Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has said persons in the Kalinago Territory are not exploiting their talents enough.
He told a town hall meeting of Cabinet in Sineku on Thursday night that the indigenous people are not taking advantage of the craft industry. He said government is willing to partner with the Carib Council to take advantage of what exists in the craft industry.
“I am saying that we have enough raw materials in the Carib territory to do all the craft we need to supply every tourist who come to Dominica. It makes no sense for us to buy things from overseas and then sell it to tourists. They are not interested in things made overseas. They are interested in things made right here in Dominica with Dominican products,” he said.
Skerrit said government is willing to make the funds available to boost production and the craft industry in the Kalinago Territory.
As a tourist from the U.S. I was impressed by the beautiful baskets that were being woven before my eyes. I bought a small one. Am interested in buying another, but it is hard to get back to the Territory. Looked on web for Kalinago or Carib baskets for sale and couldn’t find a site. I don’t know how the tribe markets its handiworks. A web site on the internet,a facebook page or even a place on ETSY the web outlet for handcrafts of all sorts might be productive. ETSY is easy to sign up for, very inexpensive, and widely accessed. (find it under etsy.com).
The baskets are very fine. Prices for baskets can get high, I would guess higher than from tourists passing by.
The Kalinago we met in the Territory were beautiful people. I wish them the very best. Any ideas how to get a basket on line?
Thanks for seeing the issue that has been looking oa us for the longest time. But Mr Prime Minister it still comes back government not empowering our people when all they get is hand-outs. wat do you expect. People get up and make use of wat you have.The craft market sent my siblings and I to school we are how able to give back to society.
Does the PM know how much work is involved in making these crafts? And after all this work is done, there is no market to sell these products, but when someone decides to buy these crafts from the Kalinago people, they want them cheap cheap cheap.
‘Skerrit said government is willing to make the funds available to boost production and the craft industry in the Kalinago Territory.’
skerrit, stop the talking and start acting.
Show us you are more than cheap talk. And by the way, do not wait for close to elections to make these “funds” available…start now.
But as always, time will tell.
So many thoughts. Where is the reality?
I would like to suggest:
1. That the indigenous people brainstorm about whether they are Kalinagoes or Arawaks or a mixture of both, (because according to the history we go by, they came from men who were kalinagoes and women who were Arawaks). Only after having given this due consideration can they (we) come up with this tribe’s true identity and name.
2. That our indigenous people learn about trade and industry.
For example: some years ago I wanted to sell authentic Carib Crafts, and decided to place an order for disposable plate holders so that one could use the more easily degradable paper plates instead of the plastics. The price on the plate holders in the Territory was EC$5 even though you could get the stronger China made ones for less than EC$1 each from St. Martin. I told the craftsperson that I wished to order 100 wholesale, and asked how much would they sell it to me for. She answered unpleasantly that the price was EC$5 each. No further consideration. Then the husband butted in and they started speaking in patois thinking that I could not understand because I had a foreign accent. He told her “pa worry eve’y i ka try fe ladja asu tet ou” and the woman turned away and left me standing.
As for the person who wrote that “…I still think it is apartheid, the way we treat the carib people…” Does he know the meaning of apartheid? As far as I know Apartheid is an official policy or practice of separating or segregating groups, and having disparate regulations for one as against the other.. Does the govenment separate or segregate one group from another in Dominica?
The then Queen of England apportioned a section of this island and referred to it as a territory for the indigenous people’s council to hold in trust for the indigenous people. She did not prescribe that these indigenous people had to have permission to live on the rest of the island. They can use Dominica in whatever way they see fit – purchase, develop, speculate, like anybody else; but the rest of the nation cannot so use the Territory. Of course there are reasons for this and no one is disputing them, certainly not I.
When it comes to government’s policies towards Dominica’s indigenous people, I dont see where Apartheid is manifested here. The indigenous people are free to work wherever. They are given special consideration in several ways, one targets at least one in every home for tertiary education, the rest of Dominica does not have that consideration.
Encouraging the indigenous people to procreate only with themselves has inherent health problems because their numbers are few and can create Apartied in the minds of those who will participate in such a venture simply for the sake of trying to re-develop a pure race. Many of us already have ‘Carib blood’ in our veins anyway.
So I think that these thoughtless points that are being bandied around only make it difficult for us to work and socialize with our indigenous brethrens in peace, love, harmony and prosperity. If we cannot spread love, let us at least refrain from spreading groundless hateful ideas.
We do not have to “brainstorm” about who we are. We are who we are, Karifuna and Kalinag, a people of Arawak and Carib descent.
The carib council is more worried about a name than the preservation of the culture. While the chief is busy changing the name of all the carib organizations to kaligano, the culture is dying and no attention is paid to that, if the people have ecercise the expertise that they have learned and pass it down to their children, then there will be so much pride built in them that the others things will naturally follow.The truth is not too many people ( caribs included) are really worried about the preservation of the carib culture, except when it comes to the exploitation for financial gains. First the attitude of the rest of Dominica has to change towards the caribs, there is too much stereotype towards caribs that exist even in places of influence. I hope the chief takes the lead, stop worring about black men, and concern himself with the propergation of the culture of his people I still think it is apartheid, the way we treat the carib people, but thats one man’s openion.
Why should the chief let down his guide against outsiders,when they are the ones who bring in the drugs and all other negative influences in the territory.
bla bla bla..bla bla bla bla..shout ur mouth..enough of all ur empty promises n talk like u soo care
Kalinago craft industry is in that disastrous state because of the neglect by Govt. in the first place. Agriculture is declining rapidly. About 50 % of the Kalinago people are living in poverty. They once produced several crops from which they earned a living. Because of Govt.’s neglect, loss of markets for their produce and insignificant investment in agriculture, those hard working Kalinago, Dominica’s FIRST INHABITANTS, are getting POORER and POORER.
The Chinese craft products are much, much cheaper, although of inferior quality. Now that Chinese Businesses have swamped Roseau, cheaper Chinese products, craft included, have grounded the sales of Kalinago craft products. The Chinese have established themselves in Dominica to sell goods from Mainland China, thereby exerting serious competition on local craft products. Neither Kalinago, nor any other Dominican business men and women could compete.
Skerritt is just spewing words that mean nothing at all. Those spontaneous soundbites without serious revamp of the agricultural industry will certainly not improve the standard of living of the Kalinago people. Skerritt and his cabinet should realize that the raw materials come from Agriculture.
When my great grand father decided to live the reserve and move to Roseau to find work go to school got his education and started his own business to help support his family, and made sure that his future grand kids had an option too no one had a gun to his head telling him he had to live on the reserve and sit his ass down and wait for hand outs. He got up his ass and made sure he did something. I personally know other Kalinago teachers lawyers and Drs in Dominica who doing something just like any other Dominican brown black and shabeh. Stop the Bull crap man. Insted for you trying to see something from this you making it seem that we are being oppressed. give me a break I have never felt opressed for besing Kalinago background never seen my father or mother in that state too. We are DOMINICANS. The ones who chose to stay in the reserve and drink rum all day that is their biz. Who is stoping them from doing like the others? They could stay there and still get work and an education. Why u acting like ppl keeping us down? Gosh man
More Blah Blah from the PM! All talks and no action! Such an initiative have been put to the test numerous times over the years and all attempts have failed due to lack of support especially from the government!!
and talk about the Culture, they have a very rich Culture which need to be put on the market. they need to implement a Culture Rama. am sure it will bring in some founds and the wider public will more in turn of what they have to offer.