Colonialisms in T&TBy Bridget Brereton

Story Created: Nov 10, 2011 at 12:35 AM ECT

Story Updated: Nov 10, 2011 at 12:35 AM ECT

As we know, Trinidad was a Spanish colony until 1797. It was

never a French colony—yet France has greatly influenced its

history and culture.

This happened, of course, because of the influx of French

immigrants in the late 1700s, as a result of the Cedula of

Population (1783) inviting foreign Catholics to settle in Trinidad.

These immigrants, coming mainly from the French Caribbean

colonies, especially Martinique, and also from Grenada (British

since 1763 but with a significant French population) —and

including many "free coloureds" as well as whites —brought with

them their enslaved labourers, who were given no choice in the

matter.

Together they ensured that a fused African-French culture would

be dominant in Trinidad for many years to come — in language

(French, and Créole or Patois), religion (French forms of Roman

Catholicism), the expressive arts (dance, music, song), folklore,

festivals and so on. Spanish influences were largely — though not

entirely — eclipsed.

The sister island was a formal French colony for two periods,

1781-93, and again 1802-03. Yet French influences there were

minimal, except for a few place names.

Why the difference? During the two periods when France ruled,

hardly any French people, other than a few officials, came to live

in Tobago. The landowners, the holders of the enslaved labourers,

continued to be British — the persons who'd been given land

grants when Tobago was formally ceded to Britain in 1763 and

others who'd acquired land subsequently.

They and their slaves, mostly people kidnapped in Africa and

brought on the infamous Middle Passage, and their descendants,

ensured that Tobago's culture would continue to be an African-

British fusion — in language (English, and Tobago English Creole),

religion (various Protestant faiths, especially the Anglicans,

Methodists and Moravians), the expressive arts (African-British

traditions of music, dance and song). The two periods of rule by

France, which didn't involve any significant French immigration,

made little impact on Tobago's culture.

After 1803, Tobago remained a separate British colony until

unification with Trinidad in the new (British) Colony of Trinidad

and Tobago, which came into being in 1889. No other European

power had a significant influence on Tobago's modern (post-1763)

development.

Trinidad passed from the Spanish to the British Empire in 1797,

by force of arms during wartime, and then by formal treaty

agreement in 1802. It was a separate British colony until 1889,

when the Colony of T&T was created. The formal end of British

colonialism, of course, came on 31 August 1962 —next year will

mark the golden jubilee of Independence.

For much of the 19th century, British influence on Trinidad's

culture was fairly limited, outside the realm of law and

governance. Patois remained the majority language into the start

of the 20th century. French was the first language for the French

Creole group up to the turn of the century, and 19th century

Trinidad newspapers often had sections in that language.

Despite efforts by the colonial government to push the Anglican

faith, the great majority of the people (except for the Indian

immigrants) remained at least nominally Roman Catholics, even if

they often combined this faith with African belief systems such as

the Orisha or Shango movement.

But gradually, the colonial government, the churches and the

schools managed to spread the English language and British

culture in the society. By the 1920s or 1930s English Creole had

replaced Patois as the majority language. The use of Patois (and

Spanish) declined.

Though Anglicanism remained a minority faith, it did gain some

ground, especially with the immigration of thousands of people

from places like Barbados, Tobago or St Vincent, who had often

been Anglicans in their home islands.

Of course, the colony's legal system, which had been Spanish,

was gradually overhauled until, by the mid-nineteenth century, it

was essentially English. Our laws and legal procedures are still

basically British (and the Privy Council is still our highest court of

appeal).

The system of publicly funded schools, first set up in the post-

emancipation years, was modelled on the English and Irish

schools; the prestige secondary schools, like Queen's Royal

College, were imitations of English "public" (that is, private!)

schools and taught entirely British curricula well into the last

century. Even today, our education system has more in common

with that of Britain than (say) the US.

British influences on our popular culture were fairly strong,

especially in sports. Both football and cricket were invented by

the Brits and spread throughout the world wherever they went.

Of course, British literature exerted a strong pull on the colony's

writers, and the first generation of T & T, and Caribbean, creative

writers gravitated almost naturally to London. The BBC played a

significant role in nurturing the talents of this generation,

including VS Naipaul and Michael Anthony, especially in the

1950s.

