The Warao way | Local Resources

The inaugural Indigenous Festival, organized by the Warao Community of San Fernando and Siparia, marks the long-awaited resurgence of native culture and identity.

According to Warao Secretariat head Rochelle “Luna” Antoine, the week-long festival – inspired by Warao Shaman Rauold Keith Simon – aims to shed light on the wealth of knowledge of indigenous peoples and, at the same time, create a space to share. The festival started on October 13th.

“There are many people in our population who have Warao heritage and previously didn’t know how to identify with it,” Antoine said. “So, with that in mind, we are giving them the experience of feeling at home, as they reconnect with their roots. Through this experience, they can learn about what their ancestors did, how they lived, how their traditions were maintained, and what can be done to continue to honor those traditions.”

The celebration immersed participants in Warao culture as well as the wider indigenous community of T&T. The Santa Rosa First Peoples Community, along with indigenous visitors from Suriname and Guyana, also shared their customs with festival attendees. One of the highlights of the festival was an indigenous art exhibition, featuring established and emerging artists such as Nerukhi Ato Osei, Jason Hospedales, Trevor Byron, Alice Mohammed and Shalizahr Belgrove.

Additionally, the festival included a series of thought-provoking workshops, which included discussions on the purpose of medicinal plants, creative artisanal expressions, and explorations of the Warao language, which Antoine described as “isolated from many other languages.”

Today, the festival will culminate with music and dance workshops, followed by a concert with performances by jamoo artist Abbi Blackman, rapso band Sista Ava and Luna herself. Due to public demand, several more workshops — including one on holistic health and a repeat session on traditional medicine — are planned for the coming weeks, Antoine added.

The survival of a rich legacy

For the indigenous community in general, the festival is of great importance in ensuring the preservation of the island’s ancestral culture, said Antoine. Despite misinformation spread by colonial teachings, Antoine highlighted that the Warao people, who were once a significant part of the indigenous population, continue to thrive.

“Indigenous people are not a threatened species in T&T. We, as a collective, have survived the atrocities of the last hundreds of years,” she insisted. “Our culture and traditions survived, but not without a struggle. What we are facilitating is the resurgence of Warao culture and identity, and the indigenous community at large.”

One of the most symbolic aspects of the festival is its connection to San Fernando, where the sacred Morro Nabarima, today known as Monte San Fernando, is located. The Warao people still consider this place sacred, keeping alive the traditions passed down from generation to generation. “San Fernando is significant for us because Morro Nabarima…was venerated by our ancestors who arrived at these beaches following in the footsteps of the hero Haburi, making the journey to the Morro and performing sacred rituals there”, he explained.

Antoine hopes the public recognizes the importance of supporting indigenous initiatives and paying attention to their ongoing efforts, noting that T&T is a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The UN Charter outlines the responsibilities of nations to work alongside indigenous communities to restore their rights and culture.