The Kalinago are the indigenous people of Dominica, formerly known as the Caribs.
Dominica’s First Early Inhabitants
Dominica’s first people, the Kalinago, have lived in this land for many thousands of years. As the last defenders of the resistance against the European colonization of the islands, about 400 hundred Kalinagos succeeded the struggle by the late 1600’s. Today, we have come to know about Dominica’s indigenous people through those descendants that survived and continue to honour their rich heritage.
Presently approximately 3,000 Kalinagos live in a collectively owned 3,700 acre territory, spread over eight hamlets, on the north-eastern coast of Dominica. Together, these villages are called the Kalinago Territority. The Kalinago live a simple communal life, carrying on the many traditions of their ancestors.
The Kalinago Territory is an exciting part of Dominica where local residents and visitors can come to expand their understanding of Dominica’s first people. Here we share the rich heritage of the Kalinago people, drawing upon the lifeways of long ago and the traditions, legends, and beliefs that have been kept alive for thousands of years.
