The Kalinago Territory: A Living Community

The 3,700-acre Kalinago Territory on Dominica's eastern coast represents the Caribbean's only designated Indigenous territory. Here, traditional practices coexist with contemporary life. Young people learn to weave larouma baskets using techniques passed down for generations while also studying computer science. Elders speak Kalinago alongside English and French Creole while teaching youth traditional fishing methods.

"People expect us to be frozen in time," says Sylvanie Frederic, a young Kalinago teacher. "They're surprised when they see us with smartphones or hear that I have a master's degree. But why shouldn't we use new tools while maintaining our identity? Our ancestors were always innovators."

The community faces challenges: language loss (fewer than 20 fluent Kalinago speakers remain), economic pressures, and climate change threatening coastal areas. Yet initiatives like the Kalinago language preservation project and eco-tourism ventures show how tradition and modernity can support each other.