Joseph Chatoyer, 18 th century Paramount Chief of the Caribs is recognised and celebrated as the First National Hero of St Vincent and the Grenadines for his leadership in the struggle against European occupation of their land. The struggle began with the indigenous Kalinago population but by the 18th century was led by the Garifuna people, a product of the union between the Kalinago peoples and African slaves who had become the dominant group in St Vincent. British occupation following the Treaty of Paris in 1763 was strongly contested and resulted in an English Carib war 1771-1772 and a second war from 1795-1797 after which the Carib peoples were exiled to Central America, the Garifuna people of Central America being descendants of those who were exiled in 1797. They regard St Vincent as their homeland and Joseph Chatoyer as their national hero.
Chatoyer was a remarkable person who had an understanding of the geo-politics of the day and worked closely with the French against the British. Although in 1795 he was killed by an ambush in the early stages of the second Carib war; he was regarded as an inspiration to his people and an outstanding military strategist under whose control the French were willing to subject their forces in the joint struggle against the British, their common enemy. Yet colonial history had painted Chatoyer as a criminal, a ‘ruthless’ figure more disposed to ‘cruelty than courage’. As we rewrite our history Chatoyer emerges as a freedom fighter who led the struggle to retain the independence of St Vincent and protect the lands of his people. In 1985 an obelisk was set up in his honour at Dorsetshire Hill at the site where he was killed. Then, in 2002, the title of First National Hero was bestowed on him and the day on which he died, 14th March, was declared as National Hero’s Day.
By Dr. Adrian Fraser.