Trinidad & Tobago Celebrates First Peoples Heritage

Trinidad & Tobago (UCTP Taino News) – Under the theme “exploring heritage, consolidating traditions, and creating a legacy” First Peoples Week was celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago from October 11-19, 2013. The celebrations raised the visibility of Trinidad’s Indigenous Peoples, as well as other Indigenous Peoples from around the Circum-Caribbean region. 

The events began with an international conference held at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UCTT) and continued through the week with several cultural events in Arima, home of the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community. The activities were co-sponsored by the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community, the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), the Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration. 

Invited participants to this year’s celebrations included delegates of Indigenous Peoples of Guyana, Suriname, Belize, Venezuela, Dominica, St Vincent, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Ecuador, Canada and the USA. Among the various issues presented during the week, the Santa Rosa First People’s Community is calling for a national holiday to honor the island’s Indigenous Peoples. 

 The final day of the scheduled activities included a meeting of the Caribbean Organization of Indigenous Peoples (COIP). The meeting was held at the newly expanded Santa Rosa First Peoples Community Center in Arima. During the historic proceedings COIP officially welcomed its newest member, the United Confederation of Taino People. 

 UCTPTN 11.01.2013

CARIB COMMUNITY WANT NATIONAL HOLIDAY

Amerindians representing different countries during a procession to commemorate the launch of Amerindian Heritage Week, through the streets of Arima from the Hyarima statue to the first peoples community centre on Paul Mitchell Street yesterday. The procession was preceded by a smoke ceremony at the Hyarima statue. PHOTO: EDISON BOODOOSINGH

Arima, Trinidad - Santa Rosa First People’s Community chief Ricardo Bharath Hernandez is calling for a national holiday to commemorate the Caribs, the first people to live in T&T. Hernandez was speaking after the smoke ceremony and street procession in Arima.

“The event today was in recognition of our history and Hyarima’s resistance to the Spanish in October 1637. There is a call for an international holiday on the 14th in recognition of the first people of this land. I know the authorities will have to think for another public holiday long and hard before they consider it,” he said. Hernandez said if the holiday was not possible the authorities could consider a one-day holiday event like the Chinese were granted in 2006, to commemorate 200 years since the arrival of Chinese immigrants.

Speaking about the contingent of Caribs from the Caribbean and South America, he said: “Spiritual leaders from Suriname and the other countries were called in for sanctification and interaction. To guide us in spirituality for this purpose. Some are still practicing the original tradition.” Yesterday, the smoke ceremony began at the statue of Hyarima at Hollis Avenue. Hyarima was said to have been known by the Dutch and Spanish forces who referred to him as “the great Chieftain of the Nepuyo people.”

They filled calabash bowls with bay leaves, incense, shells, cassava wine, hibiscus, poui, lilac and other flowers and offered them up to the great spirit. The women and men wore traditional outfits with crocheted tops and feathers in fire-engine red. They beat drums, blew into a large shell and chanted. Hernandez addressed the crowd that gathered to pay homage to the creator.

“We invoke ourselves and surrender ourselves to him/her recognising that we as humans are weak. He is strong and we ask forgiveness for our weakness,” he said. During the ceremony, first one, then another of the women had a “manifestation.” This manifestation, another one of the women said, was “an ancestor showing they were still around because the body is dead and the spirit is alive.”

Hernandez prayed for the ancestors, peace, a stoppage to all negativity and for the ancestors to keep coming in dreams before the group headed up Woodford Street to the Santa Rosa First People’s Centre at Paul Mitchell Street. 

Source: http://guardian.co.tt/news/2013-10-15/carib-community-want-national-holiday

Trinidad: First Peoples Heritage Fair

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Preserving Amerindian heritage

Community President: Ricardo Hernandez

Arima, Trinidad - The Santa Rosa First Peoples Community, formerly known as the Santa Rosa Carib Community, continues to promote and support the recovery and preservation of its Amerindian heritage, including its cultural goods and services and traditional expressions of the First Nation Peoples.

 This year 2013, the community celebrates the 13th year of Amerindian Heritage Week, which runs from October 11-17.

