Indigenous community engagement – My experience in the Kalinago Territory, Dominica

By Racheal Kalaba, 1st year MDP student

Racheal doing community outreach

My international placement was in the Kalinago Territory with the Kalinago people of Waitukubuli in the Commonwealth of Dominica. The Kalinago are the only surviving pre-Columbus Indigenous people that hold reserve land in the Caribbean. The uniqueness of the territory is that the Kalinago people fully own the land as part of the Dominica constitution. In my quest to understand and work with the Kalinago, I reflected on the principles of engaging communities based on my objectives of supporting communities in the area of disaster management and planning with an Indigenous perspective.

Red Cross team meeting with Kalinago

youth as part of the 1st meeting to set up

the 1st Red Cross Branch in Kalinago Territory

My placement aimed to work with Indigenous people and support existing systems and structures dealing with disasters, especially after The Commonwealth of Dominica was hit with Hurricane Maria in late 2017.  I reflected on ways of engaging with communities positively, taking into account that I was just there for a few months. In my engagement, I aligned myself with policies based on the situations I encountered with different stakeholders in the community. Firstly, I took the time to define what the word community meant to me and my placement. During that time, I engaged in Indigenous ways of doing and being. I also acknowledged that, for a community to function well, I needed to be aware of Indigenous knowledge, self-determination, governance, and community participation. I knew that I was there to support and build on what the community was already doing, and hence, my role was to facilitate the self-determination, participation, and engagement of community members.

Why then community engagement: Throughout my time in Kalinago territory, I learned that Indigenous communities are expecting you to be part of them, engage with them, and share ideas and work with them. My role as an MDP student during the placement was to be part of the community and position myself and my role. Furthermore, to share with the community my role, which was shared learning, I was there to learn and to support and vise versa. 

Racheal with a community member known for her

amazing chicken and her storytelling ability

My takeaway during the placement is that communities have vast knowledge, and due to disasters, they face a lot of stress after disasters, which makes it difficult for them to rebuild back their communities. Key learning during my experience in Kalinago is to be aware of Indigenous principles. Some Indigenous principles are respect for protocol, culture, language, reciprocity, relationships, and wellbeing are vital. I noticed my involvement with the Kalinago peoples is that culture is more about living and or staying in the territory, but it is also families, workplaces, social, religious, and political associations. I was privileged through the support of Mr. Irvince Auguste and his family for having allowed me to experience Indigenous community life and work and be able to share their stories and daily life. I also want to thank the Chief of Council, the Councilors and community members of the Kalinago Territory in Dominica.

“Mapuwika”

By Nathan McCorrister, MDP student

Nathan (L) and Irvince Auguiste (R)

After being in the Kalinago Territory in Dominica for over a month now the practicum has been an amazing life time experience for me.  The people, the territory and country have been great and the scenery breathtaking.  Our host the Kalinago Nation Chief and Council, various community members and in particular Councillor Irvince Auguiste have been great hosts and tending to all our needs.  After being here for a period of time I’ve definitely settled in began making connections and friends with many of the locals in the territory.

Shortly after my arrival in the territory, Chief Joseph and I talked about some of the issues around land management and economic development for the Kalinago Territory.  He shared with me how there are issues with land management; he described how much of the territory is not demarcated (land surveyed) properly both in terms of the outer boundaries and internally within the territory.  In the Kalinago Territory, it is believed the lands set aside as “reserve” lands for the Kalinago people are being encroached upon.  The Kalinago people believe that there may be some boundary disputes because of past encroachments and that existing reserve land is smaller in size because of the encroachments.

Chief Garnet Joseph (L),

Jacqueline Corbette, Administrative Assistant for the Kalinago Council (C) & Nathan at Kalinago Council Office

There are many land management issues and related land based economic development barriers the Kalinago have to overcome. I’m currently working with the local council to identify all the land management and land based economic issues and to develop a strategy to address them. Through preliminary research we identified that there are many previous reports and plans with respect to improving land management and land based economic development for the Kalinago. As such we identified the need to bring together many of the reports and plans and to develop a strategic plan for the Kalinago to implement many of the past recommendation’s.  Included with the strategic plan is a built in action plan and recommendations to address many of the human resource and financial challenges.      

