On the set of 'The Amerindians'

Photos of the interior of the Santa Rosa RC Church, Arima, which has historic ties to Trinidad's indigenous population the Amerindians, and newspaper clippings about the gradual vanishing of the Carib people. Courtesy Tracy Assing.  

TRACY on Facebook says:


"The tricky thing about this work is it develops as I work on it. Because it is such a big part of my life and the history of the santa rosa carib community is so tied to the history of my own family there have been some great personal challenges. I'd like to think that I have developed along with it.


All my experiences along the way: djaying while wearing my head-dress, performing a smoke ceremony with the assistance of Tillah Willah opposite Whitehall and other adventures.

I don't feel like the story is important to just me or my family or the community of Arima. I feel it is important to the way people view the word indigenous.

If I single myself out as indigenous people sometimes make a fuss and say, but we were all born here. I do not dispute this definition either but for people who really identify with this as a specific heritage there is undeniably a greater connection to the land itself.

What I am really trying to do is raise a consciousness about a love for this land that is not just lip service. Like - get your hands in the dirt, get defensive when it is harmed, raise it, love it up cause you are connected to every river, animal, plant, bird and dragonfly.

It sounds all a bit airy fairy for some people. But I feel that the mix of indigenous peoples and the people who came spread all over this island and as far as the actual history is concerned the record of actual "indios" was not that far back. In addition to the fact that there was continued migration from the mainland from as far back to the times of the Maya to the time of formalized border controls.

So if we were really proud of the great history of this island we wouldn't stand by and watch her get pillaged and burned by anyone. I feel the heat of needing to complete this work every day."


CHECK out videos from this project here.