The town of Arima was the first Royal Charter Borough in Trinidad . On the surface it is a bustling commercial area, especially around its centre, the famous Dial, but at its core is a rich history and tradition.

It is the largest Roman Catholic parish in the archdiocese. It is also home to the Santa Rosa Carib Community, the only established Amerindian community left in Trinidad and Tobago . The story of the Roman Catholic religion and of the Amerindians in Trinidad is closely linked.

Arima was already an established Carib Village . The Amerindians lived in Trinidad long before Christopher Columbus set foot here in 1498. These indigenous people called our island "Iere" and "Cairi". After Columbus claimed the island for King Ferdinand II of Spain , those who followed were more interested in conquest than in colonisation.

Many came only to search for and take away precious possessions from the native population. In this way the Spaniards became the enemies of the Amerindians of Trinidad.

Instead of trying to colonise the island by force, King Ferdinand II and his advisors decided to control Amerindians by christianising them. Catholic missionaries were to replace military force. A royal notification ended all military expeditions against the natives in the territories of the New World .

Statue of Santa Rosa transported through the streets of Arima

From as early as 1513, efforts were made to Christianise the Amerindians of Trinidad, but these were met with violent hostility because they felt their freedom would be taken away.

The strongest opposition came from the tribes who lived in the foothills of the Northern Range .

These tribes were the Carina, Chimay and Nepuyo. Perhaps the most famous of these Amerindians was Hiaraima, the great Nepuyo Chief, who lived in Arima and fought bravely against the Spanish.

However, the Spanish Capuchins of the Province of Catalan , of the Order of St Francis, responded to the king's invitation to send missionaries to Trinidad . In August 1687 a group of 10 Capuchins landed here. They went to St Joseph , lodged at the monastery that had earlier been established there, and organised missions in various parts of Trinidad .

Their role was to encourage the Amerindian people to work on the land where missions were established, to train them to accept the lifestyle of Spanish society, and to instruct them in the teachings of Christianity.

The tribes in the Arima area were very strong tribes, and effectively kept Spanish colonisation of the area at bay for a long time. It wasn't until 1749 the Capuchin monks were able to establish the Mission of Santa Rosa de Arima. It was named after Santa Rosa de Lima, the first saint of the New World .

The legend of Santa Rosa

The Caribs of Arima have a strong devotion to Santa Rosa . They believe, as told by their ancestors, that Rosa was born in Arima to Spanish parents while staying in Trinidad on their way to South America . They eventually settled in Peru . There is no proof of this story, but it is the oral tradition of the Caribs, and explains why her manifested spirit appeared to them in Arima.

The story goes, three Carib hunters of the Carinepogoto Tribe were hunting in the Pinto forest. That would be where Pinto Road and Santa Rosa Heights is now. The hunters' names were Raimundo, Punya and Puyon. They followed the river to the place where white river lilies grow and there, near a spring, they saw a girl who seemed to be mute.

They thought she was lost, so they took her back to their village (which extended from the present Santa Rosa Church to Calvary Hill). They carried her to the priest who saw that she was not a child, but a spirit. Three times she disappeared and three times they brought her back. The priest told them that the third apparition would be the last because she was not of this world. She was the manifested spirit of Santa Rosa , willed back to Arima where she was born.

He told them to make an image of her while she was still among them and this they did. It is said, as soon as the statue (the same statue the Caribs of Arima carry at the Santa Rosa festival to this day) was completed, the "girl" found in the forest disappeared forever.

On returning to the spot where they met her, the three hunters found a necklace and a crown of roses in the colours pink, yellow, red and white. The necklace was said to have miraculous powers and was worn by the queen of the tribe as a sign of sovereignty. It has since been lost. The roses are now the accepted symbol of the Santa Rosa Caribs.

The Santa Rosa Festival

This "miraculous" religious tradition is linked to the conversion of the Amerindian people who lived in Arima. Carib oral tradition has it that Anacoana, the daughter of Hiaraima, was the first of the tribe to be baptised a Roman Catholic and is known as the ancestress of the Carib Queens.

Since their conversion around 1759, the Carib Community of Arima has celebrated the Santa Rosa Festival during the month of August. Symbolic flags and bamboo joints with votive lights are placed on the park opposite the church ( Lord Harris Square ).

Traditional Amerindian garb worn at the Santa Rosa festivities

The cherished statue of Santa Rosa is enthroned and displayed during the traditional High Mass.

It is then sheltered by a canopy and carried in procession through Arima. A festival king and queen are also selected on the day.

The Carib custom of a festival king and queen predates colonisation, as the Amerindians annually selected a young girl and boy to be their king and queen. The custom was retained and transferred to the Santa Rosa festival. The "Fiesta Queen" serves as a youth representative for the community and as an attendant to the "Titular Queen" when necessary.

The canopy is decorated with pink, yellow, red and white roses and the Santa Rosa Banner carried in the procession has a silver cross attached to it. Legend has it that this cross was given to Queen Anacoana by a dying priest, symbolising the end of hostilities between the Amerindian people of Trinidad and the Catholic Church.

The role of the titular Carib Queen is to lead the community, and to pass on the traditions and skills of their ancestors. Since Queen Anacoana, the successors have been women who lived to very old age, some surpassing 100 years. The line of Queens is as follows: Madame Dolores Meldrano ("Ma" Gopal); Maria Werges; Edith Martinez; Justa "May" Werges and the present Queen Valentina Medina.

The present day Caribs

Most of the original families of Arima are a mix of Carib and Spanish. In fact very many Trinidadians from all over the country claim to have Carib blood. There is a group in Arima, however, who takes our Carib "roots" very seriously.

The Santa Rosa Carib Community is a well-organised group, recognised by Government as the legitimate representative of the indigenous Amerindians of Trinidad and Tobago . Their goal is to obtain land from Government where a Carib village can be established so indigenous culture and skills can be preserved and passed on.

They are members of the Caribbean Organisation of Indigenous People (COIP), an international organisation established to enhance social and economic development of members while promoting the retrieval of indigenous culture.

The Carib Community has established contacts with indigenous groupings from Guyana , Belize , Dominica , the US , Canada as well as other parts of South America and the West Indies . Through this interaction the Santa Caribs are relearning the language and traditions that were lost. In this way they are ensuring that our Amerindian heritage will not be forgotten.

Special thanks to Jacqueline Khan, Secretary of the Santa Rosa Carib Community for providing her information and research for use in this article.