Introduction
What changed post-Columbus.
Post-Columbus Impact on Trinidad’s First Peoples
Missions, Encomiendas, and the Resilience of a People
Uncover how colonial systems reshaped Indigenous lives through religious missions, forced labour, and cultural survival — and how their legacy endures in today’s communities.
First Wave of Missions (1687–1691)
The Mission System: Tools of Conversion and Control
Overview of when missions began, their purpose, and general impact.
La Anunciata de Nazaret de Savana Grande (now Princes Town)
Nuestra Señora de Montserrate (near Mayo)
La Purísima Concepción de María Santísima de Guayria (near San Fernando)
San Francisco de los Arenales (near present-day Arena)
Santa Ana de Savaneta
San Francisco de Careiro (Guayaguayare)
Santa Rosa Carib Community of Arima
The Only Surviving Indigenous Community in Trinidad & Tobago
Surviving Missions: Savana Grande, Savaneta, Guayria, Montserrate
Later Settlements (1736): Toco, Matura, Punta de Cumana, Salybia
1749 Missions: Mucurapo & Arima (abandoned by 1754)
Successful Missions (1786): La Divina Pastora & Santa Rosa de Arima → gave rise to Siparia & Arima
The Encomienda System
Encomiendas: Reward, Control, and Exploitation
Explain the Encomienda as a system of granting Indigenous labour to Spanish settlers.
Aricagua
A Nepuyo settlement where Indigenous people were forced into agricultural labour, supporting the early Spanish economy in northern Trinidad.
Tacarigua
Strategically located along the Amerindian trade route (now the East-West Corridor), Tacarigua was central to Spanish control and land development.
Arauca
Another Indigenous village incorporated into the encomienda system, Arauca provided both labour and access to fertile lands for Spanish settlers.
Cuara (aggregado)
An aggregated settlement, consolidating smaller indigenous communities to create a centralized labor pool and tighten Spanish control.
Farming, Food & Survival
The Strength of the Land
Indigenous farming expertise, crops, and culinary contributions.
Indigenous Agriculture & Lifeways
| Crops & Farming Techniques | Hunting, Fishing & Herbal Knowledge |
|---|---|
| Cassava | Quenk |
| Sweet potatoes | Sweet potatoes |
| Maize | Agouti |
| Cotton | cassareep |
| Beans | pepper-pot |
| Squash | yarao |
| Avocado | cascadura |
| Pineapple | Acacia & genip |
| Pigeon peas |