Page 11 - AHATA

A9
LOCAL Monday 25 august 2025

Alto Vista chapel and its link to Aruba’s origins

According to Etnia Nativa, in According to the book, celebrated at this sacred
the 18th century most of the The History of Alto Vista by native place, with the cus-
inhabitants of Aruba were R.H. Nooyen, it is not known tom of arriving in procession
indigenous who lived on when Domingo Antonio Sil- to Alto Vista.
the north coast, one of the vester came to Aruba from
largest communities lived in Venezuela. The elders be- Two-hundred years after the
Alto Vista. lieve Antonio was a Span- beautiful time of Alto Vista,
iard. In 1780, father Joseph people can no longer see
As they were very religious, Antonio de la Vegal called much of the town of Alto
they had a chief with the Bernardino Silvester, one of Vista from 1750. With a lot
name of Antonio Silvester Antonio’s sons with his wife of work they found the old
who guided them in the Anna Cathalina Tromp, foundations of the Church
Christian life and it was he “neighbors and naturals of of the Queen of the Holiest
who decided to build a the island Aruba” and thus Rosary to build a new cha-
stone chapel with a roof they became natives. pel on the same place. The etery which father Pablo de mostly water was brought
of corn rods, which would entire surrounding area was Algemesi blessed. It is not out from the Poz di Noord,
serve as a place of prayer. At the end of the eighteen empty and desolated, mak- certain, but it is believed a well dug in the sand.
In 1750 it was blessed by Fa- century many inhabitants ing it hard to imagine that that the two graves belong
ther Algamesi who came the island died as a result of Alto Vista was a town at all. to Antonio Silvester and The chapel can be viewed
from Coro-Venezuela and the black fever epidemic A hundred years later, peo- Miguel Alvares, according from basically any point in
appointed Domingo Anto- and since people believed ple can see the remains of to Nooyen. About 50 meters the north side, even from
nio Silvester as the island’s that the Alto Vista area was around twenty houses, some near the chapel there are Paradera and Sero Plat. All
first prosecutor in the name the most infected, they be- made of stone and others still the markings of an old the historical remains around
of the Spanish crown and gan to build their homes fur- of clay. Nowadays, only house, where Antonio and the chapel provide us with
Rome. In 1752 the prosecu- ther south within the Noord around six of these houses Bernardino Silvester would an idea on how the old peo-
tion passed into the hands of area, so the town of Noord remain. have lived. About 200 meters ple of Alto Vista used to live.
Antonio Silvester’s son-in-law, began to grow into a com- from the chapel there is a Don’t miss the opportunity to
Miguel Álvarez, who contin- munity till getting its own South of the chapel in the water tank which the locals visit a place of historical sig-
ued to guide the parishioners Church. However religious yard two graves can be ob- call Tanki Cacique. In the nificance with a window to
in their prayers. festivals continued to be served, there was the cem- past this tank was closed. But Aruba’s past.q

The Lionfish and its threat to our marine wild life

(Oranjestad)—Despite its is a relatively small fish. It as part of their diet. In other area. However, as the lion- Controlling the lionfish
colorful and striking ap- has no teeth, but it does words, the lionfish has no fish feeds off of these tiny population is challenge, as
pearance, the lionfish has protect itself against pred- predators in the Caribbean fish, it becomes harder for each female fish can lay up
become a Caribbean- ators using its sharp, color- Sea. And this becomes a the coral reef to maintain to 40,000 eggs a day. Lucki-
wide problem for Atlantic ful spikes. It is said that the major problem for our lo- its health. ly, we have people like van
sea life. The Aruban marine sting of a lionfish can be up cal marine life; if there are Brakel who dedicate their
wild life is also affected by to 100 times more painful no predators to stimulate Patrick also shares the ori- lives hunting and capturing
this beautiful dilemma, as it than that of a bee’s sting. population control of lion- gins of lionfish in the Ca- these invasive species, us-
is foreign to our waters and fish, these fish can continue ribbean Sea. It is theorized ing them for consumption
has become a danger to Its natural predators in the to reproduce and expand that the introduction of and jewelry making.
our local fish and reefs. Indo-Pacific are sharks and to other parts of the Atlan- these fish in the Atlan-
barracudas, but in the Ca- tic, become more invasive tic happened in Florida, They are caught with a
Originating from the Indo- ribbean Sea, local fish do and dangerous for other where people would buy li- hand spear, an object re-
Pacific Ocean, the lionfish not recognize the lionfish types of fish. onfish from across the world sembling a garbage picker
to keep in their aquariums. with 4 sharp prongs. These
For Aruba, the lionfish is a However, lionfish grow, and spears are used like a sling
problem especially for our as these buyers realized shot to catch lionfish from
local coral reefs. According that the fish were too much a distance. These fish are
to Patrick van Brakel, lion- upkeep, they were let out then put into a collecting
fish expert and hunter from into the ocean to roam tube and taken out of the
the Hunting Lionfish Aruba free. From continental USA, water. Van Brakel not only
foundation, every reef has the lionfish travelled to and catches them himself, but
a “cleaning station”—tiny invaded the entire Carib- also cooks them for locals
fish that eat algae and oth- bean area, from Aruba, and tourists at The LionFish
er types of waste on a reef, Bonaire and Curacao up to Snack Aruba in Paradera.
thus maintaining the reef’s New York. In Aruba, lionfish This way, he does his part
health and providing food were discovered in 2009. in protecting the local wild
to the fish population in the life.q