Minister for Carib Affairs Ashton Graneau says the Kalinago people here are facing racial discrimination, though obscure in some sectors.
According to Graneau many in the sports sector have been victims. “Some of our guys have gone in the cricketing arena, they have been selected for trials, they have played in the trials and if they failed once, then that’s it for them, as compared to some other individuals because they are not Kalinagos,” he disclosed.
However, racial discrimination in the employment sector is not always as obvious, Graneau stated, because more Kalinagos are now “qualified” and employed.
Graneau said he too has been a victim of racial discrimination but recognized the issue was more prevalent in the past.
anti-carib racism and the marginalisation of the carib people in Dominica is world-famous…it is plain to see. Even those foreign visitors such as the Chinese and Lokono from Guyana who bear outward resemblance to the Amerindian Caribs have been discriminated, refused services and called savages or cannibals to their face….in Roseau and Portsmouth.
some of the comments claim the hate is spewed from both camps; but let me ask you, who is the majority power holder in Dominica? The equalisation of racism from black Dominicans and Caribs brings to mind those who equate racism between the white and black South Africans under the period of apartheid regime.
it is so much easier to treat all Dominican neighbours equally…after all it is not a big island
I somewhat believe the things you say. Deny as we want, many off us have at some point shown some bigotry against Kalinago people. From day one, the colonizers shaped our mindsets on this. But Minister Graneau, if all of this is true, how do plan to move your people beyond this negative trend to a level of progress? How do you plan to make them more entrepreneurial, believing more in themselves, more industrious and forward-thinking? Or are you going to use the race card as a tool to minimize the scope of this group of Dominicans? You yourself have beaten this and is now a Minister in Government!
This opportunity have been staring you and your brother right in the face for years.
The Irony of the Hatefilled Racist Blacks,who Complain about Colonialism and racist whites, ie. Blm are some of the Most Clownish Haters….. Jeez!
Can someone please tell me what the job discription of a minister is? In my low thinking mind I always thought ministers were put in place to direct and build bridges as the way foward. Mr. Graneau, unlike other ministers who have to take care of the entire country, only has to concentrate on the way foward for the Caribs, as their pal rep and minister of Carib Affairs. To hear the minister talk about caribs being desriminated and used cricket as an example is of very poor taste. Listen to the minister folks: some caribs were given the opportunity to make trials and if they failed once that’s it for them in compared to non caribs. Mr. minister, that’s why it is called “trials”. If you failed there then you need to come better next time. For example, Devon Smith had a practice match yesterday and he knew he had to come good if he wants to be on the Windies team. He did just that with 130 not out and automatically forced his way in. That’s the message you need to preach to our young caribs instead of preaching division as the problem.
Sir, to be honest with you, you sure don’t sound like a minister; you more sound like an opposition member trying to point out flaws in an administration. However, your government is in power and you are the minister responsible.
I am a proud Dominican mix kalinago woman,born in Atkinson Ashton Graneau is my uncle,do you know what they call me,in saba and sxm an Advance Kalinago woman.Everyone respect me for who I am.Beautiful in heart and apperance,hard working,friendly and a heart for everyone,so that leaves people in general with a very good impression about my KALINAGO people.The family I came from tought us to be kind to everyone.we are all gods people who have all eqaul right to everything in this world.Ashton Keep your head up and do all things in your power that is right in gods eyes.continue to keep him in the centre of everything you do.
Ashton need to be like u and stop trivializing matters.
well racism is a thing of the past .every where in the world minorities cry foul / racism
we need to do our homewok work harder to acheive what we need
in 2011 we in dominica talking about race and colour?
i dont see colour / race
at the end of the day we are dominicas so put it in your pipes and smoke it
dominicas needs to get up their lazy buts do something constructive and stop fantacizing
and as for those who say blacks are look down upon every where , take a better look arent we
closer in color to mother earth , if then maybe the descrimination theory is pure jealously after all what else can it be.
i personally owe nothing to nobody and im looking for nothing in return
You sound so racist!
Shut the duck up, Candice!!!
