The Culture of the Kalinago “Caribs” of Dominica
Kalinago, Carib name for English term “Carib Indian”.
Apart from simply relating its history, the island of Dominica still has living proof of its rich kalinago cultural heritage, which manifests itself not only by the presence of its indigenous Carib people, but the diversity of traditional art forms that have been preserved and are still practiced within the kalinago or Carib culture. The Carib culture of the Dominica Carib people is seen in modern day in its crafts and art and include the manufacture of baskets, mats, hats, pot holders and hammocks that are intricately woven with the use of straw and other dried materials derived from palm and dried reeds.
The deep set Carib culture is alive with a beat of its own. It is always a pleasure to hear the stern, warlike beat of the kalinago drums that are specially carved out of wood and dried goat skin, to which several traditional kalinago dances are performed. Several of these acts are complemented with a demonstration of sharp bow and arrow skills, and offer a vivid display of kalinago traditional wear and skin painting patterns, which tell of the strong and courageous hearts of these Carib warriors of long ago who once freely roamed the waters of the Carib bean.
The canoe represents one of the special trademarks of these kalinago indigenous people, and depicts their ingenuity and talent, since they were all able to freely roam the shores of the America, establishing settlements wherever they went.
Although historically, the kalinago culture has been linked to polytheism, today, several of the Carib Indians in Dominica form part of the normal Protestant and Catholic churches, and on several occasions have even become members of the clergy. Christianity was first introduced in 1642 and the ministries of missionaries belonging to the Dominican, Capucine and Jesuit Orders were established all over the island. The success of these missionaries in converting the Dominican kalinago people was very limited due to language barriers and fierce resistance that was encountered. These missionaries were however able to compile a lot of anthropological data on the Carib language, way of living, customs and beliefs. Religious propaganda was however used to justify extermination and frequent raids and burning of the various kalinago settlements at the time.
In addition, much negative propaganda, which still exists today, clouded the kalinago history as pamphleteers in Europe were having a field day on the subject of Carib cannibalism, claiming that the cannibalism formed part of the kalinago culture. One pamphleteer called Rochefort invented Carib gourmets that compared the taste and texture of various European nationalities. Being a Frenchman, his story concluded, that the French were the tastiest!
One must admit however, that the Carib culture, though it has been slightly influenced by modern living standards, is still very much marked by the use of nearby rivers for the washing of laundry, the preparation of foods with the use of cassava from which bread, flour and other spicy dishes. These are typical expressions of the kalinago culture which is marked by its simplicity and use of nature’s resources.
On feast days, the Carib Indians of the Nature Island are beautifully adorned in their traditional wear, which comprises of dried reeds worn around the hips of males and females, head dresses adorned with brilliantly colored head bands and painting of faces, arms and chests. Recently, it has become common to see both kalinago men and women wearing a brightly colored or hand painted cloth which is fastened around the waste, and falls in two layers at the front and the back. The same material is fastened around the woman’s chest area, with long necklaces of coral and wooden beads. They too paint their arms, faces, backs and chests.
The use of the drum plays an instrumental part in kalinago culture, as its beat depict war, feast or game; to each occasion depicted, there is a dance as well as special chants emitted in the Carib language, and accompanied with the sound of shack-shacks. Several of the dances are representative of the spirit world of ancestors and nature. They also represented hunting and fishing, including tales of the creation of Kalinago universe, the constellations of stars and the season changes. The dances are generally choreographed in circles and lines similar to those found among the indigenous peoples of South America today.
Typical kalinago crafts would include the manufacture of products from the Larouma plant, which is believed to have been transported over 1000 years ago to Dominica from the South American continent. Calabash products are of a very high quality, and are normally carved and painted to depict the faces of warriors, or figures of Carib ancient mythology. A very large number of the Carib Indians are directly are indirectly dependent on coconut. The roots, fruits, flowers and nuts of the tree are widely used in the creation of craft items. The Kalinago Culture is legislatively protected under law, and a special ministry has been established, the Ministry of Carib Affairs, to develop, promote the Kalinago of Dominica.