Tainos and Caribs

Tainos and Caribs

Author: Sebastian Robiou Lamarche

Publisher:

Published: 2019-03-25

Total Pages: 332

ISBN-13: 9781796741322

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book was published originally in Spanish under the title Taínos y caribes, las culturas aborígenes antillanas. Since its publication in 2003, it has been recognized as having contributed to a better understanding among the general public of the history of the Antillean cultures before, during and after the arrival of the Europeans.Over the years, I have received a considerable number of requests from people around the world expressing their desire that the book be made available in English. Tainos and Caribs: The Aboriginal Cultures of the Antilles was inspired by those demands. I hope that the English edition broadens the reach of knowledge from anthropologists, historians, archeologists, linguists, artists and others about the Tainos and the Caribs, two cultures that have captivated my interest and imagination for over 25 years.The original design of the book was made with great care by my daughter Claudia. This English edition reviews and updates the original text and bibliography. The complete translation from Spanish was carried out meticulously by my daughter Grace, whose great effort and enthusiasm makes this edition possible. I thank both of them for their wholehearted commitment and devotion in the publication and dissemination of this work. Sebastián Robiou Lamarche, Author. "I knew this book would become a classic from the moment I read it in 2004. It has characteristics that distinguish it from other books on the ancient Caribbean. Notably, Robiou recognizes that Taino and Carib societies were not simple. Quite the opposite, he describes them as vibrant and sophisticated. This revision and English edition is well-timed because recent developments reaffirm the composite view of the Caribbean presented in the original publication". L. Antonio Curet, Curator, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, D.C. "Tainos and Caribs marks a milestone in the historiography of the indigenous Caribbean. Based on diverse primary sources (archaeological, linguistic, ethnohistorical), Robiou Lamarche offers a great synthesis and an in-depth analysis of the Taino chiefdoms and the Carib tribes, explored as a whole, pointing elegantly to their interconnections and their specificities. The author has the virtue, in turn, to sharply examine multiple topics that include social structures, religion, rituals and beliefs. It is required reading on the emergence of the indigenous societies of the ancient Caribbean". Francisco Moscoso, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. "The author presents to us sequentially the main cultures that inhabited the Antilles before and during the European impact. For both the Tainos and the Caribs, he explains the main elements of their material and ideal life, highlighting their likeness as well as their differences. A brilliant research work based on archeological and ethnohistorical information". Lourdes Domínguez, Oficina del Historiador de La Habana, Cuba. "The book is a significant contribution to the knowledge of the aboriginal world view in the Antilles. The author analyzes - among other aspects - the intimate correlation that exists between astronomical systems, climatological cycles and magic-religious beliefs, as well as agricultural practices linked to fertility rites. In the same way, his research on the bateyes or ceremonial plazas in the Antilles make plausible the existence of a solar calendar in the process of development and of myth-astronomy in the pre-Columbian islands". Manuel A. García Arevalo, Academia Dominicana de la Historia, Dominican Republic.


The Black Carib Wars

The Black Carib Wars

Author: Christopher Taylor

Publisher: Univ. Press of Mississippi

Published: 2012-04-27

Total Pages: 215

ISBN-13: 1617033111

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In The Black Carib Wars, Christopher Taylor offers the most thoroughly researched history of the struggle of the Garifuna people to preserve their freedom on the island of St. Vincent. Today, thousands of Garifuna people live in Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua and the United States, preserving their unique culture and speaking a language that directly descends from that spoken in the Caribbean at the time of Columbus. All trace their origins back to St. Vincent where their ancestors were native Carib Indians and shipwrecked or runaway West African slaves—hence the name by which they were known to French and British colonialists: Black Caribs. In the 1600s they encountered Europeans as adversaries and allies. But from the early 1700s, white people, particularly the French, began to settle on St. Vincent. The treaty of Paris in 1763 handed the island to the British who wanted the Black Caribs' land to grow sugar. Conflict was inevitable, and in a series of bloody wars punctuated by uneasy peace the Black Caribs took on the might of the British Empire. Over decades leaders such as Tourouya, Bigot, and Chatoyer organized the resistance of a society which had no central authority but united against the external threat. Finally, abandoned by their French allies, they were defeated, and the survivors deported to Central America in 1797. The Black Carib Wars draws on extensive research in Britain, France, and St. Vincent to offer a compelling narrative of the formative years of the Garifuna people.


Cannibal Encounters

Cannibal Encounters

Author: Philip P. Boucher

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2009-05-25

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13: 1421401649

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A history and analysis of European colonizers’ relationship with and literary depiction of the aborigines of the Lesser Antilles. Philip Boucher analyzes the images—and the realities—of European relations with the people known as Island Caribs during the first three centuries after Columbus. Based on literary sources, travelers’ observations, and missionary accounts, as well as on French and English colonial archives and administrative correspondence, Cannibal Encounters offers a vivid portrait of a troubled chapter in the history of European-Amerindian relations. Winner of the French Colonial Historical Society’s Alf Andrew Heggoy Book Prize “A strong contribution to our understanding of the interplay not only between France and Britain in the struggle for the Antilles but also between the colonizers and the indigenous people fighting to maintain their independence from both European powers.” —American Historical Review “Welcome evidence that historians are willing to rewrite the history of the colonial era in the Caribbean with a clearer eye to the part the indigenous population played.” —Peter Hulme, William and Mary Quarterly “Boucher’s research is thorough and his contribution to the historiography of the Caribbean and of colonialism is valuable.” —Ethan Casey, Magill Book Reviews “An intelligent, well-informed discussion of French and English contacts with Island Caribs in the West Indies from the pre-colonial era until the end of the Seven Years War.” —Kenneth Morgan, English Historical Review “A new and important contribution to the efforts of historians and anthropologists to understand the history of the Caribs.” —Jalil Sued-Badillo, Journal of American History “A lucid and terse examination of direct interactions between Island Caribs and Europeans in the Lesser Antilles, and the indirect influence of literary images of Island Caribs (and other Native Americans) on the emergence of Western philosophical traditions.” —William F. Keegan, Journal of Interdisciplinary History “No one has mined the French National Archives to this extent on this topic. Boucher renders valuable information accessible to English readers.” —Robert A. Myers, Alfred University


