The Kalinago Uprising of 1930: A brief background

EDITOR’S NOTE: Remembering this day in our past, 19 September 1930, the date of the Kalinago Uprising also known as “The Carib War.” This article was first published in 2016.

When Dominica was captured and ‘ceded’ to Britain in 1763 it was surveyed and divided into lots for sale or military purposes.  Only 232 acres of mountainous land around Salybia was left for the indigenous Kalinago people.

In 1902, the British Administrator, Hesketh Bell, sent a lengthy report to the Secretary for the Colonies outlining the history of the Kalinago and made certain proposals for their future.

His major concern was that some 3,700 acres should be set aside for them and that they should be responsible for dividing up the ‘reserve’ among themselves according to their traditional family holdings.

Bell was unable to find any title deed for the original 232 acres surveyed and it was probable that no such title had ever existed. He raised some controversy with neighbouring plantation holders as he tried to settle the question of boundaries.

His stated aim was to protect the Kalinagos from being invaded by squatters from the neighbouring villages to the north and south. His efforts were significant, for it led to the expansion of the `reserve’ from the original small allotment and its organisation as it exists today.

Bell suggested that the ‘Carib chief’ should be officially recognised and be given a token allowance of £6 annually. He would assist the government in the administration of the district. The chief was formally invested, given a silver-headed staff and an elaborate sash, on which was embroidered in gothic lettering ‘The Chief of the Caribs’.

These symbols of goodwill were highly prized by the isolated community.

For thousands of years, the Kalinago had moved freely among the islands trading their goods and produce and they saw laws related to ‘smuggling’ as an imposition on their traditional customs. They continued to travel in their canoes and cross-colonial boundaries as they pleased.

But early on the morning of 19 September 1930, five armed policemen under the command of a Corporal, entered the ‘reserve’ with orders to search for ‘smuggled goods’ and arrest suspected persons.

When the police, most of whom were Leeward Islanders who did not speak Kweole, tried to seize a quantity of rum and tobacco and take away suspects, a struggle ensued. Stones and bottles were hurled at the police who retaliated by firing into the crowd and injuring four Kalinagos, two of whom died from their wounds.

The police were forced to escape from the area and arrived at Marigot beaten and battered, with neither prisoners nor seizures.

Without consulting the Executive Council, the Administrator, Edward Carlyon Eliot, summoned the Royal Navy frigate, HMS Delhi, which was cruising the Caribbean.

A day later the warship appeared off the ‘Carib Quarter’ and that night made a show of force by firing star-shells into the air and giving a display of searchlights.

The Kalinagos, unaccustomed to these signals, rushed from their houses and took refuge in the woods. Marines were landed and assisted local police in the search for the leaders of the protest.

The exact details of the incident took some time to reach Roseau, and even weeks later newspapers in the town were uncertain as to what had occurred on the windward coast.

The rumour, however, caused much excitement and all over the island people talked wildly about a ‘Carib rising’.

In 1931 the Governor of the Leeward Islands appointed a commission of inquiry to investigate the general conditions of the Caribs and the disturbance of the previous year.

Chief Jolly John was criticised for not taking greater control of the situation and the police for acting too hastily in using their revolvers.

As one legislator remarked, ‘the Report smacked everybody’s head a little and the Carib Chief’s the hardest of all’. He was degraded from his position, his staff and sash were confiscated, and he was forbidden to call himself ‘chief’. The Kalinagos paid no attention to this and continued to recognise their chosen headmen.

However, in August 1949, the Kalinagos wrote to the Administrator saying that since 1930 they had been ‘begging for a chief’ but had received no favour. After almost three years, an agreement was reached, and in June 1952 the Administrator visited the ‘Reserve’ and held an investiture ceremony at which a chief was installed and presented with the staff of office and a new sash.

The Kalinago administration later became part of the local government scheme with a Kalinago Council for the entire district. As preparations for granting independence to Dominica approached, the Kalinagos demanded that special legislation be passed to govern their affairs.

As a result, the Carib Reserve Act, now The Kalinago Territory Act of 1978, was passed shortly before Independence Day.

 

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14 Comments

  1. Chester
    September 21, 2018

    So sad the British were really ruthless. To invade people’s homeland steal their land, enslave, kill, maim and paralyze many of the inhabitants and totally humiliate them for many many years, hundreds. Worse is that they wear all this proudly and resent you even bring it up. Makes your skin Kringle, real bad people.

  2. Hmmmm
    September 20, 2018

    How sad that we were not told any of this in school.

    • Pat
      September 21, 2018

      As long as you were taught to sing rule Britannia and to adore their queen riding around in chariot of Gold stolen from Africa with no apology nor returning ALL the Gold.

  3. Dr Clayton Shillingford
    September 19, 2018

    A useful and necessary historical account of the indigenous Kalinago people of Dominica

  4. Moi
    September 19, 2018

    I think it’s incorrect to refer to this as the Kalinago War. Clearly in 1930 the word Kalinago was not used. And DNO, a quick check on the government of Dominica’s website revealed that the Carib Reserve Act still exists.

    See this link http://www.dominica.gov.dm/laws/chapters/chap25-90.pdf

    • residence
      September 20, 2018

      The government’s website has not been updated since Hector was a pup.

  5. Skerrit slaves
    September 19, 2018

    The behavior of the kalinago beople hurts their history. How could you people fire the UWP, that helped you all stop going to get water from the rivers and ravines by giving you all public pipe water? All making Skerrit mock all you behind your back. When he wants to fool a people he just simply goes to the reserve to fool the people

    • Jheri Curl
      September 20, 2018

      How did this become political?
      Give it a break

      Go outside for some fresh air man

  6. Not Me Alone
    September 19, 2018

    It is very sad to read the history of the Kalinago people since 1930, and to see how little progress they have made since that time. Politicians, especially the Skerrit and the DLP, have abused, lied to and abused these people so much that at times I really wonder if their brain is in their stomach. In fact during the last election Skerrit promised to make this day a carib holiday. Four years later has he? he also promised to give them their own bank.,. Has he? All the man does is use their parlreps and then fire them during the next election so the people could think is their parlrep that failed them and not he and the DLP. Mr. Darrroux, their current parlrep, might even get fired come next election since the Kalinago people were treated so badly especially during Maria and then for coming on Q95 today

  7. Bob Denis
    September 19, 2018

    From the pen of descendants with history of oppression , we learn of not to long ago, the genocide and ethnic cleansing of the True native Dominicans , in the midst of African slavery. The demoralization of the native people , have Africans on the Island believing they are better, while claiming to be the true Dominicans. The Kalinago people, should forget the Africans, and lay their own claim for REPARATIONS from RACIST and MURDEROUS England. The writers goal it seems, is to HUMANIZE the WICKED and EVIL past of his ancestors, God speaks through NATURE, Dominica don’t seems to be listening.

  8. jamie
    September 19, 2018

    Great piece of history,can we get some more.Respect always to the Kalinago people.

  9. %
    September 19, 2018

    More Fake history

    • Jheri Curl
      September 20, 2018

      care to explain?

    • moi moi
      September 21, 2018

      you are so sad of a human being to even think like Trump. But we understand your evilness – Dementia.

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