We visit an Arawak indian settlement and speak with some women; tribal chief Daniel Gomez!

In this December 18, 2008, video recording, we visit an Arawak indian settlement in the jungles of Venezuela's southern Bolivar State and speak with some indian women about their life-style as well as a one-on-one interview with Arawak tribal chief Daniel Gomez (50).

[@809Planet]

I am Taino and these people are our ancestors. I'm from the now called Dominican republic. Our people as the chief said were mistreated and butchered. To those who think we were all vanished i say go look to the mountains of cibao in Santo Domingo and witness living taino tribes. We were robbed of our women, lands and gold. We embraced Columbus and his fleet and welcomed them only to be robbed. But we are still here and our presence will be felt.

[@paradisecrescent2]

I am a jamaican and my maternal grandmother is an obvious stereotypical native indian. I've always questioned my heritage.My father's family is from Scotland. Started with the Moors. When I look at these people I see the same exact features and mannerisms as my father,uncles,aunts,cousins and so forth.Provides a lot to some unanswered questions.Puts tears to my eyes. There truly is no denial.

[@pgbk87]

The Arawak language sounds VERY similar to Garifuna in Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras because Arawak is literally the mother language to Garifuna

[@lokonong]

Ale ko tja kohang dajonong( how are you my people) I am arawak indian from Surinam(in between Guyana and French Guyana).Nowadays there are still about 3000 arwaks living in Surinam, in small tribes spread over the country. Whe call ourself: lokonong

[@realmackoy88]

Nice to see some Arawak indians out there. In Aruba we can also trace our ancsestors to the arawakan tribe.

[@Strictlydibes]

Jamaica (Xaymaca to Arawak/Taino) somehow managed to keep the original name of the island. This is a part of who I am, I'm so happy to have found this documentary. The Carribean on a whole is so rich and beautiful in culture, I'm so proud to be a part of this!

[@firstpower100]

My father is half Arawak and is from Venezuela. Seeing the dignity that they have in my environment makes me proud of where I come from.

[@marllon9786]

The daughter is absolutely beautiful. Her accent in English sounds like a fusion of Venezuelan and Guyanese. It sounds very alluring.

[@papoopse100]

most blacks in the carribean are mixed with arwak and african blood and carib like my father

[@HAYDENMUSICTV]

@harlemsoldier83 these Arawak Indians are living in Venezuela but are from Guyana which shares its border with Venezuela. Guyana is the only English speaking country in South America and has more of a Caribbean culture and accent compared to every where else in South America.

[@02arowakke02]

i'm proud to be one of them!

[@donald1111111]

thank god they are still alive. i thought they were extinct

[@TheKathygarcia3534]

Arawak where all over the caribbean.. the tainos & caribs are all arawaks

[@TheMohanroache]

they sound like Guyanese and Jamaicans!

[@pablo1079]

Hey!! it is great to see my cousins in all different countries..... I love the spirit and grace, and of course the accent!! Love to the Arwak world wide!!

[@Slupel]

I'd like to do the DNA test to see how much Arawak blood I have my family is from Grenada and my Dad's Mum is how we trace back, nice to see so many keeping the culture alive.

[@mykole84]

its the same way in belize and to an extent on the coast of nicaragua where u have indigenous looking sounding like jamaicans. it weird in belize u see a person that is dressed and looks like a person from guatemala or mexico but sounds jamaicans. in nicaragua the indigenous look like a dark skin indian or indian mixed with blacks but they still sound jamaican.

[@fransou19]

Haiti also pople said its more black heritage but i be honest not one time before anything we do cultural deep indian come first.we have deep respect for Annacaona.

[@malawrence7135]

@happyJenny12345 Some survived and mixed with the Maroons in Jamaica. That is why it is mixed into our Patois

[@sophias11]

i love my people,, im part arawak...

[@bellisma1927]

oh beautiful... im yellow carib from the west indies... and the older lady moves similar to my granma

[@HAYDENMUSICTV]

@jovialduke they are guyanese but they have settled in Venezuela near the Guyana border as the land was originally there land many years back.

[@hotchoccolate23]

solidarity with our arawak /taino bros n sisters! i only came to to what they went through in the howard zinns book "peoples history of US" , absolutley disgusting what europeans did there , love n peace!"

[@MissPennyLane891]

I am 1/16 Arawak. I love Guyana.

[@twiceblood]

thats not true my grandma is a full blood arawak indian from surinam she still lives in an arawak village my mom and me grew up there now i live in holland

[@gamepredator1]

i am between arawak and caribs.

[@venessa32]

We Jamaican is mixed with our Arawak Indian.

[@krnpowr]

@BryanMacHDTV East Indian, African, Indigenous, and mixtures.

[@Bladeboy05]

@TheKathygarcia3534 even the most southern tip of Florida.

[@morenia20]

Trilingual!!!

[@maria610421]

I never knew there was any Arawak Indians left I thought the British had wiped the, all out.

[@lokonong]

ale kotjako hang dajonong( how are you my people)

[@kmj2000]

@scoresby33 That's not true. And what makes someone an authentic Arawak? That's just nonsense.

[@muptahu24]

@afertyus1000 this lady sounds ant talks like us, now i do have hare texture not that tightly curled, but in jamaica they are called carrib indians, looking t the ta ino artifacts dolls and names and discrptions of the arawak were not strate haired, now there was a big mixture with the yangzhe hsu shen asiatics from 444ad and the mongolians chased hre from gengis khan.. so we find this mixture, but best to believe the origionals are same as the mande of alkebulan

[@PHlophe]

@afertyus1000 from the look of things its "holy" blood , then 90% of jaimaicans are not mixed with anything but just african and again african. it just sux to be just black lol!

[@jovialduke]

They sound like Guyanese people, not like Spanish is their language... strange.