By: Madison Bailey
The idea that indigenous people of Caribbean countries and Latin America no longer exist is a common misconception that has evolved throughout time from the interaction of outside involvement. This misconception has caused countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, to sweep problems under the rug and disregard matters associated with the indigenous population. The arrival of the Catholic Church in Trinidad and Tobago had an extreme impact on the native Amerindians. This ongoing relationship has introduced many social consequences which have continued to present day.
Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is a twin island country off the northern coast of Venezuela in South America. Native, indigenous humans have occupied and passed through this area for over seven thousand years beginning with the Saladoids, the first ceramic-using people in the Caribbean (Indigenous Peoples). Fast forward to 250 AD to where the Barrancoid people settled in Trinidad. This culture was called Guayabitoid and was replaced by the Mayoids in 1300 (Caribs). The Mayoids were commonly known as the Arawaks and the Caribs (Caribs). These two groups were present during the time of European arrival and colonization.
In 1498, Christopher Columbus discovered Trinidad, the larger island of the two, and claimed it as Spain’s own. However, Trinidad remained untouched by European settlers until Spain’s first settlement one hundred years later. Meanwhile, the Spanish, British, and Dutch fought over Tobago, switching possessions over thirty one times. In turn, the Catholic Church has been present on these islands since the fifteenth century. The Catholic Church had prominent political and social power within European colonies. The first missionaries were sent by the Spanish Archbishop Louis Gonin from the Dominican, which was controlled by Spain at this time. The first Catholic Church in Trinidad, built in 1781, was a wooden structure located at the Port-of-Spain at a spot which was once known as Tamarind Square. As the population of colonies in Trinidad grew, more land was needed for construction and plantations. Much of this land was still being occupied by the Arawaks and the Caribs.
At first, the peaceful, indigenous natives welcomed the colonizers but they soon came into conflict. The Arawaks and Caribs’ way of life butted heads with the Spanish, as well as the British and French. The religion of the natives was based on their respectful interaction with nature. They held rituals for almost everything, such as child birth, planting and gathering crops, hunting, and marriage. They burned herbs to create sacred smoke. They worshipped the Great Spirit, their main, unseen God. These people also worshipped hundreds of minor spirits which could be distinguished by acts of nature. Catholic Europeans viewed these religions as barbaric and saw this as an opportunity for the conversion of the natives to Christianity. The Arawaks and Caribs did not comply and resisted Europeans to preserve their culture and protect their land (Crosson). Settlement in Trinidad and Tobago then proved to be very difficult for the Spanish and they began a mass annihilation of the indigenous population. This was the beginning of the long road of conflict between Christian Europeans and the native people of Trinidad and Tobago.
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| Statue of Hyarima https://www.flickr.com/photos/rpmann/7311283580 |
In order to protect their sacred land from being transformed into towns, many indigenous tribes created self sufficient communities with their own militia. One influential religious leader of the Amerindians who fought for recognition and the conservation of his tribe was a man named Hyarima. Hyarima was born around the beginning of the seventeenth century into the tribe of Araucan. As a successful military leader, he was able to unite Amerindian tribes against the Dutch, British, and most of all the Spanish. His experience with harsh enslavement caused his hatred towards the Spanish and the Catholic Church. Hyarima led many attacks against European towns such as
St. Thomas, which experienced devastating losses. He was respected and feared by many while he resided at his base in Arima. The city of Arima was known for Amerindian resistance against Spanish control. Today, statues of Hyarima can be found in Arima, honoring his successful actions to preserve the Amerindian culture.
