History
History
Retrospective Reflections by Susan Campbell The ever-changing kaleidoscope of contributions from different cultures still shapes Aruba’s present and collides with the past. And today, this island still remains an open canvas for a prosperous and colorful future. Contours of the Caiquetios
The European palette
Bold sketches of Aruba’s original inhabitants, the Caiquetios – a tribe of Venezuela’s original Arawak Indians – still remain deeply etched upon cave walls tucked away in Arikok National Park. Ongoing archaeological digs have unearthed the story of how they came by primitive dugout canoes and lived as a peace-loving and surprisingly sophisticated community thousands of years ago. Their original native language still resonates in many of the regional names like Turibana, Guadirikiri, Andicuri, and Bushiri. Fascinating impressions of their past are well documented and presented through remaining bits and pieces of their civilization at the spectacular National Archaeological Museum of Aruba.
The Spanish, the Dutch, and even the British have all had a hand in drawing Aruba’s colonial history. It began with Alonso de Ojeda claiming the island for Spanish Queen Isabella in 1499. Unfortunately, this soon heralded the tragic end of the island’s native population as the majority of them were sent into slavery in Hispaniola. In 1636, the Dutch desired possession of the ABCs (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao) to establish a strategic naval stronghold during the 800-year war with the Spanish, and challenged the Conquistadors for possession of Aruba. The Spanish surrendered easily as they had grown tired of what they had dubbed a “useless island” since it had no gold (or so they thought) and the arid soil stubbornly refused to yield crops. Though the British gained a brief foothold during the Napoleonic Wars, Aruba eventually reverted back to Holland with the 1815 Treaty of Paris. Pirates also favored Aruba in days of yore as a perfect spot in which
Arawak cave drawings
to hide out, and the abundance of secret coves, caves, and caverns were ideal places to stash treasure. Aruba remained part of the Netherlands Antilles until the amicable independence known as Status Aparte was gained in 1986. Galleries of gold, phosphate, aloe, and oil
The products and industries that painted the boldest brushstrokes in Aruba’s more recent past are an eclectic mix. First, gold was discovered in 1812 near Bushiribana proving the early Spanish conquerors wrong. A mini gold rush attracted prospectors from near and far until the treasure was eventually depleted. Later, phosphate and aloe became the island’s most profitable exports, but it was “black gold” that really put Aruba on the global map. When oil was discovered in the 1920s in Venezuela, Aruba was chosen as one of the best locations in which to build a refinery to process it. The establishment of the Lago Oil and Transport Company Ltd. in 1924 created a boomtown in San Nicolas where workers seeking employment in the huge refinery came from many nations. During World War II, it supplied a significant amount of fuel for the Allies and so British and American troops were sent in to protect it from German submarines. Lago Oil and Transport Company Ltd.
Unique cultural collage
Throughout the centuries, Aruba has been a popular pit stop upon the seas for explorers, merchants, traders, and early entrepreneurs from around the globe. Finding paradise, many stayed. Today, the local population of about 100,000 represents over 40 nationalities. The inherent need to communicate with visitors and new residents is illustrated in the unique native language of Papiamento, which is a mix of African, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Indian, English, and French. And though everyone is welcomed with open arms into this mosaic fold, Arubans never forget to celebrate their own distinct cultural traditions and to share them with visitors. Though the first tourist cruise ship docked on Aruba in the 1950s, tourism here did not really take off until the 1980s. Today, tourism is an integral part of Aruba’s daily design. Over two million visitors from every corner of the planet are hosted on these shores annually. ! Early days of tourism on Aruba
Arawak vase
Engraving from 1818 by John Gabriel Stedman
124 Nights
Cave photo by Pierre Arsenault. Other photos by Paul van Driel
Bottom left and right photos courtesy of the Archivo Historico Nacional
Nights 125