Posts

Posts uit mei, 2018 tonen

Myth or Real? Amerindians in Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire.

Afbeelding
Introduction: There is a big misconception about how Amerindian heritage seemed to be only common in the Spanish Caribbean, and also in Dominica. But the Dutch Caribbean, most notably Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao has it as well. Especially in Aruba, the Amerindian heritage is still strong amongst the people. It is interesting, how many Curacaons, Arubans, Bonaireans of all parts of the islands still tell stories of their ancestors, which show that they are descended from Indians. The proof of this is also the baptismal books of the various churches on our islands, which are already a population register for the church, also almost always indicate, when it concerns Indians. Thus, we find Indians of our islands back in the baptismal registers of the 17th, 18th and even 19th century. Even surprisingly, the last mention of Indians was in 1920, when it was told that there were no more Indians in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. Who were they? The Amerindians who l