Candice shut your mouth and go back to school, if u got nothing good to say, dammm you…..
you talking about racism is over, but u brought it back…
I think it is about time we caribs and decedents of stop looking for others to blame for our misfortune. Yes they took our land yes we can’t get loans but should we walk around with our heads bent NO it is about time we go out and make a name for ourselves reverse the stigma that has been attached to the Carib Indians. it is about time we earn and stop looking for handouts. Our children go to school and have the same opportunities as any other child what they choose to do with it is up to them. Before we could not afford to send our children to study but now with scholarships from the government they can go. it is up to our children to come back home and help the community. yes when we were younger we would hear negative comments about us caribs but I believe that this was just to make us stronger as a ppl. If some one does not work or earn something lets not use race as an excuse. Travel outside of Dominica where their is real racism then come back and see Dominica is lovely a place to be.
Graneau; since it appears to me you do not clearly understand the meaning discrimination, I feel compelled give you different definitions of the word.
I. E.
To discriminate is an act or process by which two stimuli deferring in some aspect are responded to differently.
The quality or power of finely distinguishing; or an act practiced , or an instant of discriminating categorically rather than individually.
However, in simpler terms I believe you are playing the race card, in terms of Dominica, cricket officials are prejudiced, or prejudicial against our Dominica indigenous of which only a few pure ones remain; because, even you Graneau are not actually 100% Caribbean Indian.
And if there is any from of racism here, I find it in your sentiments.
To complain that the Carib Indians are overlooked: explain the reality of a certain Carib Indian who made it into the West Indies team, and played, his roll as Pace Bowler.
As far as I know, he is from the Carib Reservation in Dominica!
Explain, if Cricket officials, discriminate against your people, tell me how Jeffers Warrington, a Dominica born on your Reservation made it into the Antigua National side, represented Antigua, in first class cricket, and was a permanent fixture on the Leeward Island team in the days, when the late Grayson Shillingford: Irvin Shillingford, Norbert Philip, Clem John, Caleb Laurent, and others were giants of Dominica Cricket.
How do you explain that.
Be quiet man, because Carib’s discriminate against Black Dominican’s that does not mean we discriminate against them; your people tells us Black Dominican’s ” go back to the black continent” meaning we should go back to Africa.
That to me is outright racial discrimination, by the Carib’s, against black Dominica.
Now I invite you to stand in front of your mirror, for a bit, and try to discern your color or completion, and tell me to where you belong!
If you say half Carib, half black, I will agree with you, however, complete Carib, no way.
And I know, your kind, because my uncle Sentive Valmond was born on the Carib Reservation, and my grandmother’s mother is Carib, born in the Village Sineku.
I am as dark in complexion as they come, however, I have Carib blood as much as you have in you, I just don’t want any free land on the reservation even if I am entitled to it also.
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
@FDT….Caribs do not even have to tell black Dominicans to “go back to the black continent” because black Dominicans and black people on a whole regardless of where they come from, openly claim to be African and have been reveling to “go back to Mama Africa” because “that’s where we came from.”
If Caribs say as you claim, can you blame us? Just take it as support…. cha man… and no, you are not entitled to anything, not even a pebble!
Racial Discrimination? It was the Caribs(now Kalinago), who did not want black people on the reservation. The very existence of the Caribs is based on dicrimination and racism, the recognised Kalinago people are those with light skin and straight hair. The product of a Carib and Syrian or European and Carib is more readily accepted as Kalinago/Carib as opposed to the product of a negro and a Carib. So, Mr. Graneau when you start accusing us of racism, please look in a mirror….
I am sorry but his father is not from Vieille Case, he was raised by a family or I should say his adopted parents are from vieille Case. .
He went to School in vieille case and moved out from there when his adopted parents migrated to St. Croiox with all their children and left him behind. He was not good enough to migrate with them.
They worked as a slave all day every day while their children seet aound doing nothing. This man went though a lot as a kid to a young man. Maybe dominicans need to find out all about this man. I know all about him because i leave near him growing as kids. He and I are about the same age.
@ Reader, his biological father, Mr. Lionel Graneau is from Vieille Case and is alive and well. Perhaps you can ask him for yourself. You can find his name and number in the phonebook. I do not dismiss your story about an “adoptive” family but his father is from Vieille Case and married my grandmother’s cousin from Bataca. Got that??? 100% correct!!!
