Adventures in Caribbean indigeneity centering on resistance, survival and presence in Borikén (Puerto Rico)
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2004
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University of Hawaii at Manoa
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Abstract
The indigenous peoples of the Antilles were the first to greet the late 15th century European explorers to "America." They were also the first native people to have been declared effectively "extinct" as a result of the encounter. History written by the colonizer has always blanketly described such affairs. However the Caribbean encounter was not as one-sided as previously thought. There was a tremendous amount of violent and nonviolent resistance to Spanish imperialism throughout the 16th century. Things did not happen "overnight," and many indigenous peoples survived and lived on. The main thesis of this dissertation disproves the long-held dominant theory that the Indian people of the northern Antilles had become "extinct" by the mid-16 th century. With a focus on the island of Boriken (Puerto Rico), this study provides a historical analysis and ethnological genealogy of five hundred years of Carib Indian resistance, survival and presence in the region in relation to the 15th century Spanish coming. In Boriken, tens of thousands of Jibaro people remained in the mountain regions throughout the 19th century, and their descendants are still there today. The work concentrates on revealing the physical and, more importantly, cultural survival of the indigenous peoples of the Antillean region.
I further analyze other myths and academic discourses that have been imposed upon the Circum-Caribbean such as the commonly held view that the indigenous peoples present in the 15 th century Antilles were of South American origin, and how the concept of "discovery" was an invention. Methodological support is most significantly realized by providing a space for indigenous peoples to tell their own histories and stories through ethnological and written accounts. By allowing the indigenous voice to speak, we are able to dispel key myths and scrutinize certain academic areas of study. Comparative support is found through discussions of the histories, experiences and traditions of other indigenous peoples, groups and movements. The global indigenous movement is looked at for its liberating influences on indigenous peoples and in addressing global matters. Post-colonial theory further importantly assists us in analyzing issues concerning both colonialism and neocolonialism.
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Island Carib Indians, Indigenous peoples--Ethnic identity, Indigenous peoples--Politics and government, Anti-imperialist movements
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Puerto Rico
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Theses for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (University of Hawaii at Manoa). Political Science; no. 4512
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