Trinidad's Amerindian legacy
Anthony De Verteuil
History of the Amerindian peoples in Trinidad who formed part of large regional island-to-island and island-to-mainland trading networks. In 1783 Trinidad's Amerindians were displaced from their lands to make way for the influx of French planters and their African slaves. In 1759 the Mission of Arima was formed. A number of tribes were pressed into Arima and generically referred to as either "Caribe" or "Indio". The Caribs in Arima converted to Catholicism. The Amerindians now form a very small segment of a plural society and their continued presence is recognized chiefly in their link with special Church ceremonies. Anthony de Verteuil is a well-known Trinidadian historian. He has also published Murder most foul (2013), Edward Lanza Joseph and the Jews of Trinidad (2014), The great eight (2015), After rain sunshine (2018) among others.