They were formally recognized as representative of the Indigenous Amerindians of the twin-island state by the National Government in 1980. As a community they have existed since the early Spanish period, and before that archaeological and proto-historical data indicate almost 5000 years of settlement in the island. This extraordinary continuity despite the extraordinary ruptures of Spanish Conques
t and Colonization is the fundamental factor in their continuing and powerful indigenous self-identification. The Community consists of at least 400 members of which probably only 80 are active in this everyday life. It is urban and based in Arima. All members are identified on the basis of lineage and residence. The Lineage component is the most significant marker of belonging and elders in the Community have remarkable genealogical memory. Certain family names are associated with those of Amerindian ancestry – Boneo, Campo, Calderon, Castillo, Hernandez, Martinez, Peña. The Community is essentially egalitarian in its decision-making. It has always had a Council of Elders who are seen as bearers of traditional knowledge. The Council is led by the Carib Queen, presently Valentina Medina, and a President, Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez. The most important event in the life of the community is the annual celebration of the Feast of Santa Rosa de Lima, the Patronal Feast of the Parish. This event is central to the Community’s sense of historical continuity and unique ethnic construction. It has been celebrated since the establishment of the mission in 1786 and in fact has the distinction of being the oldest, continuously celebrated feast in the island’s history. It has its direct antecedents in the celebrations of the Patronal Feasts of the Nepuyo encomiendas which were amalgamated at the Arima Mission. These celebrations allowed indigenous spiritual and cultural elements to survive in an almost pristine form within overtly Catholic Spanish mode. It therefore exerts a strong normative influence on the community.
