PRE-COLUMBIAN/ABORIGINAL CULTURES OF THE ISLAND As far as the
pre-Columbian background in terms of demography and aboriginal
cultures, the Amerindians of the Caribbean area grew out of the
tropical forest Indian culture, which extended all the way from
the upper Amazon basin in Peru to Venezuela, the Guianas and the
West Indies. They included two major language families - the
Arawakans and the Cariban. According to our historians and the
Arawakan Tribe dominated the Caribbean Islands. They were
settled communities with agricultural based economies, and
having well developed cultures. The Cariban societies never
achieved the state of civilization displayed by the Arawakan
tribes; they were more nomadic than the Arawaks. Trinidad being
the closest island to mainland, separated by just seven to eight
miles at its closest point, obviously was the first point of
entry or the gateway to the Caribbean. Our historical records
show that Amerindian Peoples have existed in Trinidad for as
many as six thousand years befo