The  Caribbean social environment consist of many different races and religions which is present because of our historical past brought to us from the European, Enslave people and the Indenture  laborers .
One festival that originated from colonialism is Carnival. It was introduced by the French Catholic Planters during the 18th century that is 1783. This festival began before the Lenten season. The French settlers which include the whites and free colored had huge celebrations that consist of drums, elaborate balls, concerts and hunting packs.
Africans took part in their own Carnival festivals in the year 1838, after emancipation bill was passed. Their festivals occurred around the burning and harvesting of the cane. The celebration include the carrying of the Canboulay (burnt cane which symbolizes freedom and defiance), singing of calypso music, drums, dancing and chanting. Initially the festival were held 3 days preceding Ash Wednesday. As a result of criticism being made from the lower class over a 60 year period due to the low standard of the carnival and Sabbath desecration in 1943. A decision was made to hold the carnival festival only on Monday and Tuesday. During World War 11, Carnival was banned.

During the reigned of the British, they banned drumming, stick fighting, masquerading and the African religious faith such as Spiritual Shouter Baptist, Orisha faith and Shango Baptist. The British also tried to suppress the playing of the Steel Pan. In the Trinidad and Tobago, some of the characters portrayed in Carnival J’Ouvert, which is a pre- Carnival ritual French means Freedom ritual. It is a dance procession with local artiste from dark to light through the streets of the town. These Jouvay masqueraders usually clad themselves in oil, mud, body paint. Ring this period they will sing about political and social issues plaguing them. Over the years, Carnival has changed from the French Patois (late1800) to English Calypso (early 1900) to Soca. In the 1930’s steelpan provided music for the masqueraders most of the 20th century. This is most replaced by mammoth speakers systems on music trucks. Costumes that bear old characters such as are the Pis-en – lit, Jab Jab and the Dame Lorraine are still present but mostly crowded with Brazilian Carnival costumes.

At present, the Caribbean is known for our beautiful weather , beaches and festivals. Carnival is one of our main celebration present in the Caribbean. In Trinidad it is refer to as the greatest show on earth.Colonialism  and religious conversion brought Carnival to our shores. In 1779, the Island came under the British control which allowed the transformation of Carnival from an implanted European celebration to a more heterogenous culture.  Carnival is a celebration of life that occurs annually. Carnival is a part of the variety of the country’s culture. The African traditions believed that circling villages would bring good fortunes and cure problems. They used  different materials to make costumes, masks and artifacts. The costumes they made had a meaning behind them whether it was a spiritual force or an idea. Trinidad had their first carnival in 1785 when the French settlers started arriving. Steel pan was also a main part of carnival in cultures.

 This  Festival is connected to the story within the Hindu scriptures with the child devotee Prahalad. His tyrannical father wanted to prevent him and the people of his kingdom from worshiping God.It symbolizes the victory of good over evil and righteous over unrighteous. Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago celebrate the festival with colors, songs, music and dance. 

Types of societies

A civilized society is defined as a country or society that has a well-developed system of culture, government and treats their residents fairly. Some characteristics of a civilized society are authority and safety.  Authority arises because each society must establish a government that implements laws for their society to comply with.  Civilized societies believe that a safe place is essential to their safety, they also have armies for their protection.

An uncivilized society is defined as a society that is unconcerned about the well-being of their people. Characteristics of an uncivilized society are trading, hardworking and defending.  This society only traded when it became a necessity.  They were attacked numerous times so they therefore had to defend themselves by fighting and building barricades for protection. The residents of this society worked very hard on their lands. 

Types of societies

A developing society is defined as a country that has a relatively low level of economic productivity and industrial capability. A few characteristics of this society are low per capita income and unbalanced trade.  This society imports more than they export which is considered unbalanced trade, their per capita income is low so therefore the standard of living will be low.

An advanced society is defined as one that is highly developed in their industry or technology.  Some characteristics of this society are advanced cities and advanced technology.  This society has advanced cities which mean their population is dense and all the needs of the population are met.  Advanced technology is needed in order for work to be done such as tools to build and transportation needed to transfer residents and materials. 

The coming of the West Africans:
he middle passage for the enslaved was a very horrendous voyage.  The conditions of the slaves onboard affected each other.  The ship was overcrowded, some slaves developed sicknesses that was then passed down to other slaves.  Many slaves as well as crew members died before arriving to their final destination because of ailing factors.  There were chronic food and water shortages.  Weather changes were also a problem that came about during the journey.  Many slaves resisted orders from their masters onboard which resulted in a longer voyage and worsened conditions of slaves.  The longer individuals were on the ship the more likely they were to die.

