Indigenous Resurrection

The Caquetio Ball Game I fig 1. Interpretations: There are various interpretations regarding many symbols left by our ancestors. Some interpretations stem from personal speculation by visitors and locals, to historians that presume a cosmological meaning, or organizations that claim heritage however provide misinformation while committing gentrification. The latter two is where we continue to face more risk of loss of culture. On the matter of speculation by locals is it of no harm, as these speculation do not reach into the sweatshops of colonialism which produce marble items stolen from indigenous culture and heritage, they are not the generators of false narratives, although as people curious of heritage or culture, they may be co-opted into false narratives. Descendants have every right to speculate or ruminate on the meanings of symbols rooted in their somewhat unknown ancestral culture, danger comes when we do not hold autonomy to fulfill our own road. Where interpretations roote...

Testimonio y Storia di e Resurekshon k’Aketio (Caquetio). A pasa hopi luna cu mi no por trece mi mes na papia di storianan berdadero di k’Aketio (Caquetio). Loke ta nos manera nan, nos cultura, nos origen, y nos bida. Mino por expresa cu articulo loke ta spiritualidad, tradicion, y historia entre otro. Esaki ta pasobra ta imposibel pa papia di ken e k’Aketio ta den differente aspecto riba nan mes. Loke ta nos sabiduria y tradición ta bibo como un simbolo hente. Den tur honestidad, mi no por traduci e storia actual den e manera aki, tampoco den e manera mi a hacie na cuminsamento di e documentacionnan cu mi a publika riba mi pagina. Mi tabata purba, pero mi tabata trompika riba mi palabra. Mi lengua tabata bira y mino por papia, par di biaha pa bon motibo, otro biaha mi tabata limita na sigi publika y comparti e storia pasobra di e intentonan escuro pa kibra y deshaci di e resurekshon k’Aketio. Manera otro personanan indigeno, y k’Aketio a comparti e storia di nan bida cumi, inspirando ...

Where does our story begin? It is an interesting question, with an interesting answer, a story of the ages before and to come. Who are the Caquetio? Who am I? Who are you? History, until now, had distorted our sense of self, belonging, and identity. In Aruba, indigenous heritage has been until now summarized as ancient through the lens of archeology and anthropology, uncivilized through secular settler colonial society and as demonic through religious doctrine. Current knowledge of indigenous inhabitants does not extend beyond the premise out of which said knowledge was interpreted. We are often considered as belonging to the past, with only archeological excavations and anthropological theories to highlight pre-colonial life, such as the distinction between pre-ceramic and ceramic inhabitants. Yet, this does not centralize the voice of indigenous inhabitants, and their descents, which most of us are. Historically, there was never a chance to tell our own story. Western knowledge syste...

In Aruba, it is commonly believed that the last true [pure blood] Indigenous died in the 1800s. This assertion is derived from a point of view that measures identity, especially indigenous identity, through blood quantum measurements. It reduces the identity of indigenous people down to the differentiation of genetic material or blood analysis. Seldom are the traditions, rites, and teachings of the Elders, which were passed down from generation to generation, accounted for as what it means to be indigenous; but most of all, one's own sense of Self, and Intuition. We have many traditions that we have carried on to this day. We are simply unaware of them. They exist in many forms and require our devotion and protection from malevolence, appropriation, and erasure. We have permitted others to tell us who we are on basis of how they understand themselves, which is from a reductionist point of view. This "permission" came from the Self-alienation that resulted from colonialis...