As part of the strategic plan development, I recognized the need to understand the colonial history and colonization efforts of the national government; both past and present. The Kalinago shared with me how they want to protect their rights, their culture and their identity as indigenous people. As part of my research I wanted to ensure the previous plans and recommendations included participatory methods for the Kalinago.  I wanted to ensure there was previous indigenous research methods approach and including a number of ways for the inclusion, direction and consent of the Kalinago. As part of considering land management, we included previous input from community elders, leaders and other community members who participated through focus groups, community meetings and one on one interviews.  

Serpent Snake Trail - Kalinago Creation Story

The Kalinago are making efforts to include traditional, cultural knowledge and practices to land management.  The challenge is with balancing traditional land management, modern day problems including limited land, population growth, and economic development.  In addition to land management, the Kalinago are taking efforts to revitalize their cultural medicine practices, the Kalinago language of Mapuwika, and art of the people.  While here I was humbled and proud of the Kalinago as fellow Indigenous people in recognizing the importance of decolonization and indigenizing their identity.

In Kalinago Territory

By Nathan McCorrister

View of coast line from Kalinago Barana Aute

I will be the first to admit I’m by no means a frequent traveller and nor an international traveller for that matter.  So preparing and coming on my first extended trip to the Kalinago Territory of Dominica has certainly lived up to its experience and learning for me.  Growing up in my home Indigenous community of Peguis First Nation, our family was not rich but we did have the opportunity to travel outside the country at least once and as well as some family trips to the United States.  Up until now, the most my extended vacation family trip was approximately 10 days, and again was with family for vacation purposes.  Knowing my international MDP practicum was at least two months, by myself, in a developing country and working with fellow Indigenous people was certainly going to be a once in a life time experience.

 Dominica is a small Caribbean island of approximately 751 square kilometres and with a population of 73,449 people.  The population is made up of approximately 86.8% of black people and with Indigenous people making up 2.9%.  The official languages are English and French patois.  The Kalinago people of the Carib Reserve or also known as the Kalinago Territory, are only one of a few Indigenous peoples whom remain in the Caribbean islands, their traditional territory.  The Kalinago have a population of approximately 4,500 and the reserve or territory make up approximately 3,782 acres of land located on the northeastern part of Dominica.  

Pagua River located in the Kalinago Territory

The history of the Kalinago people, after the arrival of Europeans, is like so many other Indigenous peoples around the world; a history of colonization.  After the arrival of Christopher Columbus, the national country of Dominica was first French controlled and was “ceded” possession to the English in 1763.  Dominica became an independent country in 1978 and remains a member of the British Commonwealth.   The same year of independence the Dominica Carib Reserve Act was first passed to formally recognise the Kalinago people within the Dominica laws and to recognize the land that was originally set aside by the Crown.  Similar to the Indian Act in Canada, the Carib Reserve Act sets out governance, land management and bylaw making ability for the Kalinago people.  

The history of colonization and conflict in Dominica and with the Kalinago people reminds me much our history in Canada.  With the Kalinago people’s forceful confinement to one side of island, colonization efforts of past colonial governments and existing national governments, the history is very similar to my home community and indeed with so many other Indigenous peoples.

 My trip so far has allowed me to experience and learn of the similarities as Indigenous peoples of Canada and the Caribbean.  Being here in just few short weeks has shown me the beautiful natural lush landscapes to this island and the kindness and honorable people of the Kalinago territory.  In my next blog I will share a bit more about the Kalinago people and current efforts to decolonize and or “Indigenize” there identity and culture through development.

Nathan at Kalinago Barana Aute  - Traditional Kalinago Village