Introduction - Adventure Guide to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao - page 3

Columbus reported the use of gold ornaments, particularly a pendant
( guanin ) worn by the chiefs as a sign of rank. However, archeological digs
have not recovered significant gold objects, and many scholars believe that
Columbus exaggerated their use in order to impress the king and queen of
Spain.
Other elements of Arawak life are more verifiable. The economy was based
on fishing, hunting, and farming, which allowed each village to support a
rather large population and an elaborate political and social structure. Vil-
lage chiefs lived in rectangular huts or bohios , while other members of the
tribe lived in round huts called caneyes . Both dwellings were simple
wooden frames topped by straw roofs - sturdy enough to withstand hurri-
cane-force winds. Villagers believed their zemis protected deserving
humans from illness and storms. Each village and its chief was ranked in
importance among the tribes by the number of zemis in their possession.
Since the ABC islands are arid, historians assume the Caiquetios either
devised some form of irrigation (evidence of early systems has been found
on other islands) or traveled by canoe to more fertile islands to trade salt
for fresh fruits and vegetables. Crops such as cassava (used in tapioca),
maize, potatoes, peanuts, peppers, beans, and arrowroot were grown on
neighboring islands using the slash-and-burn method of cultivation.
Arawaks made simple tools ( coas ) from sticks and may have used ash or
feces as fertilizers. They also hunted and fished with baskets, nets, and
sharp sticks. Most likely, Caiquetios caught large fish with long sharpened
sticks attached to small sucking fish, called remoras, that fasten them-
selves to bigger sea creatures, such as sharks and turtles. Once the remora
latched onto a host, the stick would be pulled ashore along with the catch.
Food was cooked on hot stones or over an open fire using peppers, herbs,
and spices for flavor. Villagers preserved some foods, but most was eaten
fresh since the tropical climate allowed year-round farming, hunting, and
fishing.
The Caiquetios, like all Arawaks, painted their nearly-nude bodies with
bright colors and wore shell and bone jewelry in their pierced noses and
ears. This flamboyant style coupled with their larger-than-European size
probably intimidated the first explorers, who reacted by slaughtering or
enslaving the peaceful natives.
Europeans Arrive
Some researchers think Alonso de Ojeda , one of Christopher Columbus's
officers, was the first European to set foot on the ABC Islands. According
to this version of history, Ojeda landed on Curaçao in May of 1499, then
went on to the Cape Roman Peninsula of Venezuela before sighting Aruba,
20 miles to the north. He is said to have called the islands Las Islas de los
Gigantes , Islands of the Giants, because of the stature of the Caiquetio
Indians he found living there.
Officially, however, Amerigo Vespucci , the renowned Italian explorer for
whom America is named, is credited with the European discovery of
Bonaire and Curaçao in September of 1499. His cartographer, Juan de la
Cosa, wrote the first description of the islands. Spanish colonists spent a
few years trying to find gold or silver in the region before they gave up,