The Kalinago People

Kalinagos and Canoes

• The Kalinagos used a type of canoe called a "yola" for fishing close to the shore.
• The Kalinagos were excellent at making canoes.
• Their canoes were similar to those made by the Arawaks.
• The larger boat used by the Kalinagos was called a "piragua".
• The largest canoes made by the Kalinagos could be up to 30 feet long.
• The canoes were dug out of a single tree trunk, usually the gommier tree.
• The canoes were stretched by using a combination of heat and water.
• The canoes were rowed with paddles.
• The canoes were guided using a long pole.
• The canoes were used for fishing, trade, and war.

Indigenous Peoples of the Americas

• The Indigenous Peoples of the Americas migrated from Asia via the Bering Strait during the Fourth Ice Age.
• This migration is believed to have occurred around 20,000 to 30,000 years ago.
• The Bering Strait was referred to as a "land bridge" during the Fourth Ice Age.
• The homes made by the Indigenous Peoples from the skins of the animals they hunted were called "teepees".
• Different Amerindian groups settled in various regions:
  • The Mayas settled in the Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, and Honduras.
  • The Aztecs settled in Mexico.
  • The Incas settled in Chile, Argentina, Nicaragua, and Peru.
  • The Kalinagos settled mainly in the islands of the Lesser Antilles, such as Trinidad, Dominica, and St.Vincent.

Tainos

• The Tainos grew a fruit or crop that has become part of the Caribbean diet, called yuca.
• The Tainos enjoyed singing and dancing as a leisure time activity.
• The Tainos had a common custom of painting their bodies with black, white, red, and other color dyes.
• The mark of beauty for the Tainos involved flattening the babies' foreheads.
• The Tainos relied on ducks, fish, and iguanas for meat.
• They caught birds such as ducks using a method called "fowling".
• The Tainos used a special sauce called "aji" in their food.
• The Tainos were skilled at hunting and fishing.

Kalinagos vs Tainos

• The Kalinagos used a technique called "slash and burn" to clear the lands for farming.
• The Kalinagos were better at making canoes compared to the Tainos.

Taino Society

• The head of a Taino society was called a "cacique".
• The duties of the cacique included governing and leading the society.
• The zemis were used to represent spirits and gods in Taino religious beliefs.
• Tobacco or cohoba was used in Taino religious ceremonies to communicate with the spirits.

Miscellaneous

• The two different types of canoes made by the Kalinagos were the "yola" and the "piragua".
• The largest canoes made by the Kalinagos could carry up to 50 people.
• The canoes were made primarily from the gommier tree.
• The main purpose of the canoes made by the Kalinagos was for fishing, trade, and war.