Exclusive: Visit to Banwari Site in San Francique, South Trinidad

Reflection

From the views of Warao elder Shabina Shar, it was evident that he and his tribe were adamant towards the construction of this highway. Having been the first inhabitants of this land, he said, he did not see why he and his people would have to go to the Government to fight their claim to land that was always theirs. Hearing him talk was eye opening for me, because even though I've never personally supported the construction of the highway in that area, I was now able to see how exactly it affected those who actually live there: and they are right- why must they be moved from their homeland, which belonged to them long before our Government or even civilization existed, just to satisfy the needs of a Governmental project?

Location of the Warao tribe taken from GPS on field trip. The controversial Debe to Mon Desir phase of the highway is supposed to cut through sacred Banwari land. The other phases of the highway include San Fernando to Point Fortin and Gloconda to Debe.

When asked if he would be willing to move, one of the Warao people firmly stated "This is my home and there is no way I am moving." It was clear that he had a strong attachment to the place, and this he explained: "I was born here and this has been my home my whole life. I lived in Canada for a few years but it is nothing like here. Here is my home." To the Warao, the land is not just about a physical foundation to build their settlements upon. It is the place of their ancestors, the place where they were born and raised, the land they have worked and toiled on: it belonged to them 9000 years ago and it still does. No other place on this planet can offer them that intrinsic value which this land holds.

A sign demarcating the location of the Warao

The Mr. Shar also showed us how this place is religiously important: Naparima hill, which is tied to the Northern earth gods of their cosmological world, is in perfect alignment with where they stand. This is crucial to their faith, and relocating them would affect this juxtaposition. I do not think the Government has any right to encroach upon anyone's religion in this way, and hence the reason the development of the highway should not be allowed to pass through here.

The types of houses in the area range from low income housing (concrete, half painted walls, galvanized roofing) to high income, 2 story houses (concrete, proper foundations with AC, steel roofing).

People's livelihoods are attached to the land. Sense of place and sense of home are more than a physical space/house; it is the connection to the place itself.

What was noticed however is how sparsely spaced they are: many of the houses have lots of open land around them. This is backed up by the statistics: if they are to build the highway, the Government will need to displace 350 houses, 800 people, 13 communities and over 1000 acres of land (70% of which is used for subsistence and peasant agriculture). The points of relocation for these people would be Petite Morne (for legitimate land owners) and Cedar Hill (for squatters). It is important to know the income status/type of dwelling when considering resettling a population so that those being resettled can be fairly compensated. In this case, the areas for the planned resettlement are not as valuable in terms of economic value, and according to the Warao, not as valuable in terms of spiritual and emotional value. "Say your property was valued at $200", stated one of the Warao, "they [the Government] want to give you $100 for it." The compensation planned for them is not valued fairly.

Urban developers will not always see eye to eye with indigenous groups living in areas which they are trying to build in. Coming from different backgrounds and social settings, these differences in opinion are expected. A developer will most likely see the highway as necessary for increasing accessibility within the country, thereby furthering the development of the nation; but a member of an indigenous group, whose ideas of development will not be the same, will see the development of the highway as destructive to nature and his territory. One way in which this could be addressed is to have a consultation with members of the various communities in the area prior to the development. This will allow developers and community members to talk on even terms and exchange ideas as to what would benefit the communities and the country best.

Evidence of indigeneity included the sacred grounds of the Warao: Naparima Hill, for example, is linked to their gods, and is highly revered in their society. Their homeland itself is considered sacred, owing to the fact that it is where the first people settled over 9000 years ago in Trinidad, and their tribe has lived there ever since. A lot of the natural vegetation has been retained, because the Warao are people that live in harmony with the flaura and fauna of the land. The construction of the highway would destroy this.

Indigeneity is defined as membership to an indigenous group. The cultures of the indigenous people have been affected by development, despite the efforts of the natives to hold on and preserve their heritage. A way in which it has been affected is by their attire: one sported Nike sneakers, whereas another wore joggers- both of these are current popular articles of clothing. However, aspects which have been retained from their culture are their language and customs: I was able to experience first-hand a prayer in their native language, in which they seemed quite fluent.

Development, such as the construction of this highway through sacred Warao grounds, threatens to strip away aspects of indigenous heritage by removing the natives, and reforming their land to suit 'development' purposes. Then again the whole issue of what is development is also brought up: to most people, development equals roads and infrastructure. To the Warao, development would take shape in a different way: possibly less infrastructure and more natural vegetation, as Mr. Shar stated that being in touch with nature is essential to them.

Infrastructural development of the 21st century would seek to remove this natural vegetation, and make the space useable by cars and other vehicles necessary for urban development. The problem with development these days is that areas are being built for cars and not for people. Leaving nature untouched is actually more beneficial to human's wellbeing: plants are dubbed "the lungs of the Earth" as they help to reduce the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. The construction of this highway is a classic example of how development is seeking to stifle nature.

I believe it is possible for development to respect both nature and heritage, while simultaneously encouraging economic growth: to do this, the team of developers should include persons from different backgrounds to have a more holistic approach on the development project. Community members should also be part of a consultation panel, because they are the ones who will be subjected to the most change, and if the project is to be done on their land, they have every right to affect the outcome of any decisions made.

Additional Notes

Sea shells are present this far inland because the sea used to cover the land here. These shells are thousands of years old.

The Warao people have been here for over 9000 years, and originated in Naparima.

Religion:

They believe in Northern earth gods of the cosmological world. Their religion has both male and female gods, to whom Naparima hill is sacred. The religion also constitutes of 4 shamans. When saying prayers, the Warao bow to the 4 cardinal points (to show respect to the wind), and then hold hands (to become one) and say a prayer in their tribal tongue.

Shabina Shar said there are 3 aspects of a nation: Common language, territory and tradition. What are a people without these? The highway threatens to take away their territory, which will then lead to a change in traditions, as different parts of the tribe would be separated from each other, and they would no longer be aligned to Naparima hill, which is important for their religion. In addition, Warao dont have the money to hire a lawyer to claim back their land, and their land is important to them as this is where the first Warao came from.

“If a man cannot be honest to himself, who can he be honest to?” – Warao saying.

Reflection on Banwari Man

Standing next to a 5000-year-old skeleton is definitely not something I do every day, and seeing it was truly a phenomenal experience. While looking at it, my mind drifted to pre-colonial life in Trinidad. This man/ woman once walked the Earth, had a life, possibly a tribe, a family, friends. How did he come to die? What does his final resting position say about his death? All of these questions swirled through my head as I gazed upon this ancient pile of bones.

The bones themselves were dug up in 1969, at a burial site in San Francique, and make up the earliest known human in the entire West Indies. It was found somewhere around 20 cm beneath the surface, and it is a marvel that these bones are still intact. Carbon dating by the traced it back to somewhere between 5200 to 3200 BC.

The Warao people themselves believe that the bones are part of their heritage, and are not happy with the fact that it is locked inside a glass case inside UWI. They claim the bones belong to them and should remain with them.

References:

Shar, Shabina. Interview with Kaaria Quash. Personal Interview. San Francique, March 12, 2016.