UNIT-A3

Indigenous Caribbean Peoples and Events

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. Reading Assignments
2. The Pre-Columbus Amerindians
3. Video Guide: Caribbean Eye Series: Indigenous Survivors
4. Video Guide: Many Faces of the Caribbean: Part II "The People"
5. Game: Tic-Tac-Toe
6. Game: Caribbean Island Matching

TEXT READING:

Fodor:

*26-27, Arawaks and Caribs

*43, The Carib People

Rogozinski:

*14-17, Arawaks and Caribs

*26-27, The Encomienda: Indian Slavery

*31-33, The Extermination of the Arawak

REQUIRED LIBRARY REFERENCES

Beckles/Shepherd: Caribbean Freedom...

*

Craton:

*

Shepherd/Beckles: Caribbean Slavery...

*

ACTIVITIES/ASSIGNMENTS

1. The Pre-Columbus Amerindians

Adapted from: Ecommusee de Martinique (Guidebook), Riviere-Pilote, Martinique---(1992)

1. 4,000 BC-Pre-Ceramist nomadic groups migrated from Venezuela to the Antilles:

• Ciboney peoples were remnants of these nomadic groups
• daily life and economy centered around fishing and gathering
• lived in camps, scanty shelters, caves and rocky overhangs
• did not farm & were not familiar with pottery or ceramics

2. Just before the Christian Era, Arawak farmers moved up through the islands:

• from Bolivia, Peru, Brazil then via the Orinoco Basin of Venezuela
• a very peaceful people
• introduced sedentary agriculture in the islands
• remarkable potters and excellent basket weavers
• a religious culture centered around complex relations with nature, ex. birds, etc.
• lived in large round huts, housing clans of up to 50 people

3. 1200-1300AD-The Lesser Antilles were invaded by the warrior Caribs:

• originated in the Amazon Basin of South America
• pushed the Arawaks further north in the islands, while:
• capturing prisoners destined for domestic chores and cannibalistic rites
• enslaving the women "slave wives"
• developing a social system built around gender lines

Women

• played a subordinate role in their society
• handled all the domestic chores, pottery & ceramics, & raised the children

Men:

• warriors
• making weapons for war, hunting, fishing, & trapping
• usually did the basket-weaving
• typical village contained:
• 30-100 members of several generations
• Carbet(Men's Houses) the central building -100-120 hammocks inside less important buildings surrounded the Carbet, wives & families lived here

4. At the time of the Spanish arrival:

• there were approximately 3-4 million Indians living in the Caribbean
• the general settlement patterns were:
• Greater Antilles & Bahamas -inhabited by the Arawaks
• Lesser Antilles-inhabited by the Caribs

2. VIDEO: CARIBBEAN EYE: INDIGENOUS SURVIVORS

Adapted from: Banyan, Ltd. (Producer). (1991). Caribbean Eye: Indigenous Survivors[Videotape] Port of Spain, Trinidad: Banyan, Ltd.

PART 1, [8 MINUTES]

Guyana Indians

• Still live they way island Indians did when Columbus arrived
• Islands were populated by migrants from South America
• Lifestyle was hunters and gathers

Tribes

• Arawaks discovered the Caribbean
• Caribs followed
• St Vincent -Carib descendents
• note living conditions, children's activities, etc.

Dominica Amerindian Reserve

• mixed racial and marriage backgrounds
• difficult to identify pure Carib

PART 2, [8 MINUTES]

Dominica

• Dancers
• Unique cultural characteristics -their perspectives
• Language/speaking patterns, drums, music, etc.
• Scenery, housing, etc.
• Reunion of Caribs from Belize to Dominica
• festivals, dances, etc.
• Attempting to gain recognition for Caribs

PART 3, [8 MINUTES]

Amerindian social aspects

• Songs and a meal
• Composition of the meal explained
• Eating pattern -"common pot"
• Developing pride in Amerindian culture
• Intermingling of races in the islands
• Ex. Carib boy in love with Negroe girl

Effects of colonialism

Lack of Caribs in high positions and with good educations

Conclusions

3. Video: Many Faces of the Caribbean: Part II "The People"

*Friendship Press (Producer) (1993). The Many Faces of the Caribbean, Part II: "The People" [Videotape] Cincinnati, Ohio: Friendship Press. Length= 8 minutes

Questions:

1. What happened to the indigenous peoples of the islands: Arawaks and Caribs?

2. What is the Amerindian view of Columbus?

Outline

1. All the islands are populated by immigrants -Most of forced migration

2. Amerindians:

a. Survivors of a 16th century holocaust

b. Importance of the Amerindian

c. Intermarriage with the Amerindians

3. Culture and peoples of the Caribbean:

a. Unique

b. Underlying African influences and rhythms

c. Music, arts, crafts

d. Festivals and carnival

e. East Asian influences

f. Visual Arts demonstrate the harmony of race, religion, and culture

g. Steel bands

4. GAME: TIC-TAC-TOE

5. GAME:CARIBBEAN ISLAND MATCHING

Adapted from: Carter, Nancy A. (1993) Study Guide to the CaribbeanNew York: Friendship Press, p. 9.

The left column contains the current names for various Caribbean islands. The right column contains the name Arawak and Carib peoples gave the islands. Match the Amerindian name with the present name of the island.

CARIBBEAN ISLAND MATCHING GAME -ANSWERS

1.--G

2.--K

3.--P

4.--M

5.--J

6.--O

7.--N

8.--F

9.--H

10.-L

11.-B

12.-I

13.-D

14.-A

15.-C

16.-E