Identity formation

Anderson 1999 stated that identity can be formed by religion. Religion can be used as an identity formation because people belong to different denominations and each of them has different views and beliefs.   

Cultural identity relates to cultural groups or an individual who belongs to a certain group or culture.

Ethnic identity relates to individuals with a certain ethnicity that share common ancestry or genealogy.

According to Boundless (n.d.), “A national identity is an ethical and philosophical concept whereby all humans are divided into groups called nations.”

For example, a catholic prays to Mary whilst a Methodist does not. Another identity formation is where individuals share the same interests and ideologies.  

Examples of ideology are gender rights, feminism and being equal when it comes to opportunities.

According to Mustapha (2013), “colonialism therefore created a culturally diverse region with various ethnic groups being brought to the Caribbean, each with its own language, religion and way of life.Our historical link to colonialism came from great Britain who had rule Trinidad from 1797 .”Which had a great influences in our Laws, education system, culture, sports and even from the names of places such as Abercromby street  in Trinidad and our Independence.

For cooking large amounts of food, a dugout hole about twelve to eighteen inches was made in the ground. 

From The National post Monday 21st 2016

 

Prince Harry landed in Antigua on Sunday amid pomp and sunshine, but critics of his two-week tour of the Caribbean are pointing out the dark history of the British Empire in the region.

The Prince has been made aware of possible protests after a social media campaign was established under the hashtag #NotMyPrince, borrowing from the Not My President campaign against Donald Trump in the U.S.

The campaign calls itself as an “anti-colonial welcoming committee for Prince Harry” that aims to break the “bonds of empire.”

 

Others pointed out the disconnect of the prince visiting an island shaped by the British slave and sugar trade while dating Meghan Markle, an actress with mixed-race roots who can trace her ancestry to slaves. The prince has condemned the media for harassing Markle in coverage that has included “racial undertones” while his communications secretary decried “the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and Web article comments.”

#Notmyprince is centred in Barbados, a former British colony, which has expressed a firm intention to become a republic and do away with the Queen as their head of state. The Prince’s most delicate mission will be a meeting with its prime minister, Freundel Stuart, who said last year that his country would drop the Queen as head of state on the 50th anniversary of its independence, Nov 30.

Stuart has since postponed the plan, because of the timing of the royal visit. Barbados and Guyana each invited the Queen to be the guest of honour at their respective 50th anniversary celebrations, while Antigua and Barbuda is celebrating the 35th anniversary of its independence.

An op-ed written by Nalini Mohabir and Jermain Ostianain in the Guardian questioned the tour. “Why, in these post-colonial times, is a member of the British monarchy, an embodiment of anglo-imperialism, invited to mark independence?

“Prince Harry, show us how woke you are, and atone for the royals’ institutional role in slavery.”

The Prince is making the visit on the Queen Elizabeth’s request and will also visit Grenada, Guyana, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Harry will also play a cricket match against local athletes Sir Viv Richards and Sir Curtly Ambrose

 

A Kensington Palace source said: “Prince Harry has been looking forward to this tour for many months. He was honoured when his grandmother the Queen asked him to represent her in these seven countries.

“He has spent the last few weeks preparing for the dozens of engagements he will carry out and is ready to get started. While this tour will necessarily have a more formal feel, he’s pleased that he’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet people from all walks of life.”

 

My perspective:

The article reminds me of the tension that existed, and still exists between Caribbean people and those of the larger nations that once colonized the Caribbean; tension because of race, land and religion. Britain was one of the main colonisers in the Caribbean during the 16th to the 19th Century. Countries such as Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, and St Lucia were British colonies. The above article, posted on 21st November, 2016, speaks of the Caribbean tour that Prince Harry of Wales is currently on and of the heavy opposition that has been thrown his way since the planning of the tour. Many Caribbean people are of the opinion that we should not be welcoming the Prince of Wales as his presence here is not one to be rejoiced but more so a sullen reminder of where the Caribbean has come from.

