THE KALINAGO TRIBE (DOMINICA)

Dominica is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean. Geographically unique, Dominica hosts nine volcanoes, seven mountain ranges, and one of the most heavily forested landscapes in the region, which is home to considerable biodiversity. Although the majority of Dominicans live on or near the coast, the country has a strong connection to its mountains and forests, which are particularly significant for the island’s caribbean Kalinago population, the only Caribbean community directly descended from the indigenous people that populated the entire region before colonization.
There's no better way to connect with the rhythm of tropic life than by visiting the Kalinago Territory.
Originally known as the Caribs, the Kalinago are believed to have originally come from South America and represent the last remaining tribe of the pre-columbian Carib Indians going back to about 3000 B.C.
A life wedded to nature suddenly changed with the arrival of Christopher Columbus and the subsequent arrival of European settlers with whom the Kalinago battled bitterly to keep their life and lands.
Eventually, they had to flee to the isolated eastern side of Dominica — taking with them rites, rituals, and a way of living reaching back to the island’s original settlers. It wasn't until 1763, when the British gained full control of Dominica, that the Kalinago were officially given 232 acres of land originally dubbed the Carib Reserve. Their territory was expanded to 3,700 acres in 1903.
Their culture — dance and song, artistry, and daily living — can help you discover your ancient self — and how your most distant forebearers experienced the world. Here you can learn their ageless crafts of basket weaving, canoe building, pottery making, and wood carving, to name but a few.
Among the Kalinago, you can live what life is like when everything is handcrafted, everything contains nothing but natural ingredients, and entertainment centers on human voices and bodies moving to a beat kept by drums and handmade instruments. Their rich language and their deep connection to nature can be heard in their name for their island, "Waitukubuli," meaning "tall Is her body."