An extensive plot to kill Chief Chatoyer!

By this time, the colonist’s resources begun to become exhausted, by the repelling forces of the St. Vincent Indigenous People (SIP), which was a combination of the Kalinago and the Garifuna as the indigenous peoples are officially called. At this time in the country’s history, the French would have had enough of the SIP and choose not to continue their efforts to make St. Vincent a colony of France. Therefore, in 1763, The France give up all rights and effort to try and acquire Yurumein (St. Vincent) and they relinquished such rights, to their bitter rival: England. Thus they (the French) vowed to no longer try to make St. Vincent a colony of France.

Now that the French were no longer rivaling the English for St. Vincent, the English could focus all of their resources and attention in dealing with the SIP, who for more than a century, have been instrumental in retarding, the European economic growth, with their constant attacks.

The battle for St. Vincent continued for several years after the French lost interest in the country. Unfortunately, the British with all of their military might, focused on the eradication of the SIP, were still unable to get the upper hand against the Aboriginal people. As a result, in 1793, the British signed a peace treaty with the SIP that ended the 1772 SIP war. That was popularly known as the (Carib War).

In the British designed, written and arranged peace treaty, the SIP, were given some of the lands they owned for centuries before the first Colonist came to the Caribbean. In exchange for their land, the British were given the privilege of being sovereign of the Island. Was the treaty written in a language the SIP could not read and did not understand? Was this treaty done in good faith? Or was it a part of a greater plan, the English had that the SIP did not know about?

At this time in the political history of SIP, were under the leadership of the Paramount Chief of the indigenous people Chief Chatoyer; who led the charge against the greatly manned, armed and trained British troops? Chief Chatoyer was the chief who also signed the peace treaty with the British. To accommodate the legality of the document, which was the Peace Treaty; Chief Chatoyer was given a first name Joseph by British. To accommodate the drafting of the document and British law. It is believed, that this was the First ever civil agreement, the SIP have ever entered into, with the European settlers, since 1635; when the Ship Wreck Survivors were allowed into the Kalinago community and later with the introduction of the Garifuna.

The peace treaty, was just a part of the British plans to postpone the fighting with the SIP, until the added troops, they requested arrived on the island. In 1795, less than two years after the Peace treaty was signed, and in just enough time for the deployment of troops, to reach St. Vincent, the treaty was broken and war broke out between the SIP and the British once more. By this time, the British troops on the island of St. Vincent were already properly reinforced, to the point where they almost matched the SIP fighting population.

The British plans for this war were simple and straight forward. It boiled down to: kill the Chief and his followers will surrender. Because of the signing of the treaty and the alleged harmonious living between the two warring factions, the SIP chief was clearly identified and all of the British troops knew who he was. The British also had the opportunity to observe the daily operation of the SIP. It was the British who arrange the Peace Treaty and they give the SIPs, land where they can keep a close watch on them.

As a result, Chief Chatoyer became an easy target and so he was in combat. On March 14^th.  1795 just a few months into the Carib war, Chief Chatoyer succumbed to injuries and die in battle defending his people and his island. However, the speedy end to the war that the British predicted, did not occurred as they thought. For the SIP, mainly the Garifuna, took the battle to the British even after the death of their Chief. The war went on for almost a year after the fall of the Paramount chief Chatoyer.