The British had been one of the major contributors to slavery. Just as other European nations did, they came and attempted to eradicate the locals, i.e. the Caribs and Arawaks, in order to gain not just the land but the riches it came with. Many wars were fought back and forth between the colonisers and the indigenous people resulting in the death of many British but hundreds of indigenous people. As a result the identity and way of life of the true Caribs and Arawaks were lost also as very few of the teachings were able to be passed on during all these decades of war. To this day, only in a few islands like St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica can you find persons of true Carib descent.  Although Caribbean nations have declared independence, many are still suffering the destruction and loss that is associated with slavery. Quite a number of religions exist in the Caribbean today, but there is no doubt that Christianity is the religion most practiced by Caribbean people, a religion brought to us by colonisers like the British. The religious practices of the indigenous and of the enslaved Africans brought to the Caribbean were encouraged to be pushed aside, and considered wrong. They were instead encouraged to embrace Christianity as the only “right” religion. 

Many historians are of the opinion that it is because of slavery why countries such as Haiti find it difficult to be prosperous after their lands have been used to the benefit of colonisers, ravaged and war-struck when they began their journey towards independence. We see this distaste for countries who once claimed many Caribbean islands as their own through the aforementioned article. This article speaks of how many Caribbean people have not forgotten the pillage and slavery that the British forefathers brought to the Caribbean and how the British Empire was built through the hard work of the enslaved Africans.

 

 

 

 

Godet has been on TV, radio, and in print talking up what she calls “farmer-preneurship.” She’s part of a growing alternative agriculture movement in the Caribbean, whose adherents focus on organic produce and environmentally sustainable farming methods, often converting what they grow into unique food products. Godet has run Ridge Farms since 2009. It started after an order of tomatoes was left on her hands when a sale fell through. She made them into sauces, which were a hit. She went on to make pepper sauces and jellies.

One of her products, the Zango Nana Blue Blaze pepper jelly, was highlighted in the Wall Street Journal column “Bits & Bites” in 2012: “Packed with blueberries and a dose of bananas, it started out sweet, tangy, and a tad tart, then blazed a wonderfully wicked trail of fire on the back of the tongue.”

Godet sells her products at farmers markets in the Bahamas, an increasingly popular phenomenon in the Caribbean, and to hotels. Although her legal practice is still her main source of income, she makes a small profit from Ridge Farms, growing the goat peppers for her sauces in a thirty-five-by-twenty-five-foot greenhouse made out of plywood and micro-mesh.

When she first started, Godet used hydroponics, a soilless method of agriculture, but three years ago she started adding soil to the blend of pro mix and peat moss she’d been using. She continues to use drip irrigation, which saves water, and neem oil, a natural pesticide. “I love greenhouse farming,” says Godet. “It’s not your traditional farming that requires acres and acres of land.”

 

Hydroponics and greenhouses are forms of protected agriculture, defined as “modification of the natural environment to achieve optimal growth.” Across the region, the Caribbean Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the Caribbean Export Development Agency, and other national and regional bodies are encouraging protected agriculture through training and funding.

The most popular produce from protected agriculture, according to CARDI, are sweet peppers, tomatoes, pak choi, lettuce, cucumbers, and shadon beni (or cilantro), with some farmers exploring cauliflower, beans, carailli (bitter melon), chives, and hot pepper. “It’s an idea that’s growing,” says Godet of greenhouse farming in the Bahamas. “Within the last two years there has been a very strong drive towards food sustainability.”

Dr Wayne Ganpat, dean of the Faculty of Food and Agriculture at the University of the West Indies St Augustine campus, believes the drive is necessary. “Climate change is going to force us to change the face of agriculture and the practice of agriculture in the Caribbean,” says Ganpat, who wrote a book about the effects of climate change on the region, published two years ago. Among the predicted effects of changing weather patterns, says Ganpat, are periods of drought, higher temperatures, and more pests and diseases.

“Protected agriculture is one of the ways to manage the internal environment for crops to grow better,” he says. “You’re going to see smaller farmers doing protected agriculture in smaller parcels of land. The productivity is much more under a protected system. You’re going to see a lot more people getting into that.”

Entrepreneurs and corporations will try farming because it will no longer be about “slaving under the hot sun,” says Ganpat, describing the factory-like conditions of grow rooms in China and Japan, with crops growing under LED lights, which make it no longer necessary to rely on natural sunlight. “The human resource in agriculture is changing. A lot more young people are going into agriculture. It’s become a little more technological,” Ganpat explains. “A lot more institutions are putting out graduates. They’re going to be the future producers. The age profile and education profile of the typical farmer is going to change.”

