History and Culture

The first known arrivals were the Caquetio tribe of Arawak Indians who reached Bonaire in their dugout canoes around 1375-1325 BC. Their traces remain in the form of many rock carvings. They called the island Bonay, meaning low country and this was modified by the early Spanish and Dutch to Bojnoj and Bonaire. The Arawaks lived as a peaceful, fishing-based culture until the arrival of Amerigo Vespucci on September 6th, 1499. He initially named Bonaire the Isla de Palo Brasil after the Brasilwood found there which was used as a dye. Vespucci put Bonaire on the new world map but inadvertently helped the Spanish to return there in 1527, and the Indians were forcibly deported to what is now the Dominican Republic to work in the copper mines. Bonaire’s first official settlement, Rincón, was established with successful exports in salt, meat, hides, and divi-divi pods (used for tanning in nearby Curaçao). The Dutch and Spanish fought over the island for eighty years, with the Dutch finally taking control in 1636. The British also had brief control over the island and it is they who established the capital Kralendijk. Slavery was abolished in 1862.

During World War II, when the Netherlands were occupied by the Germans, Bonaire became a protectorate of the US and Britain, and an internment camp was built, housing several hundred Dutch, German and British Nazi-sympathisers. This facility was later converted to an hotel!

A New Era

Since 2010, Bonaire became a special municipality of the Netherlands (although not part of the European Union) but the results of a referendum scheduled for 18 December 2015 might very well bring change. Bonaire is a leader in the Caribbean in ecological responsibility and there are many initiatives to preserve the fragile balance between human occupation and protecting nature. Bon Bini na Boneiru – Welcome to Bonaire! – is the greeting for visitors. African traditions are still alive today in the Maskarada (or masquerade), a costume parade festival with music and dancing; and Barí is another annual festival which allows everybody to catch up on all the gossip and the news.