Page 15 - AHATA

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local Thursday 24 april 2025
The district of Savaneta: The capital before Oranjestad

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

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