CaribTRAILS – Caribbean Transdisciplinary Research Archaeology of Indigenous Legacies Spinoza

The threat of hurricanes, rising temperatures, and shifting rainfall patterns make the Caribbean particularly susceptible to the shocks of climate change. This research focuses on how climate change impacts agriculture, particularly the farmers who must adapt to it and related disasters. 

Until recently, the transformations and responses of indigenous Amerindian societies to changing natural, cultural, social, economic, and political environments triggered by European invasion and colonialism were largely unknown. The study of the Caribbean archaeological record and the transdisciplinary research conducted by the ERC-Synergy project NEXUS1492 (2013-2019) led by CPI Prof. Corinne L. Hofman, has provided fresh insights into these infamous histories by uncovering the indigenous perspectives hitherto overshadowed by dominant Eurocentric viewpoints. The CaribTRAILS project, which is funded by the NWO Spinoza prize awarded to Prof. Hofman in 2014, continues on this important work at the KITLV.

Through comparative research with regions that have similar colonial histories, CaribTRAILS aims to place indigenous Caribbean pre- and post-colonial history in a global perspective. The project thereby aims to contribute to the debate on decolonization practices; human rights of indigenous peoples and the governance of climate change; the confrontation between ethnic groups, cultures, and religions; and issues related to changing social relations, inter-cultural dialogue, social cohesion, and diversity in an increasingly globalized world.