Indigenous Caribbean

Instructions

For next weekend’s class, when we will be discussing the Indigenous Caribbean, please complete the assigned reading and do some supplementary online research on the terms “Taíno” and “Carib.” These names have both been applied to Indigenous people in the Caribbean. Spend some time looking them up, doing some subsequent searches based on key phrases you find in either popular or scientific sources (for instance, a search for “Carib people” might turn up articles mentioning “Dominica Kalinago people” – look up that phrase and see what you learn). Take some notes on patterns you observe in the information you find, focusing especially on these questions:

What differences, if any, are presented between the cultures of Taíno and Carib people?

Do these groups appear to have occupied different areas, or to have lived at different times?

Are these the only terms used to describe these people? If not, what other terms exist?

Are these people presented as still existing today? If so, how are they said to have evolved since European contact? If not, what is said to have caused their demise?

In your opinion, based on this research and any independent knowledge, is the division of Indigenous Caribbean people into Taínos and Caribs a valid one? Why or why not?

Please remember that you are not necessarily trying to learn and report correct information, but simply analyzing the information that is freely available about these people. Therefore, if you find contradictory info or assertions that you believe are false, you should simply make a note of this discrepancy and include your analysis in your report.