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15/11/2017
The glass ceiling is a metaphor used to represent an invisible barrier that prevents a particular group from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy. It is primarily used with reference to women since the term was first coined by feminists about the barriers in the careers of high-achieving women. The are many different ways women’s roles are defined by various groups.

Europeans interpreted women’s role of working in the fields as slaves rather than powerful providers. European religions, such as Anglicanism and Protestants faiths, were based in patriarchy ideologies and women were often marginalized.

In contrast, Taino women held authority over production and distribution of high status objects such as stools, headdress and clothes used by chiefs whilst Island Carib women were powerful enough to plan raids and older women had a central ritual role in encouraging men to go to war. Furthermore, in the Baptist faith, females played integral roles and leaders were referred to as “Mother” During the era of the Neo-Indians, despite the segregated roles between genders, each was necessary for balance in life and neither group was seen as inferior. Through their co-operation, they worked in a system of unity to provide for the people of the tribe.

Overcoming the glass ceiling does not solely revolve around the opportunity and ability for women to occupy leadership positions and benefit from equal rights, because it stems from the undervaluation of women in the workplace and for all the duties that they perform. Hence a step in breaking through the glass ceiling involves educating and creating appreciation for the duties and responsibilities that women have.

Having equal expectations and duties for both men and women is not realistic since there must be some type of separation of responsibilities. Hence, I support feminists who promote the appraisal and recognition for the duties that women have, so that they aren’t devalued.

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25/11/2017
In my opinion, this course was very enlightening and informative. Its perspective driven nature allows for discussion and explorations into why things are perceived in certain ways. Its unique approach allows students to question the veracity of lessons being taught in order to learn more about the Caribbean.

The main ideology of revisionism is one that will remain perpetually in my mind; because I have been exposed to how the history of our Caribbean region has suffered from simply accepting the information being given to us about our past rather that questioning whether they are facts based on archaeological evidence.

This course sought not to change the perception of bad indigenous people and superior whites into inferior whites and superior indigenous but explored both the factual advantages and disadvantages that both groups offered and how it has moulded our society in the present day. At first, I held the perception that this course would be superfluous to be previous knowledge from Caribbean Studies at CAPE level, however, the quantity and quality of the contents that this course delved into was astounding. It far exceeded by expectations for it.

I believe it is beneficial to make this course compulsory for all students and that this knowledge should not only be given to students at the university level, but should also be disseminated to all citizens and students at lower levels of education so that they can be educated on the Caribbean’s factual history rather than the European’s bias accounts that ‘Christopher Columbus sailed on three ships and discovered the Caribbean in 1492’

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20/11/2017
If the Caribbean is to really progress from CARICOM (Caribbean Community) to CSME (Caribbean Single Market and Economy) then free movement of its people (i.e. all Caribbean people) plays an integral role. We cannot have a single market or economy unless we establish a sense of regionalism. This is not possible if discrimination against people of different member states still exist which hinders our development as a region. Therefore, free movement of Caribbean people is an essential step to breaking down this barrier and moving towards a single economy.

I am confused as to why such a smart region could be oblivious to the obvious fact that through unity comes strength which can then be used to build and develop the Caribbean region as one. A plethora of problems exists in our region, these include but are not limited to international recognition and sustainable development. It is only in unity we can then begin to address the problems in our region that are too big for any individual country to address on its own.

I strongly believe that when we are able to travel the Caribbean freely and observe our differences as well as our similarities, it will encourage empathy and appreciation for our member states, which can inspire all countries. By working together, we can pool our resources to be able to better address the needs of our people and help ourselves instead of seeking help from the metropole which mostly leaves us indebted to them and hinders our development in the long run rather than benefit us. Furthermore, MDCs can invest in LDCs which are mostly better in tourism in an effort to keep our resources flowing intra-regionally rather than it being sucked out by the metropole.

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30/09/20 17
The Caribbean is a vibrant collection of people, cultures, sights and sounds. Yet those various layers of the region are often lost behind inaccurate stereotypes since most people seem to have ‘a single story’ of the Caribbean. My tongue is sore from defending my Caribbean people. We cannot expect this problem to change if we accept it. By illuminating the depth of our diversity to others, we can hope to eradicate the prejudices against our people.

1. Language - We do not all “sound Jamaican.” All the various countries in the West Indies have distinct creoles, dialects and accents. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of our countries speak the language of our past colonizers such as French, Spanish and English.

2. Bob Marley - Although, there is no question that he illuminated the rest of the world to some facets of West Indian culture, he was certainly not the only noted figure to emerge from the region. Other influential people born in the Caribbean include Grace Jones (Jamaica), Sir V.S. Naipaul and Dr Eric Williams (Trinidad and Tobago), Doug E. Fresh (Barbados) and Wyclef Jean (Haiti).

3. Reggae is not our only art form. - Zouk stems from Martinique and Guadeloupe, and dancehall and dub are rooted in Jamaica. Calypso, Soca, steel pan, limbo and parang music all originated in Trinidad and Tobago.

4. We are not all of African descent. - West Indian people have a wide array of influences such as colonialism, chattel slavery and indentureship that have shaped everything about our culture and people. Many of us do not identify as black. Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname and Guyana are of primarily East Indian ancestry. Also, the sections of those countries’ demographics that identify as mixed are increasing.

Additionally, I believe that Caribbean governments should make it a major priority to forge both a regional identity (that is not solely Jamaicans and reggae music) and an identity for each country that promotes our key elements.

