Page 18 - AHATA

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local Tuesday 23 sepTember 2025
The Aruban Cunukero; From past to present

(Oranjestad)—Aruba’s cul- tury that these farmers
ture consists of rich histori- were able to obtain more
cal traditions that make up freedom as cunukeros. Af-
the Aruban identity and ter 1824, the government
lifestyle. However, the life gave these farmers official
of the cunukero (farmer) is permission to keep live-
perhaps the most impor- stock, and the obligations
tant aspect of our culture, once placed on them were
in a sense representing to officially discarded.
locals the true essence of Because of the dry climate
the Aruban. in Aruba, growing food for
commercial purposes was
Historically, cunucus (farms) not popular. The focus was
played a huge role in the mainly on cattle herding
early social and economic and taking care of live-
development of Aruba, stock. However, livestock
and its relevance dates need food to survive, and
back to the early days of when Aruba experienced
the colonization era. Upon its duper dry climate, many
being discovered by Span- farmers would see a big
ish conquistadors in the late land to live off of. However, loss in their livestock, and
15th century, Aruba was in exchange for this grant, hence profit.
used primarily as a ranch, these indigenous farmers Although the WIC at one
housing horses and cattle were obligated to work for point did try to come up
brought from Europe. Dur- the WIC, doing daily tasks with an initiative to get
ing the Dutch colonization such as taking care of or more people to have
era where the West Indian hunting cattle—large ma- land on the island, the cli-
Company (WIC) dominat- jority of which were des- mate never really allowed
ed the economic sphere tined for Curacao, clean real profit from farming.
on the island, using the land water tanks and chop Because of the climate,
to set up cattle farms and wood, among other things. Aruban farmers in gen-
ranches remained popular. As much as these farmers eral could not keep large
Anthropologist Sidney Mintz were given to opportunity quantities of livestock. At
divided Caribbean farmers to live “free” with a plot of a certain point toward the
back in four categories: land, their exclusion from end of the 18th century,
1. The “squatters”, the trading and business the climate got so bad that
who were mostly com- 3. P r o t o - P e a s a n t s plantations. world, as well as being de- many farmers decided to
prised of illegal and poor were plantation slaves who However, the Aruban cu- prived the chance to be- leave the island for a while.
colonists, runaway slaves were allowed to have a nukeros back then are come real property and
and deserters who took small piece of land to grow hard to place, and their his- cattle owners, made them For this reason, the farm-
advantage of the Spanish’s food for their own con- tory may explain why. a unique group among ing economy on the island
weak supervision on Carib- sumption. This was to curb From 1636 (beginning of Caribbean farmers at the remained small. As the
bean islands like Cuba and the cost of living on the Dutch colonization era) to time. years went by and people
the DR; plantations; before the oil industry in The WIC placed a lot of noticed that these farms
2. Then you have “Ear- 4. Lastly you have the 1924, Aruba’s population restrictions on these indig- could not really produce
ly Yeomen”, who were legal “Runaway Peasantries”, consisted of mostly farmers. enous farmers—a method any sustainable profit, farm-
farmers who came to the usually comprised of run- These farmers were mostly to safeguard their cattle ers kept their small piece of
west under contract. Once away slaves who acquired indigenous and were char- deposit on the island. The land just to live off of. This is
their contract expired, they farming tools and cattle acterized as peasants. They indigenous farmers were why the Aruban cunukeros
were given a plot of land through stealing or through weren’t allowed to partici- mostly granted less than 7 only played a very tiny role
for independent use; secret exchanges with pate in trading, but instead acres of land. Those who into the plantation econo-
other slaves from different were granted a piece of owned bigger land were my.
either once affiliated with In modern Aruba, cunucus
the WIC or were colonists and cunukeros still exist on
who settled on the island the island, fortunately with
to try their luck at farming. more freedom and more
In 1767, there were about opportunity to tap into the
120 houses/cunucus on the agricultural market. These
island. farmers usually sell their pro-
These Aruban farmers were duce on a smaller scale,
also limited to the amount like during farmers’ market
of cattle they could keep. events and other types of
Most kept goats as cattle, (holiday) events.
as only those who were af-
filiated with the WIC could Source: “Arubaans Ak-
keep (more) sheep. Of the koord: Opstellen over Aru-
76 goat herders on the is- ba van voor de komst van
land, about 45 of them had de olieindustrie (Aruban
less than 30 goats, and only Accord: Essays on Aruba
7 of them had more than Before the Arrival of the Oil
60 goats. Industry)” by Alofs, Luc; Rut-
It wasn’t until the WIC was gers, Wim; Coomans, Hen-
defunct in late 18th cen- ny E. red.