Indigenous Resurrection

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...