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9/10/17
This year, on Monday 9th October 2017, Trinidad and Tobago had its first national holiday in recognition of the first peoples. This is a big step for their history and continued legacy. The activities planned for the week are not only for remembering but also educating our citizens about their traditions and contributions to today’s society.

The history of the indigenous people was recorded with misguided notions that the Europeans held a sense of superiority over them. It is ironic that the accounts of the Neo-Indians in history are given by those who enslaved them and considered their culture as peripheral and meaningless. The Europeans believed the Neo-Indians were uncivilized cannibals who had no structure to their society. This belief has been disproven since modern methods of using archaeological evidence to support history has proven that they did have a hierarchy of authority throughout their society. Through ideologies of Revisionism, a plethora of contributions from the indigenous people can finally be recognized.

Not only did they have a structured society, but their technological advancements are not only recognized, but have advanced further and in some cases, are still being used today. A few examples of their contributions are:

>Place names - Cunupia, Couva, Mayaro and Tunapuna

>Crafts - basketry and pottery,

>Transport - canoes,

>Tools - knives, fishing nets and harpoons

> Farming Techniques - slash and burn

>Cuisine – cassava cakes/ bread, farine, cassareep

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"All peoples contribute to the diversity and richness of civilisations and cultures, which constitute the common heritage of humankind." Those are words taken from the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which this country voted in favour of in September 2007. This week, the country takes a significant step in realising the goals of that declaration.

The First Peoples, after struggling for decades to get recognition, will on Friday finally be able to commemorate a national holiday in honour of their place in this country's history. A full week of activity - some of which began last Friday - is planned.

An ancestral journey to Moruga is to take place today, involving a full cultural event. Tomorrow there will be discussion of the concept of attaining meaningful recognition at a symposium at the O'Meara Campus of the University of Trinidad and Tobago. Wednesday will see a school children's rally at the National Cycling Centre, Couva. And on Thursday there will be a gathering of First Peoples at the Red House, Port-of-Spain, where a burial site was discovered in 2014.

But the week will culminate on Friday with a gala event at Arima, the home to the Santa Rosa First Peoples. A smoke ceremony is to be held at the Hyarima Monument, followed by a ceremonial walk. With so many competing interests lobbying for the addition of holidays to our already crowded national calendar it is no wonder the Government has initially opted to make this holiday one-off. But even if the holiday is made into a permanent one, there would still be much more that needs to be done to further the interests of the indigenous community.

There have long been proposals for the allocation of a central space for the diverse groupings within the community. But over successive administrations the thorny issue of the allocation of land - how much is enough? where should it be located? - has not been fully resolved or acted upon. This, in the face of this country's support of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Beyond Friday's holidays, educators must also play a role in passing on information about our history. It is important for current and future generations to appreciate the factors that have shaped us as a country and a society. Though their population was severely depleted by the clash of worlds that occurred in the 15th century, the impact of the First Peoples remains profound. Names such as Arima, Mayaro, Chaguanas, Guayaguayare, Mucurapo, Aripo, Tamana, Oropouche, and Ortoire bear witness to this, as well as our flora and fauna: carat, timite, tobacco, cacao, manicou, agouti and lappe. The DNA of our society has, in some cases literally, been shaped by our indigenous heritage.

Not only must there be adequate inclusion of local history in the school curriculum but informal community outreach initiatives and activities should continue. There is no reason why this week's many events should not continue throughout the year. This, however, requires careful planning and support from members of civil society, including the private commercial sector.

We must also remember the regional and economic aspects around this issue. With a push towards diversification, we should be poised to draw upon the rich cultural heritage of the First Peoples. We should also not be afraid to make linkages with fellow Caribbean nations which have already been able to do this, such as Dominica, Guyana and Suriname.

As we, this week, celebrate a first in our history, let us do more than look to the past. Let us examine the present and boldly look to a future which includes those whose were here first.

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A first for First Peoples - Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

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"All peoples contribute to the diversity and richness of civilisations and cultures, which constitute the common heritage of humankind." Those are words taken from the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which this country voted in favour of in September 2007.

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Discussing the “The Danger of a Single Story”

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Discussing the “The Danger of a Single Story”

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25/09/2017
Having a single story creates stereotypes and prejudices against groups of people. The single story skews the perspectives of those exposed to it.

The “danger of a single story” reflects a revisionist’s point of view. In this perspective driven course, the idea of revisionism revolves around questioning the historical records of the past to ensure the findings are based on archaeological evidence rather than the bias perception from the Europeans.

The Europeans had power and were driven by the principle of ‘Nkali’ which loosely translates to ‘to be greater than another’ They were able to concretize the story of poor, helpless, cannibal, inhumane indigenous population because they possessed the power to characterize the people without question and without evidence to support their reports. Their belief of European superiority drove the colonialization of the Caribbean islands and justified their ability to enslave not only the indigenous, but also the Africans, Indians, Chinese and many more.

With respect to the Caribbean; one should not accept what was written in history about the indigenous people. The historical accounts of the Caribbean islands were recorded with bias perspectives from the European conquistadors – who deemed that the indigenous were inferior to themselves. This can be evidenced by their description as being cannibals and “having the face of dogs.” This animalistic imagery and story of people who were cannibals with no economic or political structure to their society was reinforced to the Europeans.

This was a very insightful piece that has enlightened me and encouraged me to ensure that I do not accept the single story of a people that is being told.

Conclusively; we, the people of the Caribbean, are not defined by the stereotypes of our single story.

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