Kalinago Genocide of 1626

The Kalinago Genocide of 1626 occurred in the West Indian island of St. Kitts at Bloody Point. The Caribs realized that many more Europeans would come and settle in St.Kitts. The Caribs decided that the European settlers had to be destroyed. Large numbers of Caribs from Dominica and other neighbouring islands were invited to St. Kitts to help get rid of the settlers. However, the plan was told to one of the English settlers by a woman named Barbe. The English and French joined forces and launched a surprise night-time attack on the St. Kitts Caribs. According to Du Tertre (1667 I:6), between 100 and 120 Caribs were killed in their beds that night, with only the most beautiful Carib women spared death to serve as slaves. Having thus rid themselves of the local Caribs, the French and English subsequently divided the island between them and set about fortifying the island against the expected invasion of Caribs from other islands. In the ensuing battle, three to four thousand Caribs allegedly took up arms against the Europeans. Du Tertre gives no precise information on the number of Caribs killed, but mentions that the fallen Amerindians on the beach were piled high into a mound. The English and French suffered at least 100 casualties (Du Tertre 1667 I:6). It is said that the blood of the Caribs ran down Bloody River for three days. This is why the area was named Bloody Point.

The entire tale of the Kalinago Genocide however, was told exclusively from the perspective and writings of the Europeans and modern scientists estimate that many of their claims were fraudulent or exaggerated in order to justify the killings. The time of year of the Kalinago Genocide for example (late January) was near the middle of the dry season, referred to by the Kalinago as the season of Bat - due the abundance of bats at that time of year. Usually, raids on Taino and other Amerindians would take place at this time for sacrifices, etc., to appease Bat man to ensure that the dry season ends and that the wet season (season of Frog woman) begins. This would explain why so many Kalinago from various islands were present on St. Christopher at the time, as its Northern location on the borderline between Kalinago controlled and Taino controlled islands made it a base for such raids. Other evidence of wanton atrocity included the fact that the place of the massacre was deliberately the Kalinago place of worship, which would serve solely as a tool of fear for Kalinago from neighbouring islands.

Today, a white cross commemorates the slaughter of the Caribs.

References

• Du Tertre, Jean Baptiste, 1667: Histoire Generale des Antilles... 2 vols. Paris: Jolly.

External Links

Cosmetology of Indigenous Grenada