List of indigenous names of Eastern Caribbean islands

List of the Indigenous Names of the Eastern Caribbean Islands

The Islands of the Caribbean were settled for over 4,000 years (estimate) before European arrival in 1492. The Eastern Caribbean islands were dominated by two main cultural groups, the Arawaks and the Kalinago, or Caribs. Indivicual villages of other distinct cultural groups were also present on the more Southernly, larger islands. The large island of Trinidad in particular was shared by both Kalinago and Arawak groups.

Archaeological evidence suggests the Arawaks arrived first, settling the islands as they travelled North from the Orinoco River in Venezuela. The Kalinago, which proved to be more dominant in warfare, had begun a campaign of conquering and displacement of the Arawaks at the point of European arrival. Also starting at the South of the archipelago, they had worked their way up North, reaching as far as the island of Saint Kitts by the 16th century. The following lists the indigenous names for the islands of the Eastern Caribbean. The islands North of the Saint Kitts 'borderline' have their Arawak names, the islands South have their Kalinago names. The island of Barbados was uninhabited at the point of European arrival, but evidence suggests they followed the same pattern of displacement as witnessed on neighbouring islands, but was abandoned for unknown reasons. The only indigenous name on record is one documented as the name used by Arawak peoples on Trinidad in reference to it.

Leeward Islands

Windward Islands

Continental

References

See also

• Guianas