And as everywhere in the Empire, the British organised a system

of government in T&T which was based, even if loosely, on their

own. The "Westminster System" is also an inheritance of British

colonialism.

So like it or not, European influences derived from the colonial

powers, Spain, France and Britain, have played a key role in the

evolution of T&T's culture and history.

• Bridget Brereton is Emerita Professor of History at UWI,

St Augustine, and has studied and written about the history of

T&T, and the Caribbean, for many decades

History & PeopleThe first inhabitants of these islands were Amerindians from South America who traveled there hundreds of years before Christopher Columbus landed in the Caribbean. With the arrival of settlers from Europe, foreign diseases greatly reduced the native population, and today few full-blooded descendants remain.

The European influence on the culture of Trinidad and Tobago primarily comes from Spain, France, and Britain. All three countries claimed the islands at various times during the country’s colonial history. Spanish rule began when Columbus "discovered" Trinidad and lasted for nearly 300 years. During the latter part of Spain’s occupation, French immigrants moved into political offices; in addition to African and Spanish influences, Trinidadian culture began to adopt French traits, language, and

In 1797, Trinidad came under British control when Sir Ralph Abercromby captured the island from Spain. In 1802, Trinidad and Tobago officially became British colonies under the Treaty of Amiens.

Under colonial rule, slaves were shipped from Africa to work in the sugar fields and plantations. When the African slave trade was abolished officially in 1834, East Indian and Chinese peasants were hired as

Search the Internet for current news from Trinidad and Tobago. Websites, such as:

www.tidco.co.ttwww.state.gov/trinidad_tobagowww.caricom.org

will give you a head start. Can you find a school in Trinidad and Tobago with a website? Try to find an e-mail pen pal for you or for your entire class!

indentured servants to work the fields. Many chose to stay and live in Trinidad and Tobago, even after the practice of

customs.

Dates to remember........

1498 - Christopher Columbus claims Trinidad for Spain1592 - Spanish settle in Trinidad and retain possession for two centuries1797 - Trinidad is captured by British1814 - Tobago is ceded to the British1834 - Slavery is abolished in Trinidad1845 - Indian indentured immigration begins; program lasts until 19171888 - Tobago is joined to Trinidad as a single Crown Colony1956 - Trinidad and Tobago achieves self-government1962 - Trinidad and Tobago is granted independence 1976 - Trinidad and Tobago is named a republic1980 – Tobago House of Assembly is established

indentured servitude ended in 1917. Today, descendants of these African and East Indian laborers make up approximately 80% of the country’s total population. Trinidad and Tobago were politically united in 1888 when they became a British Crown Colony. In 1958, the Federation of the West Indies was formed. Trinidad and Tobago became an independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations in 1962, and in 1967 joined the Organization of American States. On August 1, 1976, the twin islands became the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago[Official Name]

Capital: Port of Spain

Motto: Together We Aspire, Together We Achieve

Size: About the same as Delaware

Government: Parliamentary Democracy

Head of State: President A.N.R. Robinson

Head of

Red howler and weeping capuchin monkeys are common creatures.

Trinidad has substantial petroleum, methanol,

and ammonia reserves.

Government: Prime Minister Basdeo Panday

Maps courtesy of TIDCO

The Island of Trinidad

Mined resources include gypsum, coal, iron, limestone, sand, gravel, argillite, and fluorspar.

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago[Official Name]

Voting age: 18

Current exchange rate: $1 US (dollar) = $6.3 TT (dollar) (as of Nov. 1999)

Weather: Warm year round; temperature ranges from 73° - 90° F

National sport: Cricket

National bird: Scarlet Ibis

National instru- ment:Steel pan

Map courtesy of TIDCO

A mountain range runs down the middle of Tobago and contains the hemisphere's oldest forest preserve.

There are no poisonous snakes on the island of Tobago.

Rare sea turtles are found on Tobago.

The Island of Tobago

Custom and Culture

Custom and Culture

Because of its multi-cultural population, Trinidad and Tobago has embraced the customs, traditions, and folklore of many regions, including Africa, India, Europe, and the Far East.