Wild Majesty

Wild Majesty

Author: Peter Hulme

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 1992

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Wild Majesty presents an anthology of writings about the Amerindian inhabitants of the Caribbean, from such diverse sources as the first reports of Columbus, French missionary tracts, the diaries of English colonial administrators, and modern ethnographers, travel writers, and film makers. This written and visual material has been carefully selected to illustrate the development of non-Amerindian knowledge of and attitudes toward the society and culture of the so-called "Island Caribs", who once dominated the whole of the Lesser Antilles and continue to act today as a potent symbol of resistance to, and independence from, the modern nation-state. The volume breaks new ground in the anthropological use of literary and historical sources, as well as providing new translations of better-known texts, and original translations of rare printed works and previously unpublished documents from the European archives. This fascinating collection is essential for students of history, cultural studies, and anthropology, and all general readers interested in Columbia, the Caribbean, or exploration.


Ruins of Absence, Presence of Caribs

Ruins of Absence, Presence of Caribs

Author: Maximilian Christian Forte

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 283

ISBN-13: 9780813028286

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This study of a contemporary indigenous culture documents the vitality of a number of self-constructed "indigenous" Carib communities in the postcolonial Caribbean. These small groups, which have asserted their presence through folklore, tradition, and ceremony, have received recognition and support from the state, attention from national media, and a privileged place in historical discussions of the figure of the "Carib." The Caribbean is typically thought of as having no precolonial survivors. Maximilian Forte demonstrates that this is not the case. He convincingly argues that an indigenous presence has persisted in Trinidad and Tobago--as an actual demographic presence and a symbolic force--since the colonial period. Focusing on the Santa Rosa Carib Community in Arima, Trinidad, he explores how "Carib" has come into being as a meaningful category in Trinidad, how it has been challenged and reengineered, and how it affects the relationship between colonial political economy and modern identity formation. He also explores two previous resurgences of Amerindian community and identity in Trinidad, in the 1820s and again in the 1870s to the 1920s. Balanced between history and contemporary ethnography, this book ranges from the analysis of the forces of globalization to the performance of local rituals. By tracing notions and labels--Carib, Arawak, Indian--through time, Forte shows how indigeneity is deeply enmeshed in historical processes and has deliberately been constructed from the time of the first encounters between Europeans and Trinidad's native peoples up to the present. He maintains that the social position of "Indian" is created by various agents, including culture brokers or intermediaries, as well as by institutions such as the church and by organs of the state. Using the individual biographies of activists in Arima, where he conducted fieldwork for nearly four years, Forte also shows how intracultural diversity looks at the ground level. In addition, his historical analysis offers a fascinating commentary on attitudes toward African, European, Asian, and Venezuelan peoples and heritages and on the flow of images and information between the Americas and the Caribbean.


Caribbean

Caribbean

Author: James A. Michener

Publisher: Dial Press

Published: 2014-02-18

Total Pages: 898

ISBN-13: 0804151539

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In this acclaimed classic novel, James A. Michener sweeps readers off to the Caribbean, bringing to life the eternal allure and tumultuous history of this glittering string of islands. From the 1310 conquest of the Arawaks by cannibals to the decline of the Mayan empire, from Columbus’s arrival to buccaneer Henry Morgan’s notorious reign, from the bloody slave revolt on Haiti to the rise of Cuba’s Fidel Castro, Caribbean packs seven hundred dramatic years into a tale teeming with revolution and romance, authentic characters and thunderous destinies. Through absorbing, magnificent prose, Michener captures the essence of the islands in all of their awe-inspiring scope and wonder. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from James A. Michener's Hawaii. Praise for Caribbean “Michener is a master.”—Boston Herald “A grand epic . . . [James A. Michener] sympathizes with the struggles of the region’s most oppressed, and succeeds in presenting the Caribbean in its rich diversity.”—The Plain Dealer “Remarkable and praiseworthy . . . utterly engaging.”—The Washington Post Book World “Even American tourists familiar with some of the serene islands will find themselves enlightened. . . . In Caribbean, there appears to be a strong aura of truth behind the storytelling.”—The New York Times


A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies

A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies

Author: Bartolomé de las Casas

Publisher: Good Press

Published: 2020-03-16

Total Pages: 90

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Witness the chilling chronicle of colonial atrocities and the mistreatment of indigenous peoples in 'A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies'. Written by the compassionate Spanish Dominican friar Bartolomé de las Casas in 1542, this harrowing account exposes the heinous crimes committed by the Spanish in the Americas. Addressed to Prince Philip II of Spain, Las Casas' heartfelt plea for justice sheds light on the fear of divine punishment and the salvation of Native souls. From the burning of innocent people to the relentless exploitation of labor, the author unveils a brutal reality that spans across Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Cuba.


CARIB INDIAN

CARIB INDIAN

Author: Rick Magers

Publisher:

Published: 2015-03-03

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 9781849611398

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Prior to the awareness of the black slave abundance in Africa, the owners of the silver and gold mines in South America, Indians in the Caribbean were abducted to work the mines until they dropped dead. A group of South American Indians banded together, and fled to the islands. Their guerrilla war tactics frightened the slavers so bad that they steered clear of the islands the Caribs lived on. because of this, they lived 300 years beyond all other tribes.