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I'm currently reading about Christopher Columbus's voyages to the "new world". According to the book I'm reading, Columbus 1st landed in the Bahamas, then made his way down to Hispaniola and over to Cuba before returning to Spain. On his second voyage, the 1st land spotted was Dominica, and then he ventured North up the island chain. The book mentions that some of the Island were inhabited with "Caribs" who were cannibals while islands were populated with light brown skinned natives. The light brown skinned natives were reportedly enslaved by the Caribs. Who were the Caribs and are there descendents of these people on the Islands today? How 'bout the other natives? Is any distinction made between somebody descended from the original inhabitants vs Africans brought there by slavery? Interesting note: did you know that Syphilis came to Europe from the new world?
Posted : February 5, 2007 1:42 pm
The two primary native peoples of the Caribbean were the Arawaks (Taino) and the Caribs. The Caribs were lesser in number, but quite fierce. They were the people that inhabited St Croix and many other lesser Antilles islands at the time of Columbus (and the ones who famously drove him away at Salt River). The Arawaks were mostly on Cuba, Haiti Jamaica and the Bahamas. Columbus often took Arawaks, and when he could, Caribs, as slaves--especially women whom he gave to members of his crew (hmm...makes you think about how the syphilis got passed onto the wives back in Spain). These indigenous cultures were most likely descended from South American indigenous peoples.
Unfortunately, there are hardly any indigenous tribes left in the Caribbean, if at all. They were wiped out by smallpox and other European diseases they had no immunity to. I know a several people here on St Croix who believe they are descended from Carib ancestry. This is difficult to prove historically since no written records were kept by Caribs or Arawaks. Most of the natives left by the time Europe colonized the islands were taken as slaves and most likely intermingled with the African slaves. So it is hard to make a distinction. Mostly people identify themselves with the island they were born and/or raised on. Some also can trace back their African ancestry too and identify with that.
I do think there are some Taino people on Puerto Rico and other islands? but there is no way they are "pure blooded" because the populations were just so decimated by the Europeans.
Check out the internet. There are several genealogy studies going on in the Caribbean. There is also the National Geographic DNA project where you send them a cheek swab and they send you a genetic analysis in terms of areas of the world you are descended from. Perhaps my friends are correct after all!!
"AJI AYA BOMBE!" (Better dead than a slave)
Great War Chief Guarionex of Otuao November 1511
Posted : February 5, 2007 2:14 pm
There are about 3,000 Caribs living in eight villages on a 3,700 acre territory on Dominica's east coast that was set aside for them in 1903. They elect their own chief, who holds the position for 4 years, and also have a representative in the house of assembly.
Posted : February 5, 2007 5:02 pm
From what I understand there is no evidence that any were cannibals.
Posted : February 5, 2007 10:32 pm
