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Amerindians in the Caribbean

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Submitted By spencrtrecy
Words 880
Pages 4
Trecy I. Spencer
Dr. Tara Innis
FOUN 1101
6 March 2015
All over the Caribbean, the Amerindians have left a rich legacy
Forty generations before the arrival of the Columbus, the Caribbean was inhabited by an indigenous people referred to as Amerindians. They were divided into two main groups, the Arawaks (Taino) and the Carib (Kalinago). They had a rich culture and thriving society the evidence of which can be seen all over the Caribbean today.
The Arawaks came to the Caribbean from the Orinoco region to Trinidad then spread through the Caribbean. They were of average height, well-shaped and slightly built. They generally wore no clothes except for the married ladies who wore a cotton loin cloth (nagua). It was a common custom for them to do body printing, they would paint their faces, eyes and noses. They wore embellishments made of gold, or an alloy of gold and copper (guanine) in their noses.
Tainos, as they called themselves, had organized societies where they lived in villages, carved wood, made pottery, wove cotton and practised religion based on respect for nature and their ancestors which was directed by priests or shamans. They hunted, fished and also planted crops especially cassava in amounts which were adequate for their families. Various types of fish, shellfish, turtle and manatee were consumed. These were captured with nets, hooks made of bones and harpoons; the turtles were caught with a remora (sucker fish). Small animals like the agouti, utia and iguana were hunted with the assistance of the alcos (small dogs that could only growl). Pineapples, mamme apples, star apples, naseberries, guava and cashews are some of the fruits that they consumed. The Arawaks were exceptional farmers, this was exhibited in their process of planting corn where the grains were first soaked then planted in rows. Root crops like the cassava, sweet potato and ground nut were also part of their conucos. The Arawaks were meticulous cooks. They stewed iguana meat, baked cassava cakes, made a sauce from cassava juice, salt and pepper called cassareep and even smoked fish. Their favourite dish was pepperpot, made of meat, vegetables, nuts and pepper. Many of the names given to the foods they consumed and many of their farming practices remain to this day.

The Caribs were the last group of settlers to arrive in the region before the arrival of the Europeans. They were war-like and aggressve. Callinago, now spelt Kalingao as they referred to themselves were considered to be cannibals that ate the flesh of their captured enemies. The Kalinagos were taller than the Arawaks. Their bodies were leaner and stronger due to their diet and the constant emphasis placed on training for combat. They had brown skin and didn’t wear clothes, they however painted their bodies. Roucou I a red dye was used as body paint, while the eyes were usually circled with black. The men wore feathered headdresses, jewellry in their lips and noses and a necklace made of the small bones and teeth of their victims called a caracoli. The women adorned themselves with bracelets (rassada) around their arms and legs.
Caribs were also very good fishermen and hunters, farming was not their forte. However the women grew cassava, arrowroot, sweet potatoes, yams, beans, peppers, guava and papaya to help with meal preparation in the event of a less than prosperous hunting expedition. Pepper was their condiment of choice as such they also made pepper sauces. Taumalin was one of these sauces and was made of the green meat of crab, pepper and lemon juice, there was another one called Couii.
The focal point of the physical Carib settlement was a plaza located in front of the chiefs house. This is where rituals, festivals and games were held. Batey, a team ball game, was often held as a diplomatic way to avoid conflict between rival communities. To this day, residual groups on the border of Venezuela and Brazil use this ritualised game as an alternative to war (Watson 9).
The Amerindians have truly left a rich legacy in the Caribbean that is reflected in so many areas of our lives. We still wear body embellishments (jewellery), preserve meats, and prepare some food as they did, plant certain crops and fish. Our society has its stratification similar to those of the Arawaks and share similar religious beliefs (existence of heaven). Even our leisure time activities were influenced by the Amerindians; playing sports, hanging out with friends and having a social drink. The names that were given to some of our foods and implements that we use for example, the pepperpot and the hammock are a part of the rich legacy they left behind. A legacy that was almost lost, but is surely in the process of being revived today.

--------------------------------------------
[ 1 ]. Dyde, Brian etal. History for CSEC® Examinations Amerindians to Africans 3rd Edition. Page 10
[ 2 ]. Ibid
[ 3 ]. Ibid
[ 4 ]. Dyde, Brian etal. History for CSEC® Examinations Amerindians to Africans 3rd Edition. Page 11
[ 5 ]. Ibid
[ 6 ]. Dyde, Brian etal. History for CSEC® Examinations Amerindians to Africans 3rd Edition. Page 15
[ 7 ]. Ibid
[ 8 ]. Baldeosingh, Kevin and Mahase, Radica. Caribbean History for CSEC®. Page 16
[ 9 ]. Dyde, Brian etal. History for CSEC® Examinations Amerindians to Africans 3rd Edition. Page 15
[ 10 ]. Ibid

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