By 1700, the number of native Trinidadians had dropped to approximately 1,200 in comparison to the 40,000 natives before European colonization ("Caribs, Arawaks, the Original Trinidadians”). Europeans were able to utilize the Catholic Church in order to keep control over remaining indigenous groups through the ecomienda system ( "Caribs, Arawaks, the Original Trinidadians”). This was a form of slavery where Amerindians were forced to work for the Spanish and in return they would receive protection and conversion to Christianity. These survivors were organized into missions. Although, it seemed as though the Catholic Church was protecting and giving freedom to the Amerindians, the reality was that they were still superior compared to the rest of the population. It was common for a mission to be transferred to another area for the construction of buildings, churches, and schools. The oldest, organized indigenous mission which still exists today, is the Santa Rosa Carib Community located in Arima, Trinidad (Watts). This community holds half of Trinidad and Tobago’s indigenous population. Here the people practice hunting, house building, horticulture, cassava processing, and obtain herbal knowledge (Indigenous Peoples).
The vast power of the Catholic Church allowed them to conceal the culture of indigenous minorities in a way to make them seem almost extinct. The hefty funds of the Catholic Church made festivities apparent in the public eye. Catholic schools, large churches, and Catholic parishes were affordable unlike other religions. Catholics looked down upon Amerindians because they were not affiliated with the Church. These factors constructed a social hierarchy where Amerindians were placed at the bottom.
Despite their furious attempts to gain equality and recognition, indigenous people of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as other Latin American and Caribbean countries, still are largely ignored and overpowered. However, their voices are slowly being heard and steps toward social equality can be seen. Santa Rosa Carib Community officially gained recognition by the state as being an indigenous community in May of 1990.
Celebrating the indigenous culture at the annual Santa Rosa Festival in Arima (Newsday).
An Amerindian Heritage Day was created in 2000. Additionally, the Caribbean Organization of Indigenous Peoples (COIP) was founded in 1987. The goal of this organization is to encourage cultural revival, attract media attention, identify indigenous heroes, allow regional exchange, and promote educational and training opportunities for indigenous people throughout the Caribbean. Trinidad and Tobago joined the Caribbean Organization of Indigenous Peoples in 1993. COIP even released a newsletter titled Indigi-Notes. In 2006, an Amerindian Project Committee was made to advise Trinidad and Tobago’s government on matters involving indigenous communities. Santa Rosa Church is also making efforts to bring light to these issues. Monsignor Christian Perreira, parish priest of the Santa Rosa Church, admitted that there was much more ‘healing’ to take place between the First Peoples and the Church:
“‘This relationship still has to be fleshed out,’ he said. ‘The apology and intention are there, the atonement is there and while in very many ways the First Peoples have accepted that atonement, there is still the healing to come.’ Fr Perreira added that the country’s oldest feast, The Feast of Santa Rosa, which is shared by the Church and the Carib community, has sought to bridge the divide for the past 220 years.” (Trinidad and Tobago’s Newsday)
The presence of indigeneity in Trinidad and Tobago has contributed to this country’s cultural makeup and history. The clashing of ideas of Catholicism verses those of Amerindian natives began with European colonization and still continues today by society’s neglect of acknowledgement toward this group of people. The Catholic Church’s suppressing actions tested the cultural and religious strength of the First People in Trinidad and Tobago. Their survivors represent the resilience and determination of keeping old traditions alive.
References
"Caribs, Arawaks, the Original Trinidadians." Caribs, Arawaks, the Original Trinidadians. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://www.amazing-trinidad-vacations.com/caribs.html
Crosson, J. B. "Own People: Race, "Altered Solidarities," and the Limits of Culture in Trinidad." Small Axe: A Caribbean Journal of Criticism 18.3 45 (2014): 18-34. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
"Indigenous Peoples in Trinidad and Tobago." Trinidad and Tobago. 2007. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
Herskovits, Melville J., and Frances S. Herskovits. Trinidad Village. New York: A.A. Knopf, 1947. Print.
"Religion and Politics in Trinidad and Tobago." Academia.edu. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
"Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : Newsday.co.tt :." Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : Newsday.co.tt :. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. <http://newsday.co.tt/news/0,46030.html>.
"Trinidad and Tobago." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2006/71476.htm
Watts, David. "Trinidad and Tobago." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://www.britannica.com/place/Trinidad-and-Tobago
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