“Value addition” is another challenge for the modern farmer, adds Ganpat. To be competitive, farmers have to package their goods in ways that lengthen their shelf life and are more convenient for consumers. For Caribbean agricultural entrepreneurs, jams and jellies are the most popular ways to do this, but Ganpat would like to see them do more. UWI, for instance, is experimenting with different kinds of flours, including some made from bananas and breadfruit.

“If you bring your product in a form that is ready for the consumer to cook, you get more money for your product,” he says. “If you don’t do it at an individual level, people have to get together and probably do it in terms of cooperatives or groups.”

Yaphene, a company in St Kitts, is a sterling example of value-adding. The small farm, run by Anastasha Elliot and her mother and siblings, produces a panoply of products from organically grown fruits, vegetables, and flowers. That includes sauces, salad dressings, and wines, as well as shampoos, conditioners, and perfumes.

It’s the family’s main source of income, and a long way from what Elliot thought she would do, growing up in an environment where farming was “not thought of as a viable career.” Elliot decided to build on the family’s background in farming, dating back to her great-grandmother and the fertile land on which they lived.

“You’re using up the food and you’re getting the health benefits,” she says of what Yaphene does. “I wanted to offer something sustainable, something that would benefit our customers over the long haul.” She hopes to get funding to build a greenhouse, which would be better for the farm’s orchids.

Like Godet, Elliot’s combination of creativity and conscientiousness represents the future of farming. “Yesterday’s farming required acres and acres of land. Today’s farming does not,” Godet explains. “Yesterday’s farming required specialists. Today’s farming does not. Yesterday’s farming required volumes and volumes of produce to make it a worthwhile venture. Today’s farming doesn’t. You only need enough to sustain your home and maybe a small market of people.

“Everyone can be a farmer,” she added. 


My Perspective :

 

Agricultural practice began when humans beings decided to settle into a community. It rose to prominence, especially when the Europeans decided to colonize the Caribbean and focused on sugar cultivation and production. This venture opened up  trade and finance between the Caribbean and European countries. What was important to note, is that the Caribbean  Islands were inhabited by different ethnicities that were brought by plantation owners to carry on production of sugar and it’s by- product rum. The migration of these ethnic groups in the Caribbean resulted in a diversity of languages, norms, customs, religion, fashion and cuisine.

With the abolition of slavery in 1834, agriculture was not practiced on a large scale basis as it was in the mid seventeenth century. This reflects the content and context of this course, Caribbean Civilization, which gives us the history of how the Caribbean was discovered and who inhabited the Islands. This course further outlined the migration to the Caribbean of the various ethnicities and their culture that they brought with them that led to the diversity of the Caribbean.

In the Caribbean, within the past two years, the economies of various Islands have been affected greatly by different factors such as natural disasters, globalization, climate change and changes in market demand. The Caribbean is no longer able to depend on oil and gas products nor market produce to sustain their economy. They are unable to import food supplies as they did previously due to their declining economies. Hence agriculture is once again being looked at with a new focus and attitude, as this will assist the Caribbean region to have their own food supplies and will greatly reduce  the food bill expenditure.

According to this article, written by Erline Andrews in the magazine, “Caribbean Beat”, Agriculture is being given new prominence by the use of  the latest technological advancements that are being introduced to “farmer-preneurs.”

 

Unit one , revised   , page nine states that around 2500 B.C.E, the arts of animal Husbandry and plant cultivation were discovered. As a result, humans no longer had to wander around hunting and gathering their food. They now established villages and began to extend their civilization. This led to settled communities and was called Neolithic Revolution.

Unit 2, revised, page 6, states the Caribbean earliest inhabitants were the Paleo Indians, followed by the Meso Indians and then the Neo Indians, who developed agricultural methods, through which they cultivated their own crops.

Unit 3 speaks of the diversity of the Caribbean which is reflected in linguistic, ethnic and general cultural differences. It further states when Christopher Columbus made known the Caribbean region to Europe in the latter part of the 15th century , the flood gates were opened for successive wave of migrants from Europe , who not only destroyed  the Indigenous people , who brought with them cultural norms, whether willingly accepted  or not , were imposed on  the region. These divergent cultural norms have all, in varying degrees of strength, continued to shape the region to the present day. The unit states the factors that encouraged various agricultural activities in the region and finally led to the emergence of sugar cane as the dominant crop at the end of the seventeenth century. Unit three further stated that in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Caribbean  region were  marked by waves of occupation by various ethnic groups, largely as a result of the agricultural pursuits taking place at the time.

 

In conclusion, agriculture has played and continues to play a major role in the Caribbean  region .