They call his father, “Pippirit” .
I stand corrected, maybe I was too young at the time to know all of that. I left Vieille Case and dominica a long time ago. I can only remember the way he was treated so badly by his adopted parents and school kids.
IF HE WAS ADOPTED WHY IS LAST NAME IS GRANEAU?
I was expecting to Mr. Graneau to outline how the Kalinago people have been discriminated against (becuase truth be told, we have not treated our kalinago brothers and sister with the greatest respect) but then he goes into the sports arena and stops there. Is this the people who are representing us in our parliament and on the international arena? I am appauled. It would haver been better if he had not brought this up at such a trivial level.
Some of us (Africans) are drunks too. We have sadly been involved in incest too. We are often referred to as aggressive and non-progressive.
It is so much easier to love our Kalinago neighbours, after all it is there land…we met them here.
PLEASE, MAKE A CONTRIBUTION OR JUST SHUT UP
i think the person did make a contribution…
i was thinking the same thing….IT’S THEIR COUNTRY!!!!!!
I am in in the US and I am from Vieille Case, I know Mr. Graneau personally because he grew up in Vieille Case with with a family from there. I witness what he went through as a young boy. we played together as kids. I use to feel very sorry him to see how he was treated and I always talk about him in that regards to people in the US who do not even know who he was.
Today I am very proud him and what he stands for. I have not seen him in very long time but I lift my hat up to him.
Mr. Graneau, you should stand up for what you blieve in and fight for your people. African decents who are in dominica and has never travel outside on Dominica really do not know the experiece of being discremination. They need to think twice before they try to treat anyone less that they are.
His father is actually from Vieille Case and moved to the Kalinago Territory…. Personally, I have experienced teasing and discrimination within Vieille Case myself as a modern day visitor. The irony was that the youngsters who were referring to me as “the old Carib” were more Carib than myself in terms of physical appearance, eyes, hair and all. It seems that they may not know that they themselves are actually Caribs or Kalinagos…. since so many people mistakenly believe that Kalinagos or descendants are from the Kalinago Territory only… The people of Vieille Case need to familiarize themselves with their history… they should be proud Itassi and remember the words of Fr. Breton. P.S. I too, am very proud of how far we have come as a people!
Having grown up in Dominica I am well aware that there is no love lost between blacks and Kalinagos on the island. I knew of mixed raced children who were forcibly given up or abandoned because they were not of pure Kalinago blood. I also knew of stereotypes that Kalinagos were drunks, skittish, cannibalistic, and or anti-social. Luckily I got the chance to socialize with Kalinago descendants in my time at Six Form and realized that they were the same as me. There was definitely hate spewed from both camps but it is up to the younger generations to change things and move the thinking along.
I can appreciate where Mr. Graneau is coming from with his notion that there is racial discrimination and that may very well be true, however; to make such a statement without providing more concrete or statistical examples is borderline irresponsible and should not be undertaken lightly.
I understand why there are Kalinagos who abhor mixing of the races but how else are we supposed to advance as a society when we shun those of the group who go outside the race, fall in love and get married?
I am not proposing to have all the answers; however, we as the larger back population in Dominica need to embrace ALL Dominicans into one culture, as difficult as that may seem. We are all part of the human family and we must seek to discuss and iron out our differences instead of upholding and espousing the stereotypes that tear us down as a people, and a nation.
Point takenListener _001 but you erred in that graneau did not speak to you directly nor was it a radio programme to your ears you read it here on DNO.You could have called yourself reader lol!
And all you Ashton not even a kal much less for a kalinago. What distraction is this Aykinson brother coming up with now
@Jolly Brown, you can jolly well hush your big brown mouth because Ashton is from Bataca. The boundary of Atkinson and Bataca does not begin where the sign “you are now entering the Carib Territory” is. That sign has in fact been moved several times, each time further towards Bataca. Does that mean that whenever that happens, Bataca gets smaller? The boundary is in fact the ravine…. ok? he was born within the boundaries of the Kalinago Territory so watch your big brown mouth.
I have been married to a beautiful Kalinago woman and she is the most wonderful wife I’ve ever had. I tried making it with one of African descent, unfortunately, we did not make it together.
