Early morning mist on the road to Brasso Seco, in Trinidad’s Northern Range
Courtesy Rooks
On 31 July, 1498, Christopher Columbus and his men, sailing along the southern coast of the island of Iere, are said to have caught sight of three mountain peaks. Reminded of the Catholic doctrine of the Trinity, Columbus decided to name the island Trinidad, and claim it for Spain.
At the time of his arrival, several tribes already inhabited the island, and we know they were not afraid of the sea and were well capable of crafting canoes. As the most southerly isle of the Caribbean chain, once connected to the South American mainland, it is easy to imagine Trinidad as an important hub for travel both north and south. People from the mainland had only to come down the Orinoco River, and through simple navigation they could make their way to the island, where they could settle or gather provisions for further voyages.
Oblivious to Columbus’s claims, the original inhabitants of the island kept to their regular routines — after all, they didn’t know that their island was being “ruled” by men and women in a far-off land, who believed in a god they might see only upon death — and the Spanish made no attempt to settle the island until 1531. They tried again in 1569, but both attempts to found a colony ended in failure.
Finally, in 1592, nearly a century after Columbus’s visit, the Spanish managed to secure their first permanent settlement in Trinidad, at the old capital of St Joseph. Later Capuchin monks moved in, establishing missions for the conversion of the original inhabitants. Those Amerindians who rejected Christianity were severely punished. Faced with the choice between Christianity and death, some of the original inhabitants of the community of Arena who had not lost their fighting spirit stood up to the oppressive forces occupying their island in 1699. The resulting conflict would be remembered as the Arena Massacre. They murdered the priests, the Spanish governor, and all but one of his men — an action for which, naturally, they paid dearly.
A small number of Spanish settlers did their best to carve out a living in the decades that followed. They never fully occupied the island, which still boasts large areas of virgin rainforest. It’s safe to suppose that their census exercises never achieved an accurate account of the island’s tribes. Somehow I find it hard to believe the Amerindians were all lining up to be counted by people who had been waging war on them. But it is believed that at least 40,000 inhabited the island in 1592.
These Amerindian tribes were referred to by various names, including Taino, Yaio, Nepuyo, Chaima, Warao, Kalipuna, Carinepogoto, Garini, and Aruaca.
At my Roman Catholic all-girl primary school, I was taught that there were originally two Amerindian tribes in Trinidad, Caribs and Arawaks. I was told that Caribs were war-like cannibals, and Arawaks were peace-loving farmers. . . .
Courtesy Rooks
On 31 July, 1498, Christopher Columbus and his men, sailing along the southern coast of the island of Iere, are said to have caught sight of three mountain peaks. Reminded of the Catholic doctrine of the Trinity, Columbus decided to name the island Trinidad, and claim it for Spain.
At the time of his arrival, several tribes already inhabited the island, and we know they were not afraid of the sea and were well capable of crafting canoes. As the most southerly isle of the Caribbean chain, once connected to the South American mainland, it is easy to imagine Trinidad as an important hub for travel both north and south. People from the mainland had only to come down the Orinoco River, and through simple navigation they could make their way to the island, where they could settle or gather provisions for further voyages.
Oblivious to Columbus’s claims, the original inhabitants of the island kept to their regular routines — after all, they didn’t know that their island was being “ruled” by men and women in a far-off land, who believed in a god they might see only upon death — and the Spanish made no attempt to settle the island until 1531. They tried again in 1569, but both attempts to found a colony ended in failure.
Finally, in 1592, nearly a century after Columbus’s visit, the Spanish managed to secure their first permanent settlement in Trinidad, at the old capital of St Joseph. Later Capuchin monks moved in, establishing missions for the conversion of the original inhabitants. Those Amerindians who rejected Christianity were severely punished. Faced with the choice between Christianity and death, some of the original inhabitants of the community of Arena who had not lost their fighting spirit stood up to the oppressive forces occupying their island in 1699. The resulting conflict would be remembered as the Arena Massacre. They murdered the priests, the Spanish governor, and all but one of his men — an action for which, naturally, they paid dearly.
A small number of Spanish settlers did their best to carve out a living in the decades that followed. They never fully occupied the island, which still boasts large areas of virgin rainforest. It’s safe to suppose that their census exercises never achieved an accurate account of the island’s tribes. Somehow I find it hard to believe the Amerindians were all lining up to be counted by people who had been waging war on them. But it is believed that at least 40,000 inhabited the island in 1592.
These Amerindian tribes were referred to by various names, including Taino, Yaio, Nepuyo, Chaima, Warao, Kalipuna, Carinepogoto, Garini, and Aruaca.
At my Roman Catholic all-girl primary school, I was taught that there were originally two Amerindian tribes in Trinidad, Caribs and Arawaks. I was told that Caribs were war-like cannibals, and Arawaks were peace-loving farmers. . . .
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