 Participants at this year’s celebrations include the First Peoples delegates from the neighbouring countries of Guyana, Suriname, Belize, Venezuela, Dominica, St Vincent, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Ecuador, Canada and the USA—to participate in various activities on a daily basis.

This year the indigenous community is collaborating with the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), the Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration and other members of Civil Society to commemorate the occasion.

One of the major events is the observance of the Day of Recognition of this country’s Amerindian Heritage. The day begins with the traditional smoke ceremony at the Statue of Hyarima in Arima.

President of the Community, Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez, told the Sunday Express that the Hyarima is key to the history of the first peoples, since he was the War Chief of the Nepuyo Nation who, with the help of the Dutch settlers in Tobago, completely burnt the Spanish settlement of St Joseph thus chasing the Spaniards out of Trinidad for a short time.

A formal ceremony is planned from 3 p.m. that same day, October 14, at the University of Trinidad and Tobago’s (UTT) O’Meara Campus, to commemorate the Day of Recognition. Representatives of various First Peoples of Trinidad and Tobago who trace their ancestry to pre-Columbian times would be in attendance.

Jennifer Cassar, is the current ceremonial Queen of the Arima-based community.

The Minister of First Peoples Development of the Government of Venezuela and The Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, Leona Landers, who is herself of First Peoples’ ancestry of Australia, are expected to be in attendance.

This year, as well, a significant component of the heritage Week activities would be an International Conference entitled “Exploring heritage, Consolidating Traditions and Creating a Legacy” to be held at the UTT O’Meara Campus on October 11.

It is expected to run for three days.

Also included in the week’s events would be a spiritual intervention at the Red House in observation of the recent Amerindian find; an Indigenous Water Ritual at Lopinot River, an educational school tour and activities and a Heritage Fair at the Santa Rosa Park.

The final day, September 19, concludes with an meeting by the Caribbean Organisation of Indigenous Peoples, and a thanksgiving ceremony at the Carib Centre at Paul Mitchell Street, Arima, which has been recently refurbished and expanded to include a meeting room, several offices and an archival room.

Author:  Irene Medina
Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Preserving-Amerindian-heritage-222831171.html

UCTP submission to UNPFII under Item 8: Future work of the Permanent Forum, including matters of the Economic and Social Council and emerging issues

United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Item 8: Future work of the Permanent Forum,
including matters of the Economic and Social Council and emerging issues
Wednesday, 29 May, 2013

Submission by the United Confederation of Taíno People (Caribbean Regional)
Presented by Roberto Mukaro Borrero

Takahi kena hahom. Greetings and thank you Mr. Chair:

The United Confederation of Taíno People is a regional initiative representing Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean Islands. We have participated at every session of the UNPFII seeking to raise the visibility and promote a better understanding of the situations of Indigenous Peoples from this region, which is connected to Latin America in these proceedings.

Indeed, while the term Latin America and the Caribbean is promoted at various levels throughout the Permanent Forum sessions, as well as throughout the United Nations system, the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean is unfortunately a rarity rather than the norm.

On the unusual occasion when Caribbean Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous islanders in particular, are highlighted within the system, there has been very little action on the part of U.N agencies or governments to engage in meaningful dialog or follow-up.

For example, the Programme of Action for the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, under Item 6 Social and economic development, section b-85 states, and I quote:

“ It is recommended that representatives of Caribbean indigenous peoples should be included in region-specific consultations and conferences in Latin America and the Caribbean, and on steering committees for planning and implementing the programme of activities for the Second International Decade. Serious consideration should also be given to organizing a special regional consultative session focusing on the unique situation of Caribbean indigenous peoples, which would take place in the Caribbean, hosted by a Member State and a local indigenous community.”

Mr. Chair, to date there has been no such meeting and we are now nearing the close of the second Decade.

With this in mind, the United Confederation of Taíno People recommends that the Permanent Forum:
1.) Call on the Inter-Agency Support Group and Governments to support a regional consultative meeting on the situation of Caribbean Indigenous including Indigenous Peoples of non-self governing territories and unincorporated territories in the region, without discrimination.

 2.) In cooperation with Indigenous Peoples, organize and hold an expert group meeting on the situation of Indigenous Peoples of non-self governing territories and unincorporated territories in 2014 and report on said meeting at its 13th session.

Hahom (thank you).