

7/8/2021

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A couple days after writing this article, on Sunday 11 July 2021, demonstrations broke out on the streets of Havana with citizens expressing their discontent with economic hardship exacerbated by the pandemic — resulting in shortages in food and medicine and electricity cuts — and after decades of repression. The current context is important to see and understand the effects of sustained economic sanctions (the blockade) over time, but I would like to share the perspective I gained from my visit regardless.

My visit to Cuba on an exchange programme, where we attended classes at El Instituto Superior de Relaciones Internacionales ‘Raúl Roa García’, the Cuban Diplomatic Academy, was such an experience. I went to Cuba on an exchange programme in 2004 during my master’s programme in international relations and this opened my eyes to the differences in
what we expect of a ‘western’ culture and the reality of a ‘western’ economy with a different way of life in terms of the lack of commercialism to which we, in T&T and the western world, have become so accustomed in our day-to-day lives.

In Havana, there were no such things as malls and shopping centres per se, but open-air craft markets with lots of art, crocheted items, hand-rolled cigars, handmade cigar boxes, wooden handcrafted items, lots of historical books in stores and book stalls, sculptures and other beautifully crafted items which were available at a fraction of the cost that such items would be priced in other countries.

A well-managed healthcare system, education and housing for all, pride in their resourcefulness, values such as family, education and the importance of people — the value placed on their human resource — were all aspects of this society that stood out for me.

The simple things like enjoying music, the sea breeze and dancing; being able to take a walk at day and night, especially as a woman, without fear of being attacked, robbed or being faced with some form of gun violence, were some of the experiences that made me question the way of life in my own country.

Everything I had heard about Cuba, or to which I was exposed in the media prior to my visit, seemed so far away from my experience while there. Not to be idealistic, I did learn that people had become accustomed to living without, to getting by on necessities and many were not free to express their political opinions. I even experienced having to buy ice cream in a place dedicated to tourists as opposed to the place set aside for locals, which was purchased in a different currency by tourists (the Cuban Convertible Peso or CUC, now being eliminated).

Visiting a grocery store was definitely an eye-opener. The very basics were available. Having endured a blockade by the US for 46 years by then (the Cuban revolution took place from 1953-1959, the first embargo was imposed in 1958, I visited in 2004), this was the norm for them. Being made to rely on purely or mainly local resources in my country was not something I was able to imagine, but here were these extremely vibrant, creative and resilient people restoring and making do with the assets which they had, by repurposing 20th century cars, and living in buildings built in the previous century, that many owners did not have the resources to upkeep or refurbish.

Attending a ballet show at El Gran Teatro de la Habana was another fantastic experience. This is home to the Cuban National Ballet — the Russian cultural influence is well known here — and I would even say this is among the very best ballet shows I have experienced.

So impressed was I by Cuba and fascinated with this country’s ability to thrive despite many setbacks, that I, about to start my master’s thesis, changed topics completely to focus on ‘Cuba: Development in the Post-Cold War Period’. Perhaps this can be discussed in another article.

For now, I look forward to returning to this beautiful island that is full of culture, music, dance, that is of a different century, a simpler way of life, natural island beauty and people who have adapted to circumstances which, may not be ideal, but necessary perhaps for survival.

What is your experience of Cuba? Share your photos and experience in the comments.

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The Legacy Of The First Peoples

Cuba: An Eye-Opening Experience

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