Hispaniola
The Arawak/Taíno people travelled often and used hollowed canoes with paddles when on the water for fishing or for migration purposes, and upwards of 100 people could fit into a single canoe. The Taíno came in contact with the Caribs, another indigenous tribe, often. The caribs lived mostly in modern day Puerto Rico and northeast Hispaniola and were known to be hostile towards other tribes. The Arawak/Taíno people had to defend themselves using bow and arrows with poisoned tips and some war clubs. When Columbus landed on Hispaniola, many Taíno leaders wanted protection from the Caribs.
White Dominicans
White Dominicans () are Dominicans of complete or predominant European descent. They represent 16.1% of the Dominican Republic's population, according to the last population census in which race was queried. The majority of white Dominicans are descendants from the first European settlers to arrive in Hispaniola and have ancestry of the Canary Islanders, Portuguese, mainland Spanish, and French settlers’ lineage who settled in the island during colonial times. Many others are also descendants from white Levantines, Italians, Dutchmen, Germans, Hungarians, Americans, and other nationalities who have migrated between the 19th and 20th centuries.