Public Holidays January 1 - New Year’s DayFebruary (before Lent) - CarnivalMarch 30 - Spiritual Baptist Liberation Shouter DayApril - Good Friday and Easter MondayMay 30 - Indian Arrival DayJune 11 - Corpus ChristiJune 19 - Labor DayAugust 1 - Emancipation DayAugust 31 - Independence DayDecember 25 - Christmas DayDecember 26 - Boxing Day

Wendy Nanan, Cricket Series #1, 1994-1998

Sports

Popular sports include tennis, golf, sailing, wind surfing, and deep sea fishing. The most popular team sports are cricket and football.

What is your favorite sport?

Religions

Muslims celebrate the Hosay Festival, which commemorates the deaths of two Muslim princes, Hosein and Hassan. Once a somber occasion, the Hosay Festival has become another celebration of artistic and musical expression thanks to the influence of Trinidad’s Carnival.

Hindus celebrate Phagwa, which marks the vernal equinox and beginning of a new year. A popular ritual of Phagwa is the spraying of abeer powder on participants. This substance is a red vegetable dye made into a bright fuchsia liquid.

Special Events

Emancipation Day honors the many contributions by people of African descent to the development of Trinidad and Tobago.

On Easter, goat and crab races are held in Tobago. The goat races, featuring large sanaan goats, are popular with small children who delight in the butting antics of these furious creatures. The crab races are a hilarious event in which trainers coax their racers down a track.

Carnival

Carnival marks the approach of Lent and its sober disciplines. The word "Carnival" comes from the Latin phrase carne vale and means "farewell to the flesh." There is no experience on earth to compare with Trinidad Carnival. Months before Carnival, songs pour from recording studios, costumes are stitched by the thousands, and pannists practice in their pan yards. All of these activities are done in preparation for the first major events of Carnival which begin the weekend before Lent.

Leo Basso, Still Life with Cocoa Pod, c. 1960

Saturday: •Children participate in Kiddie Carnival.•Steel bands compete.•Bands display their best costumes for the King and Queen of the Bands awards given each year.

Sunday: •Sunday is also called "Dimanche Gras" (di•mahnsh' • gra), or Fat Sunday.•Winners are selected for the king, queen, and steel band of Carnival.

Monday: •At dawn, J'Ouvert begins. Masqueraders cover themselves in mud and dance to more rhythmic and basic percussive sounds than the amplified sounds of the bands during the main Carnival.•The Road March begins in the afternoon and continues through the day.

Tuesday: •Soca and calypso music are performed all day and night.•Carnival bands jam together.•No one sleeps!

Food

The cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago blends various ethnic foods from as far away as India and Africa.

Black cake: This rich cake is made with dried fruit (raisins, currants, or prunes) soaked in a cherry brandy rum. Iced and decorated, it is the traditional wedding cake.

Doubles: This Indian-inspired dish consists of curried chick peas served between two soft circles of fried dough called bara.

Callaloo: This green stew is made with a slippery blend of okra, dasheen leaves, and seasonings. It is often flavored with hot pepper and whole blue back crabs.

Pastelles: These compact patties of minced meats are seasoned with olives, capers, and raisins, folded in pure corn dough, wrapped in banana leaves, and then steamed.

Music

A blend of African, Indian and European traditions dominates the music of Trinidad and Tobago.

Calypso

Calypso combines African traditions of lively rhythm and a cleverly improvised "tell-it-like-it-is" attitude with European languages, scales and musical instruments. Some famous calypsonians include Lord Invader, Attila the Hun, Roaring Lion, Mighty Sparrow and Calypso Rose (the first woman calypsonian to make her mark internationally).

Steel Pans

The steel pan originated when African-style percussion bands, who had previously used brake drums, bottles and other random objects, switched to oil drums. These metal barrels provide a wider range of notes and greater volume. They are

Soca

A relatively young development in the popular music of Trinidad and Tobago, soca reflects the influence of international pop music on calypso. Soca can be described as calypso enhanced by exciting arrangements of fast tempos, funky bass lines, hot horn sections, independent rhythms on bass drum and snare, and assorted percussion to fill out the sound. Many contemporary calypsonians have made the change to soca with great success.

Make your own instruments! Trinidadians often get creative with their noisemakers. The steel pan was invented from the bottom of an oil drum. Likewise, the tambo bambo instrument originated from a length of cane

tuned to a European scale and have marvelous versatility, playing everything from calypso to classical. Steel bands (an orchestra of steel pans) are an important part of Carnival, and in the days before the event, musicians gather in outdoor "pan yards" to rehearse together. Amazingly, most pannists cannot read sheet music; instead, they rely on memory and practice to achieve the precision required of the best steel bands.

