Teaching Indigenous History and Heritage. Reviving the Past in the Present: Caribbean Experiences from the Dominican Republic and Dominica

Abstract

The Caribbean is well-known for its multi-ethnic and multi-cultural population, a consequence of its colonial past and Amerindian, European, African, and Asian influences. The role of this colonial heritage in defining contemporary Caribbean identities has been significant. Nevertheless, the indigenous peoples who inhabited the Caribbean in the past are not frequently referred to in modern-day Caribbean society. It is often believed that the indigenous inhabitants were wiped out soon after European arrival, yet recent archaeological and ethnographic studies have shown the survival of indigenous traditions and expressions in the present Caribbean. There is an indigenous resurgence movement among groups that self-identify with their Amerindian ancestors, and in Dominica the contemporary indigenous population has been officially recognized by the country’s government. These important aspects of Caribbean history are highly relevant for the teaching of the national identity and cultural heritage, and need to be reflected in the school curricula of Social Studies across the region. This paper examines current educational practices regarding indigenous history and heritage in two Caribbean countries, each with a different historical background and development. The first study area lies in the northwest of the Dominican Republic, where Columbus encountered the so-called Taíno in 1492 and founded the first European settlements. The second study area is the Kalinago Territory in Dominica, home of the descendants of the Kalinago indigenous people. The teaching of indigenous history and heritage in the schools of these countries includes the pre-Columbian and colonization periods, reflecting the prevalence of traditional Euro-centered narratives in which the indigenous history ended with the Amerindian “extinction” in past centuries. Contemporary issues receive little or no attention in the curricula.