Page 9 - HOH

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local Thursday 30 November 2023

The district of Savaneta

A quick history guide to the island’s first capital

The Dutch colonial era
(1636-1805)
During the 80-year war
between The Netherlands
and Spain, Dutch explor-
ers and merchants began
to travel to the ABC is-
lands. Once they landed in
Aruba, they deported the
small Arawakan and Span-
ish community that was liv-
ing on the island. This was
the beginning of coloniza-
tion of the ABC islands by
the Dutch empire. Around
the same, the West Indian
Company (WIC) was born. Alonso de Ojeda
Bonaire and Curacao were Playa.
mostly used for plantations,
“Quebracho” (Kibrahacha) tree; used to make dye and paint where the Dutch had trans- How Savaneta got its
ported slaves from Africa. name
( O r a n j e s t a d ) — B e f o r e Aruba—and Savaneta— Ojeda first took notice of Aruba, on the other hand, The name Savaneta prob-
Oranjestad became the around 88 AD. Aruba off the coast of Ven- was mostly used to raise
island nation’s capital, ezuela, during his explora- cattle and to house the ably has a Spanish ori-
gin. It was said that when
Aruba’s first capital was the The Caquetios probably tion of the Latin American haring factory. The Dutch
district of Savaneta. Here made their way to the is- country. This was on Au- had often forced the indig- the Spanish climbed a hill
called Yara, they saw that
is where the cultural iden- land either from Venezuela, gust 9th, 1499. However, enous community to work
tity of Aruba was born, and Colombia or other Carib- de Ojeda didn’t actually for them. the area was mostly open
and had no big trees. In
from where the rest of the bean islands in the region, sail to the island till 4 days In 1636, when the Nether-
island developed into what but with good weather it later, on August 23rd, 1499. lands won the war against Spanish, such a land area is
called a “sabana”.
it is today. was relatively easy for them This was the beginning of Spain, the country surren-
to travel back and forth in the Spanish era on Aruba dered the islands to the
Savaneta is said to have their canoes. So, since the (1499-1636). Dutch. Because of its land surface,
been the first place where Caquetios discovered the Savaneta was a great
place to construct cattle
the Caquetio inhabitants island, Aruba found her first Alonso usually didn’t stop The Dutch administration
first stepped foot on the form of civilization. at every island or land he appointed the island’s farms. From here, the farm-
er culture on Aruba was
island. Though there isn’t saw, especially not in the first commander, an Irish
hard evidence to back this It wasn’t until 1499 when Caribbean. He would often man named N. Williams. born. Before the Aruban
Gold Rush and the con-
up, but considering the leg- Aruba met another group take notice of land from Because the Dutch were
end of the Cacique Arua, it of people who set foot on afar and continue sailing. interested in other Carib- struction of the Refinery in
San Nicolas, most residents
is believed that there were the island: the Spanish ex- However, Aruba was an ex- bean islands and countries
already movements on plorer Alonso de Ojeda. De ception. He had heard that in South America, they im- were farmers, and Sava-
neta had many inhabit-
there were “quebracho” ported Dutch merchants
trees on the island, which and business men, all of ants that farmed fruits and
vegetables. They also con-
were commonly used to whom resided in Savaneta.
produce dye or paint. But This way, Savaneta official- tinued the tradition of rais-
ing cattle, like goat, sheep,
since these trees could not ly became the island’s first
be found in Savaneta, he capital. pigs and horses. Savaneta
was one of the first places
continued to search in the
area of what is now known However, at the end of on the island to have a
general farming culture.
as Santa Cruz. The best the 18th century, the com-
way to transport the tree mander at the time, J.R. From this culture, many oth-
er traditions were born, like
barks was via a route pass- Lauffer, moved his office to
ing through Savaneta, and what is now “Horse Bay” in the Dera Gay Holiday that
we celebrate every year
so the first road between Oranjestad. Because the
Savaneta and Santa Cruz highest office on the island on June 24th. q
was made. moved away from Sava- Source: Historia di Savaneta
neta, the capital lost its title (History of Savaneta) by Adolf
Commandeursbaai (Commander’s Bay) at Savaneta to what was called then “Dufi” Kock.