Fact:

Steel pans are the only family of acoustic instruments invented in the 20th century.

from a sugar plantation. Other instruments have included hubcaps, dried gourds, and spoons. What can you use to create your own percussive or melodic sounds?

So they say...Phrases from Trinidad and Tobago

Langniappe (lan' .nyap):

a little extra

Free up (free . up):

relax, let go

Sock eye (sok. eye):

too easy for words

Ole talk (ol . talk):

empty chatter

Red: The warmth of the sun; the courage and friendliness of the people

White: The sea by which the islands are connected

Black: The strength, unity, and wealth of the land

Lime (lime):

spend time talking, laughing, hanging out with your friends

Carnival Characters

Burrokeets: Human donkeysJabs Jabs: DevilsMidnight Robbers: BanditsMinstrels: MusiciansMoko Jumbies: Giants on stiltsPierrot Granade: Clowns

Tamboo Bamboo (tam boo' bam.boo'):

percussion sticks made from sugar cane

Play mas

put on a costume and go to Carnival with a band

Patois (Creole) Language

To most people who do not speak the language it is known simply as a “Patois” Trinidad was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1498 during this third voyage to the new world, it was reported that he landed on the southern coast of

the island near present-day Moruga, when he landed he saw three hills and named the island “La Trinidad” meaning “The Trinity”; true colonization of the island by the Spanish began in the following century and it remained a Spanish colony until it was captured 1797 by Sir Ralph Abercrombie, the island was officially ceded to the British in 1802 by the Treaty of Amiens.

It was during the Spanish colonial occupation, that the Creole language as spoken in Trinidad was born. History tells us that even though the Spanish kept the island for two hundred years unchallenged, they, for various reasons were not able to develop the island along the usual patterns of European colonial occupation, and as such Trinidad remained the most undeveloped colony in the Caribbean; by the middle of 18th century Trinidad’s population was about two to three thousand, comprising of some Spaniards the remainder of the native population that survived Spanish invasion and a few Africans who were imported to work on the plantations.

The Spanish realizing this, proclaimed the “cedilla de poblation” which invited any catholic subject on good terms with the Spanish crown, to settle in Trinidad on the condition that they swore absolute loyalty to the Spanish and obeyed the Spanish laws for governing the colony; the Spanish also gave many incentives to lure settlers to the island, including exemption from taxes for ten years and grants of land to set up plantations. It was reasoned that settlers from the more populous French islands should be given first preference over others because they were catholic and already has expert knowledge in planting different varieties of sugar cane.

Settlers coming from Martinique, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Dominica, and Guadeloupe flooded the island by the thousands bringing their slaves with them and setting up plantations, these French speaking people overran the island; they built roads, buildings, villages and towns. They also acquired positions of prestige in the government and took up and active role in the governance of the colony, soon their numbers and influence surpassed that of the original Spanish colonists and in essence “La Trinidad” became “La Trinity” an unofficial colony of France.

The population of Trinidad was further increased by the importation of thousands of slaves directly from Africa to work on the new plantations since the slaves brought over from the French Islands were soon found to be inadequate. As soon as they arrived in Trinidad the slaves were culturally suppressed for fear of revolt, these slaves interacted with the creolized slaves that they met on the island. The slaves born in the Caribbean spoke Creole which was the spoken language of the slaves in the French Antilles.

The Creole language was learnt by the new slaves in order to communicate with their masters as well as the other slaves, they combined Creole with their own languages and a new variant of the language was beginning to emerge. This

Creole was also heavily influenced by Spanish which is also spoken in Trinidad and also influenced by the lexical items from the Carob language, all of these linguistic influences helped to make the language unique and native to this particular island.

When the British took the island in 1797, they encountered a complex culture that existed nowhere else in the Caribbean; the island was a Spanish colony with a French, Creole and Spanish-speaking population, Creole became the common language of the different communities of people who all spoke different languages. From 1797 until 1962 the British ruled, they tried their best to stamp out the overwhelming Franco-Creole- Hispanic influence but were largely unsuccessful until the early part of the 20th century; when the use of Creole, Spanish and French began to decline; the British attacked the Creole culture by passing laws against anything that did not conform to their definition of culture.

