As some already know, Justa Werges, the Queen of the Caribs, passed away on Sunday, January 16, 2000, at her home in Mundo Nuevo, south of Arima, in Trinidad and Tobago. I received the news of her passing here in Australia on the day of her funeral, held on Wednesday, 19 January, 2000, at the Santa Rosa Roman Catholic Church in Arima. I deeply mourn the loss of this stately and gracious lady who became a key contributor to research for my doctorate in Anthropology and featured in a recent article of mine in Cultural Survival Quarterly. In this spirit, I wish to dedicate my dissertation in honour of the memory of this great lady.

        Justa Werges was born on May 1st, 1915, in the Month of Mary, as she was proud to emphasize. She saw herself as Saint Rose’s special earthly ambassador, charged with preparing the annual Feast in honour of the Saint. I was extremely fortunate, not to mention honoured and privileged, to have had the opportunity to film interviews with her and take photographs. I saw her last in late November of 1999 and found her on her deathbed suffering from cancer, candles lit on her special altar in the corner of her bedroom. Her life was a constant prayer. Despite her condition, as she was wont to do she summoned up the energies to say numerous prayers and give blessings to both my wife and myself. We simply cannot express how great was our respect for this institution that was Justa Werges.

        It is unfortunate that the wider community in Trinidad was not familiar with Justa Werges as she was perhaps the leading and most accomplished expert on Amerindian weaving techniques and a wonderful source of historical information on Arima’s Santa Rosa Festival. As such, she was elected Queen by the Carib Community for her wealth of knowledge of traditions and her piety. A special mass was said for her on the occasion of her assuming the role of Queen and was recorded by the Vatican. She provided a number of the main ornaments carried in procession today for the Santa Rosa Festival. She embodied a rich set of traditions that have been waning in Trinidad for quite some time: the cassava culture of Trinidad’s Spanish-Amerindians and Venezuelan immigrants, private religious rituals, knowledge and use of oraciones (or “special prayers” as referred to by some in Trinidad), herbal knowledge, and could even talk about how to properly construct a tapia ajoupa and earthen ovens.

        She spoke with expertise and clearly revealed her abilities to communicate with diverse audiences. In her time she hosted many visitors, both foreign and local, including Caribbean Amerindians, archaeologists, film makers, prelates, mayors, and even a Prime Minister. The Queen, though absent due to illness, was honoured last November 24 by the visiting delegation of Canadian Aboriginal Chiefs, who presented gifts for her that I am sure she was happy to receive.

        She struck myself and others as an extremely devout lady who would never let you leave her home without first loading your arms with bags of cassava, oranges, plantains, and virtually everything she had in the simple kitchen of her rustic tapia home (recently replaced), ending with blessings in Spanish and the sign of the cross. She was a person of unparalleled generosity, one of those "country people" that urban Trinidadians nostalgically speak about as the people who valued courtesy, respect and reciprocity. She had a wonderful sense of humour and remained lucid and alert right to the end. Nothing got past the Queen. As a researcher, I was humbled by her stature. Almost like the archetypal monarch, one did not speak to the Queen, rather one was spoken to by the Queen. The passing of Queen Justa Werges, sadly, reflects the passing of an era in Trinidad.

        I am terribly saddened by this loss, a loss not just for Trinidad but also for Arima and especially the Carib Community. I know that it will be impossible to find a replacement for Justa, and she will be remembered as the last of the great Carib Queens. Confined to her bed, she spoke to us at our last meeting in November: her face lit up as she described the beautiful faces of her people who were awaiting her in heaven, her tribe. I wish to express my very sincere condolences to the family of Justa Werges, equally generous and hospitable as their matriarch.

MAXIMILIAN C. FORTE
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA.