The Caribbean Cultural Center Offers Fun, Relaxation, and Enlightenment in One Beautiful Tropical Setting
Help Make This Dream Come True - Click Here For The Theme Park Proposal

To Play Music associated with this page

One has to mention the Caribs when describing the Caribbean after whom it is named. These native American Indians came from South America around 1000 A.D. and attacked, decimated, and evicted the peaceful Arawak Indians. The Caribs were mostly hunters and fishermen advancing up the Lesser Antilles and then the Greater Antilles in canoes that could hold 100 Indians. They dominated the eastern Caribbean until the late 18th century when the Europeans began to make tremendous inroads. Only now do a few Caribs still live on the island of Dominica (their old jungle stronghold inaccessible to many invaders) as the result of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. The Windward islands passed between several European nations until they finally came to rest in British hands in the mid 1800's.

Thus, it is here in the Windward Island Village surrounded by bamboos and palms that native Indians dramatize the history and culture of the first inhabitants of the Caribbean. The Caribs were excellent bowmen shooting poisonous tips arrows. The weaponry is on display but we will not be shooting any poisonous darts today. Our Carib villagers will prepare native dishes such as Casava (a tropical vegetables) from which a poisonous cyanide like juice is extracted. You can also see their craftsmanship first hand while spearmen make weapons and build canoes. The warriors ranked high in the village's social order and it is from one of them that the chief would be elected. They also developed a wonderful talent for pottery, basket weaving, and wood carving all of which are demonstrated so that you can witness their excellent craftsmanship. But it is untrue that they were cannibals as the European invaders would have you believe. This misconception probably grew from the ritual of smearing the fat from an enemy warrior over a boy to give him courage.

You may have seen the quintessential picture of the Royal Palm along the white sandy beach with the Caribbean sunset as a backdrop. But do you realize that there are over hundreds of varieties of palm trees. Our Indian villager will demonstrate the coconut palms' many beneficial uses. You'll see them use the husk for weaving ropes and mats, the coconut flesh for eating (and why don't you try some,) the oil for washing or burning, and the milk for drinking. In fact, here is a simple exercise for you try. String a hammock between two royal palms and relax with a piña colada in hand as another beautiful Caribbean sunset disappears on the easterly horizon. Sounds pretty cool, doesn't it? Another palm, the fishtail palm bears fruit that can be distilled into alcohol. So now you begin to see how versatile a palm can be.

A final note, remember to visit the spice shop located at the  Port's of Call Marketplace. Many spices such as cinnamon, cocoa, cloves pimento, nutmeg, mace, and bay leaves grow in the hills of Grenada, also known as the Spice Island. In fact, a story has it that a planter added a mysterious ingredient in a fruit drink perfecting today's classic Caribbean rum punch. And don't forget to sample some wonderful combinations of coconut and other foods at the restaurants or juice stands throughout the Caribbean Cultural Center.

Click Windward Islands to learn more.

Top Of Page

You can email comments to the webmaster at webmaster@caribbeantown.com. Copyright © 1999 - 2002 Caribbean Town. All rights reserved.  Visit us at www.caribbeantown.com  Revised: November 11, 2006, Site Map, Search