The enduring legacy of Trinidad and Tobago’s First Peoples stands as a powerful testament to resilience and a steadfast commitment to preserving their history.
The First Peoples Sovereign Nations is among the indigenous groups in Trinidad and Tobago dedicated to honouring the history, culture, and heritage of their ancestors. Over the years, they’ve kept their traditions alive through exhibitions, monuments, ceremonies, and the reclamation of spaces sacred to their people.
On Thursday, representatives gathered at the NALIS Heritage Library for the opening of the First Peoples Amerindian Collection of the Moruga Museum.
Grand Chief of the First Peoples Sovereign Nations of Trinidad and Tobago, Eric Lewis, explained, “The artefacts that we have and that we are unveiling today is a collection, that basically, part of the collection was passed on to the Moruga Museum from the Trinidad and Tobago Archaeological Society of 1960, which was researched by then Father Neil Rodriguez.”
Chief Lewis said many of the other artefacts on display were unearthed in Moruga and have been exhibited at universities and schools across the country for more than fifteen years.
He noted that research into their origins remains ongoing, a vital step in uncovering the true history of both the pieces and their people, much of which was never written down.
“It’s important for us to recognise and to remember that Trinidad was also under the different provinces of the Americas a few hundred years ago. And the provinces were Caracas, Cuba, Santo Domingo, and those countries still have archival information on Trinidad’s rich indigenous history and indigenous culture over the last few hundred years.”
The Grand Chief lamented that even after five centuries, many challenges remain for their people, from the struggle for recognition and validation to the continued fight for cultural and spiritual freedom.
“I stand here today, not with a big smile and grin on my face but with a heavy heart for all of this because when I reflect on the history of my ancestors, I don’t see celebrations. I don’t see rejoice. I don’t see kumbaya. I see hurt, pain, and suffering which, I too, have to endure.”
Still, Mr. Lewis expressed optimism that international conventions and national laws, including those within Trinidad and Tobago’s Constitution, recognise the rights of the First Peoples to self-determination, community, and land. He said the continued revival of their heritage remains essential to that cause.
Among the artefacts unveiled were stone tools, grinding stones, pottery fragments, shells, and animal bones — some dating back thousands of years.
“Then we have the stone, the adornos pieces and these pieces are over two thousand years old.”
For the First Peoples, these artefacts are far more than relics of the past — they are living symbols of identity, endurance, and pride. Each fragment unearthed, each story retold, brings them closer to reclaiming a history that continues to shape their future.