Given the significance, confusion and overall ignorance on the subject I raised on the term native or Indigenous Bermudian, I thought it best to dedicate an entire article to the subject rather than snippets in the comment sections.

Sometime during the mid-1980s while a member of the Human Rights Commission, Eva Hodgson organised a seminar that hosted an individual from the United Nations. Naturally, knowing Dr Hodgson, the reason for his visit had something to do with advancing our rights as Black Bermudians. This gentleman was particularly interested in sharing with us in this seminar what assistance the UN could give the Bermudians.

It was he who was curious to know if Bermudians, in particular Black Bermudians, would be interested in examining their status as Indigenous people because he thought it would help. He explained to us that the term “Indigenous” as recognised by the UN meant the “first people” of any country. In the case of Bermuda, given there were no persons previously, those who made up the first population would be recognised by the UN as Indigenous. It followed a discussion in 1982 when they were coming to terms with recognising that the UN had no description for Indigenous people. So, after lengthy debates, they wrote a paper defining what they recognised as Indigenous. They concluded that one of the principal factors as “common ancestry with the original occupants of these lands”.

Too often people confuse Indigenous with Aboriginal — and, given the histories of so many Indigenous cultures predating recorded history, for time immemorial the terms became associated as one. But, no, Indigenous simply means “first people”.

There is no race or ethnicity attached to “first people”; the only burden or test is that one can prove they belong to that group. For argument’s sake, given the way Bermuda developed — with the first settlers being Englishmen, followed in 1616 by the introduction of African indentured servants and a boatload from Angola soon after — by 1620 the Bermuda population had a significant injection of African servants. So much so that by the time of Oliver Cromwell’s period in and around the 1650s, this resident slave population was making 100 babies a year, which was the same number of White babies born.

During the periods between 1650 and 1670 resulting from the wars against the Native Americans, particularly in the New England and Maine areas, those Native Americans of various tribes who refused to surrender or accept the treaties were captured and banished to slavery in places such as Bermuda. In addition, there were religious wars that saw many Irish prisoners brought to Bermuda, which had become somewhat of a penile colony. There was both cohesion and rebellion among these groups, resulting in many Irish and Native Americans being pushed to St David’s to live as punishment.

Suffice it to say, that Bermuda had enough stock to develop an interesting mixed population fairly early in its development. By the years circa 1800, Bermuda had a little more than 8,000 souls and the Black or Coloured population was slightly larger than the White. However, because of the War of 1812 between England and America, thousands of British soldiers were stationed in Bermuda or transiting through as naval personnel. This influx of male soldiers had an impact on the local population, as many of these men bred with the local Blacks and Whites — at least one of my family lines comes directly from that.

With numerous forts being built to fortify the island against an American invasion, there remained a stronger British presence in Bermuda — so much so that by mid-century there was not enough agriculture and food to sustain the growing population and thus the beginning of the Portuguese were brought in to mainly help with agriculture. As the fortifications continued, the Dockyard was built and this necessitated more labour; hence, during the 1880s, hundreds if not thousands of West Indians were brought in mainly from the smaller islands such as St Kitts & Nevis as carpenters, masons and general labourers. Both these groups came in the 19th century and mixed with the local population to the extent that most Black people of today have some element of blood from those infusions of Portuguese and West Indian.

So I posit that Indigenous cannot be said to be a perpetual phenomenon, given that it is historically clear that by 1800 there were 8,000 souls, most of whom were descendants from the 17th-century stock. It is fair to assume those who were in that near 300-year womb represent the first people of Bermuda. Bermudians’ distinct accents came from that evolutionary group.

The question is, is there a benefit to claiming the status of Indigenous. The answer is yes, numerous benefits. There are hundreds of millions of Indigenous people around the world, and to be a part of that community brings many benefits. You have special UN representation: if you have a Native American bloodline, you have a card which like an immigration visa card gives you border clearance from Canada to South America. This may become global. There is a fund that all the developed nations pay into, which goes to the Indigenous people for things such as scholarships. Also, there is a level of affirmative action that gives Indigenous people access to trade opportunities. Native Americans in Canada pay half the price for fuel, and there are tribal lands that have been collateralised for banking purposes just to support Indigenous people.

Here is the interesting point for Bermudians: your Native American heritage came from the heroes who did not bend or sign a treaty and your little drop — whether 7 per cent or 10 per cent — is the only surviving residual of them. Their relatives in Canada, those who accepted the treaties and were humiliated, get paid billions of dollars every year. Why aren’t you a part of that and a recipient?

Those who reject this idea are of two types, persons who do not fit the profile and are therefore left out with nothing to gain, will call it divisive. Those of the landed gentry who do not need any UN assistance or prefer not to be associated with an identity that equates with others will call it divisive also. The vast majority of Bermudians are Indigenous, who with a little effort can link their ancestry to that original 8,000 from the 17th century. Very few are not, and that applies to Blacks and Whites.

I ask the question again, as the UN representative did 38 years ago: why would you not claim the status that the UN designates and receive support and opportunities from this global body and its initiative to help Indigenous people worldwide?

“He that takes away my name robs me of that which does not profit him, but that which makes me poor.”