State Affairs

Dominica’s Indigenous People No Longer Want to be Referred to as Caribs

By Kairi Fm News ⋅ November 17, 2010 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Dominica’s indigenous people no longer want to be referred to as Caribs. The Council announced today that it has written to the Ministry of Tourism and Legal Affairs, with a copy to the Ministry of Carib Affairs, requesting that these outdated references to “Carib” in the Act legally be replaced and substituted with the term “Kalinago.”

Kalinago Chief Garnet Joseph says while the Council awaits such changes to be enacted officially, beginning today it will no longer use the term “Carib,” and instead, will refer to the lands of the Reserve as the “Kalinago Territory,” the governing body as the “Kalinago Council,” and its head as the “Kalinago Chief.”

Meantime, Carib affairs Minister Ashton Graneau says while he supports the move for a name change, there is a process which needs to be followed. Graneau says it will take some time before persons can adapt to the name change since the word Carib was used to describe Dominica’s indigenous people from since 1492. He says however he does not support talks by the Carib council for an immediate change from Carib to Kalinago.