History of Aruba

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History of Aruba

Although there are no written accounts of Aruba’s early history, much has been determined by archeological excavation. The first known settlers of the island were a tribe of Arawak natives called the Caiquetios. These people were initially located on the South American mainland, and it is assumed that the Caiquetios migrated from Venezuela to Aruba. Due to its lack of natural resources, it can be assumed that Aruba was merely a stopover for a succession of tribes. They were a peaceful people, living under the guidance of a shaman or priest, who also served as the village-chief. The transient nature of Aruba’s population kept the size of the villages small, usually under fifty individuals. The Caiquetios consumed only one meal a day, which was obtained by fishing, following which there would be dancing and drinking of an intoxicating beverage prepared from agaves (Hartog, 9).

On the 26th of July 1499, Alonso de Ojeda discovered the Leeward Islands. There is some debate over whether Aruba’s discovery can be attributed to him because in his original map there were only two unnamed islands, meaning that either Aruba or Bonaire was omitted. However, by 1502 all three islands were placed under the control of Ojeda as belonging to the district of Coro, Spain (Hartog, 26). According to one account, Aruba was given its name by Ojeda based on the Spanish phrase “oro hubo” meaning “there was gold”, but because Diego Colon labeled Aruba as one of the “valueless...

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