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REMEMBERING THE FIRST PEOPLES: TRINIDAD & TOBAGO HONOURS ITS ORIGINAL INHABITANTS ON FIRST PEOPLES’ DAY
Times Caribbean Feature | October 16, 2025

On October 14, Trinidad and Tobago paused to pay solemn tribute to its earliest inhabitants — the First Peoples — whose courage, ingenuity, and resilience shaped the foundation of Caribbean civilization long before the arrival of Columbus in 1498.

First Peoples’ Day is not merely a public observance; it is an act of remembrance, respect, and reclamation. It recognizes that before colonization, before plantations and ports, there existed thriving communities — the Arawaks (Taíno/Lokono), Caribs (Kalinago), Kalina, Warao, Kalipuna, Nepuyo, and Aruaca — who lived, traded, farmed, and built intricate societies across the twin-island nation for over 9,000 years.

The Builders of Civilization

These were the first architects of Caribbean life — cultivating cassava, corn, and co-coy, crafting pottery, building canoes, and developing early systems of community governance. They gave us the word and tradition of “barbecue,” derived from the Arawak term barabicu, a method of slow-fire cooking that became a culinary signature of the region.

The next time one savors roasted breadfruit, cassava pone, or a meal shared around an open flame, it is worth remembering that we are tasting history — a legacy first kindled by the First Peoples of Trinidad.

The Warriors of Resistance

When the Spanish arrived with the cross and the sword, they were met not with submission but with fierce resistance. The chronicles speak of Warrior Chief Hyarima, who led a spirited defense of his people and homeland, embodying the spirit of resistance that would define Caribbean identity for centuries.

Though many of his people perished or were displaced, their courage remains immortal. Their struggle was not in vain — it was the first declaration of sovereignty on Caribbean soil.

The Unseen Legacy

Even today, the echoes of the First Peoples are etched into Trinidad’s geography and language. Names like Arima, Tacarigua, Chaguanas, Couva, Mayaro, Siparia, and Erin stand as living monuments, whispered reminders that these were once sacred spaces of community, trade, and worship.

Yet, while the descendants of the First Peoples continue to live and preserve their heritage in Trinidad, Tobago’s Indigenous population was nearly erased, caught in the crossfire of European conquests that saw the island change hands 31 times between the 1600s and 1800s. Their memory survives only in fragments — in stories, in place names, in the enduring rhythm of the land.

The Call to Remember

On First Peoples’ Day, Trinidad and Tobago not only honours those who came before but confronts the silences that colonialism left behind. It is a call to remember the original sons and daughters of the islands, to recognize their imprint on every element of modern Caribbean life — from our food and language to our spirituality and connection with nature.

Their legacy lives on — in our creativity, our resilience, and our unbreakable Caribbean spirit.

The challenge for this generation is to keep their story alive — to speak their names, protect their history, and ensure that their sacrifices are not forgotten in the tide of modernity.

Times Caribbean joins in saluting the First Peoples of Trinidad and Tobago and across the Caribbean region — the true architects of our identity, the first guardians of these islands we now call home.

Photo Credits: Vintage Amerindian – Angelo Bissessarsingh’s Virtual Museum | Surinjam Photography

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