This Black History Month, the theme of ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ offers the perfect opportunity to reclaim the term ‘Caribbean’ and discard the outdated label ‘West Indies.’ But why, you might ask? Read more in this ARE opinion piece by Routes2Success Programme Manager, Brianna Cyrus.
For centuries we’ve been taught that in 1492 Christopher Columbus discovered the ‘West Indies’. He is often painted as a hero for having made this discovery as if there were no inhabitants on the islands before he arrived. This colonial narrative dismisses the rich history of the indigenous people who inhabited the islands long before Columbus and his crew arrived.
It’s now time for us as Caribbean people to reclaim this narrative and pay homage to the rich history of the region.”
Seeking a new route to South and East Asia, Columbus set sail and ultimately arrived in the Caribbean, mistakenly believing he had reached the western part of India. Upon encountering the Indigenous peoples, he claimed to have “discovered” what became known as the West Indies.
The Taíno were an Arawak people who were the indigenous people of the Caribbean and Florida.
Although we now recognise this as inaccurate, the label persists, and colonial terminology still refers to the Caribbean as the “West Indies.” Long before European arrival in the late 15th century, the region was home to the Taino, Carib, and Arawak peoples, who had already established thriving societies.
The Tainos, Caribs and Arawaks were the inhabitants of the Lesser and Greater Antilles including islands such as Jamaica, Grenada, Guyana, Trinidad, Cuba and others. The narrative often taught would lead us to believe that these indigenous people were ‘primitive’ or invisible when in fact they were a civilized society.
They were agriculturalists who lived a clean, peaceful and tribal life. It was upon the arrival of the Europeans that they were wiped out by colonial violence, brutality and exploitation. The arrival of Columbus as a hero who brought civilization to the islands diminishes the devastating impact of colonisation and the transatlantic slave trade and the immense contribution that Africa made to the Caribbean.
I would like us to reclaim the name Caribbean over ‘West Indies’ to acknowledge the misconception that Columbus discovered the islands and in reclaiming it we can acknowledge the true history of the region; honoring the cultural heritage of the indigenous, Creole and African people that contributed to the rich culture that we see today.
This Black History Month, let us take the time to remember, to reclaim, and to honor the real history of the Caribbean—a history of strength, survival, and unbreakable spirit.
Author: Brianna Cyrus, Routes2Success Programme Manager
