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Cambridge Dictionary, 2017.

Kerrigan, Dylan (2005). "Creatures of the Mas."  Devil band crossing Frederick Street at Marine Square, c. 1920. Photograph from the Collection of Adrian Camps-Campin. Caribbean Beat.

National Library and Information System Authority. "Amerindian Pottery." NALIS Digital Collection. NALIS 2010.

Moonlight and Shadow, Luna (2013). "Indigenous People and Trinidad and Tobago"  Review of the Indigenous people. ISSN 1684-0232

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Caribbean Civilization clearly attempts broaden the minds of its students and help them to understand their culture, their ancestors and their history and how their present is shaped by their past. Its revisionist approach to retell the Caribbean history in a new light, is very enlightening. Also, the holistic approach to join together the students from the region through the online lectures is a unique idea. It seems to work fine for now as is it combined with face-to-face tutorials thus allowing everyone to learn at their own paste as well as to directly have some contact with teachers. One drawback from this idea however, is technical difficulties which exists in terms of logging on to the BBC. The tutorials were very helpful as it was easier to communicate with the teacher face to face rather than having to type a question then wait for a response. Also, the tutor was friendly, respectable, very knowledgeable and was able to present the material in new ways.
Before actually joining Caribbean Civilization, the course seemed to be just another history course. However, as the weeks passed, it was clear that it is more than just a review of Caribbean history. For instance, the experience of the enslaved Africans is a well known one, however, this course exposed more about it than before and it was saddening to know and actually visualize the horrors which they faced. Also, because of the assignments from this course,  I was exposed to places in my own country that I did not know existed before.
Due to this course, I now view our history and ancestors differently. As a woman, I now know of the women before me who fought for our freedom and safety and as a student I wish to share my knowledge with others so they too can learn about themselves.

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In the 18th century, Carnival was a period where slaves were allowed a little freedom and engaged in mimicking planters and whites. They would craft masks and engage in their own festivals such as Camboulay. The latter involved the burning and harvesting of sugar cane and was initially termed "cannes brulees."
As keeping with the tradition, a lot of the population take part in various carnival celebrations. Some cultural groups would have their restrictions but they do take part in a few festivities. In general, during this period there seems to be a joining of identities to form a larger general identity. Essentially, people tend to identify as Trinidadians in general rather than Indo or Afro Trinidadians. Though the essence of the festival seems to be lost now, it is still a time which brings together the country and now by extension the world regardless of race, class or ethnicity.

Devil band crossing Frederick Street at Marine Square, c. 1920. Photograph from the Collection of Adrian Camps-Campin

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How the US imperialism impacts the Caribbean Identity

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How the US imperialism impacts the Caribbean Identity

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We may claim that we are free countries and we may assume that we are unaffected by our prior colonizers. However, the truth is, they still affect us and greatly impact our Caribbean Identity. US influences in particular affects our identity. Various forms of media such as music, movies and TV series displays guidelines for us to follow. It impacts the way we dress, speak, act and even what we eat and how we eat it. Added to that, the latest fashion magazines and award shows also impact what we wear. Our climate causes us to have extremely warm temperatures, yet while walking through the streets,  we notice people wearing fur boots, coats and scarfs. Why? That's simply what they learnt is fashionable.
In addition, teenagers and young children watch these shows and learn the slang and behavior displayed by these TV stars. They would then believe that it is normal for them to talk back to their parents, drink and smoke whilst underage or even party late hours. They would grow up to learn that everything which comes "from away" meaning everything which is not produced in the Caribbean is better. As such, in supermarkets, the foreign goods flood the shelves and despite their high costs, they are usually preferred over the locally produced goods.
In addition, on our radio stations and parties we barely hear local music such as soca, dancehall, reggae and chutney being played. Yes the DJs do play some of our local music, but a lot of the time, foreign songs are requested and played. Children and young adults mainly listen to the Billboards Top 100 music playlists and when asked about an old time calypso or even a present day calypso, they won't know.
Essentially, the US imperialism still influences and affects our modern day Caribbean identity. We reject locally produced things and prefer US products. As such, we allow the US culture to invade and take over our own culture thus preventing us from having our own true Caribbean Identity.

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Reflection on "Columbus discovered the Caribbean in 1492"

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Reflection on "Columbus discovered the Caribbean in 1492"

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Throughout primary level education, every Caribbean child learns that Christopher Columbus discovered the Caribbean in 1492. Again, this is simply a eurocentric idea. Before Columbus came to the "New World", the Paleo- Indians, Meso- Indians and the Neo- Indians roamed the islands. These groups of people had religious organizations with great festivals. Also they had sports, musical instruments and beautifully detailed pottery.
Since these people inhabited the Caribbean before Colubus arrived, it is clear to state that he infact did not discover the Caribbean in 1492. Instead, he simply found a land that was new to the Europeans. Years before the Spanish even thought to venture here, the Amerindians were already building their civilization.

Review of the Indigenous Caribbean. "Christopher Columbus meets Native Americans"  April 10, 2013.

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For too long, the Caribbean's history has been told from an eurocentric point of view. We have been described as uncivilized, barbaric, and even classed officially as a developing region. The time has come for all the citizens of the Caribbean region to learn about the true history of their ancestors and of the struggle the region faced together. Maybe then, we can stand as ONE joint, interdependent and united Caribbean region. Using the activities from the required reading for this course, his padlet dives into the history of the Caribbean and attempts to reexplain this history in a new light; one that avoids eurocentric explanations and theories.

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Essentially, pre-history refers to the period in time when there was no written forms of history and often referred to a period before civilization. However, history can be verbally passed down through generations of everyday men and women. Often, once history has not been written by renowned historians, it is cast aside as fiction and folklore. For instance, the natives who lived in the Caribbean before the arrival of Columbus have their own history, but because they were considered uncivilized, their story is often mixed up and even forgotten.
According to the  Cambridge dictionary a civilized society is one which "has a well developed system of government, culture and way of life..." It is robust to describe the Caribbean as uncivilized before the arrival of the Europeans. The Amerindians who arrived approximately 5000 B.C. is often described in eurocentric literature as uncivilized, barbaric and some as even cannibals. This is a sure misconception. The first wave of Amerindians are believed to be not as developed as the later waves as archaeological evidence has not been found. However, later waves of Amerindians had a complex cultural system, government system, agricultural system and had their detailed pottery and ceramic methods. For instance, chiefs or caciques were the heads of the community and had well thought out duties and rules. Thus defining the Caribbean as uncivilized is greatly inaccurate and unjust.
Additionally, in the modern day, the Caribbean is still referred to as "developing" in comparison to the "advanced" countries such as Europe and the USA. This too is inaccurate as all these definitions are eurocentric and thus judge a country's status based on the European standards. Each Caribbean country has its own developed government, diverse culture and technological advancements.
Conclusively, the Caribbean has been incorrectly defined as uncivilized or developing. In reality, we are completely civilized but since we do not meet the criteria of the eurocentric definition, we will continue to be unjustly defined.

National Library and Information System Authority. "Amerindian Pottery." NALIS Digital Collection. 2010.