These very laws, rooted in linguistic and cultural discrimination eventually led to the Cannes Brulées riots in the late 1800's. Soon thereafter Creole was superseded by English and its Creole counterpart and today there remains very few places where Creole is heard regularly. One of these villages in Paramin which also has a strong Tradition of Spanish speaking, another is Blanchisseuse and a remote village called Morne Carbite.

Creole is spoken elsewhere, but the number of Creole speakers in these areas is very small. In terms of comprehension of Trinidad’s Creole with that of the other islands, Trinidad’s Creole is most closely aligned with the Creole of Martinique since slaves and French Creole whites from this island were in the majority during the formative years of Trinidad’s Creole. Speakers of Trinidad’s Creole are also able to communicate with Creolophones from Guadeloupe, Marie Glante, Saint Lucia, Dominica, and Saint Martin and to some extent Haiti. Creole is the language spoken in these islands and it unites us all.

Creole not a dialect of French and monolingual Francophones cannot understand the language, It is a language with its own grammar, syntax and orthography which makes it distinct from French or any other language it may resemble; the notion that Creole is an inferior language is a colonial inference and is not based on linguistic fact.

Concerning vocabulary, 90% of the words come from French while the remaining words come from various African languages Spanish, Carib, Hindi, Portuguese, Chinese, English and Arabic. Hindi and Arabic words entered the language when Hindu and Muslim indentured laborers came to the island in the 1840’s. The impact of Hindi, Chinese and Arabic on the language is very small because by the time these laborers arrived on the island the Creole language had for the most part evolved into its present from and had less need to borrow lexical items from other languages.

English influence on the language is growing and most words borrowed from English describe modern concepts and inventions. Presently the language is being taught to some elementary school students in Paramin, these classes have been very successful and there are plans to introduce courses in other areas with an existing Creole speaking population. There is also a Creole course offered at UWI.

I use the word Creole because the word Patois has a negative connotation for those of us who still speak the language. For more information on the Creole culture, language and people please contact Marvel Henry at kanboule@hotmail.com.

Basic conversation in Creole

English Creole Pronunciation

Good morning bonmaten bon+ma+ten

Good afternoon bon lapwè midi bon+lap+weh+me+dee

Good evening bonswè bon+sway

Good night (use when going to sleep)

bon lanwit bon+lan+wheat

Hello bonjou bon+jou

Please souplé sou+play

Thanks mèsi meh+see

How are you? sa'w fè sa+woo+feh

I am fine mwen-la (I dey) mweh-lah

I am fine mwen byen mweh+biyehn

I am fine thank you mwen byen mèsi mwenh+biyehn+meh+see

See you later! pli ta! p+li+tah

Call me! kriyé mwen! k+ri+yay+mweh

What is your name? kisa non-ou? kee+sah+now

What is your name? sa ki non-ou? sa+qui+now

My name is .... non-mwen sé... no+mweh+say

How old are you?ki laj ou / ki laj ou

kee+large+ou+kee

I m ten years old mwen ni sèt anné mweh+knee+set+an+nay

I am mwen sé... mweh+say

Lady danm dan+m

Madam madanm ma+dan+m

Sir misyé miss+yay

Miss manzèl man+zel

Where are you? koté ou yé? cotay+ou+yay

Where are you? ola ou yé? oh+la+ou yay

Where is he/she? koté li yé? cotay+lee+yay

What can i do?Kisa mwen pé fè?

qui+sa-mweh+pay+feh

I am glad mwen kontan mweh+con+tan

I am happy mwen kontan mweh+con+tan

Glad to meet you (plural) kontan wè zòt con+tan+way+z+ot

Glad to meet you (singular) kontan wè ou con+tan+way+ou

Are you married? Ou mayé? ou+mah+yay

Yes wi we

No non noh

This is my husband mi mari-mwen me+ma+ree+mweh

This is my wife mi fanm-mwen mee+fan+m+mweh

Do you have children? Ou ni zanfan? ou+knee+zan+fan

I have children mwen ni zanfan mweh+knee+zan+fan

I don't have childrenmwen pa ni zanfan

mweh+pah+knee+zan+fan

I would like to thank Marvel Henry for sending the above information on Patois (Creole) language to be place on my Trinbago website TnTisland.com.

Once again for more information on the Creole culture, language and people please contact Marvel Henry at

kanboule@hotmail.com.