I am of African descent. There are good and bad characters in every race or tribe of people. Racism is an outlandish foolish practice. Anyone who indulges in it is foolish.
This is a very serious statement, Mr. Graneau. I want you to provide an indepth discourse on the matter. Our Constitution prohibits discrimination based on colour of skin or ethnic origin. One hopes that you are in a position to elucidate the matter and take action to effectively fight it. Such statements,especially coming from a Member of Parliament and Cabinet, are not to be treated lightly.
I agree with u, when you travel you gain experience, for a fact i notice Dominicans don’t pay attention
to their history, people will read my comment and say that am misleading, but its true.
Dominicancs in CANADA and the US as far as i researched are better aware of their history than the wider percent of Dominicans in the country. i have traveled to a lot of countries taking part in a lot of activities with Dominicans so i know what what am speaking of.
If you have travel that much then you will realize that the racism in places like canada and the US are far worse than what is said to be in Dominica. Last i checked no one was killed. In the US and Canada ppl are still being killed because they are black or some other race. Look at what the Muslims are now facing …. You say you know your history but do you know that majority of dominicans though some do not look it are descended from carib ancestry… I bet you didn’t know that. If the “blacks” are discriminating against us Caribs and I say us because I am also is because we choose to not rise above it. I use to make the comments of others hurt me till I got to the point where I realize what can words do?
I agree with Mr. Graneau, it is plain to see… the names some persons refer to the Kalinagos especially the way the think about them…. Dominicans really need to recognise the treasure that they hold here , its not that they think the blacks owe them anything —-some of us need to understand history before we can comment in such forums …
Sooner or later the Kalinago tribe will just be a part of our history and they will no longer exist…the recognition of indigenous people worldwide is like a gem…but what happens here in Dominica we treat it as nothing….
Kalinago people have already suffered from genocide –only the strong survived we should really appreciate them and keep them in high regards….
Tainos/Arawaks are gone , Kalinagos might soon be gone…let us think and help build up these people.
Blacks also need to recognise their own value as people and do necessary changes to respect their fellow country man …
Realise that Dominica only got independence from the British empire in 1978 …how young we are…we should challenge the British and seek compensation for the way we are now …REPARATION —-BUT THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE TOO SCARED TO UNDERTAKE THAT…FOR THE GENOCIDE OF KALINAGOS AND ENSLAVEMENT OF NEGROS!
Mr Graneau, Did you experienced serious racial discimenation during that last Carbinet meeting? Parl-rep your followers would like to know bro.
what discrimination? You serious? I don’t see it. Save for the steriotypical comments that caribs are drunks, they have involved in incestual behavior and think everyone owes them something, i can’t think of any other issue. Mr. Graneau needs to give more specific examples
Um, I think you just listed three instances of discriminatory behaviour against Kalinagos. And then you say you don’t see it. So which is it?
Mr. Graneau, Can you give us evidence to support whatever you are saying.
WE BLACKS ARE DISCRIMINATED BY THE CRIBS ALSO,,,,,,,,THEYS ALWAYS CALL ME NEG….
THE CARIBS BELIEVE WE BLACKS IN DOMINICA OWE THEM SOMETHING.. LIKE THEY ARE SOME SPECIAL CLASSS,, WE BLACKS ARE SPECIAL TOOOOOOOOO
Ok ,what about the Bloods? As in your opening statement you mentioned Cribs. Are you in the USA and mixing up things or just a typo or you can’t spell? i know better just teasing Ok!
shouldn’t the man and his ministry called Minister of kalinago Affairs? Why Carib and Kalinago
mix up didn’t that get fix and taken to the next level?
Mr Graneau there are more important issues which u need to address!!
Were u in hibernation??
looks like a little winter kalinago rabbit eh?
Hahahahahahahaha. I agree with you
Even if he was to address ALL the issues that you speak about, a biased fool like yourself would never give the man the credit. That is the problem with idiots like you: only know how to criticize!!
your right mr.graneau growing up for the few years i spent in dominica,we were thougt many times to tease the kalinago people,after migrating from dominica and reading about your people my whole concept changed,i am one of nasio fontaine greatest fan,dominicans need to read your peoples history and gain some knowledge.