Buried beneath the years of St. Vincent Indigenous People's (SIP) history, are the answers to some very important questions about the truth as it related to what actually happened, to bring an end to the SIP habitation of St. Vincent as they did before 1796, as well as before the actual documentation of the SIP's history began.
There is no documentation of what actually happened and no one can say with any degree of certainty, what actually transpired, or what led to the defeat of the SIP and the final banishment of the Garifuna people. Although there have not been any actual records of what actually happened, we can learn a lot from the post conquered adopted personalities, behaviors, and lifestyle of the remnant of the SIP that remain on the island, as well as from the English attitude towards the SIP, pre and post banishment of the Garifuna people. These two characteristics, are loaded with vital information and can be instrumental in understanding what happen and in arriving to what is called: speculative conclusions.
There is a question that have been worrying me that I cannot find answer for. That question is; Why did the SIP entered into an agreement with the British? What was at play to have change the attitudes of the SIP?
Another thing that troubled me is, why the English, were so particular, to singled out and targeted the Garifuna People for bad treatment; even women and children? Treatment that was so devastating, it resulted in four thousands, seven hundred and seventy six Garifuna being banished on the extremely small island of Balliceaux, which was unable to support life for any significant period of time. After eight months on the island, there were two thousand, two hundred and forty eight fatalities; just under half of the Garifuna people died from starvation and dehydration. Later, the Garifuna was banished to Roatan, a small bay island twenty five (25) miles north of Honduras.
The question is, why the English didn’t saw it fit, to inflict the same level of treatment on the lighter complexioned and big brother of the Garifuna the Kalinago people? What was the criterion that was used by the English to determined who will be banished and who will get a passed? The reason I asked these question, is to help me to understand the rational behind the fact that there were Garifuna children who were helpless, who have never lift a stroke in combat against the European, who were also made to suffer the same fate as the elders who actually participated in the war against the English. While the Kalinago warriors who were apart of the war were exempted.
We must never leave with the impression that all of the inhabitant of St. Vincent during the period of the banishment 1796-1798 were Garifuna. Although the SIP were one tribe, there were a clear distinction between the two ethnic group that made up the SIP; that is why the European use the terms black Caribs and Yellow Caribs to distinguished between the two ethnicity of the tribe.
Why weren’t the Kalinago banished in similar manner? Why the adult fighting men of the Kalinago tribe were not sent to Balliceaux instead of the Garifuna Children? I have a suspicion, there was a rift between the two groups, which led to the Kalinago striking a deal with the British. I do not know if this deal were know by the Garifuna, If the deal were not known by the Garifuna, then it may be considered a betrayal of the brotherly trust and respect the Garifuna had in and for the Kalinago their older brother. Whatever the conditions of the deal, there were some arrangement that was responsible for the division of the tribe base on their complexion, thus Giving the Kalinago people an easy pass and the Garifuna, even the children were made to suffer extreme hardship, when they were banished to Balliceaux and later to Roatan.
A large number of the Garifuna who escaped, escaped into the dense and treacherously, steep mountain ridge of Greggs, Lowman, which is located on the Windward side of the island; where they existed from that time and still occupy those lands today; some 239 years after they retreated there. Why is it, the remnants of Black Caribs: The Garifuna, never felt the need to become reunited, with their Yellow brother the: Kalinago? Or why didn't the Yellow reuniting with the Black? One would have thought, after living together as one undefeated fighting force, for more than one hundred and fifty years, having a common enemy, and becoming greatly intertwined in marriage and government, there must have been something that prevented them from naturally gravitating to each other.
Another thing why is it after emancipation, when the remnant of the English became integrated within the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community, the Kalinago people still continue to isolate themselves from the community; even though that have lost every aspect of their culture, their language and their history which was not handed down. Although the remnant of the Garifuna had more reason to be afraid than the Kalinago did, The Garifuna became integrated into the community many decades before the Kalinago people did. There may be a practical reason for this; however. I will conclude that the Kalinago struck a deal with the English and became remorseful at the plight of their small brother the Garifuna.
No comments:
Post a Comment