MEDINA IS NEW
CARIB QUEEN
By Marlise
Andrews
Trinidad
Guardian
March 28, 2000
Page 6
Valentina
Medina, of Mausica Lands, Arima, has been named Carib Queen for life, at an
election held on Sunday at the Santa Rosa Carib Community
Centre.
Medina, 66, was among three
others who were nominated as successors after Justa Werges, queen for the past
11 years, passed away in January.
She
was named after nominees, Julie Calderon, Mary Hernandez and Norma Stephens,
withdrew their names for "various reasons."
She
says she embraced the Carib way of life since childhood, when she would follow
the procession of Santa Rosa in her pink frock, life the other children in the
area.
Born on May 6, 1933, at Mt
Pleasant, Arima, to Clemencia Assing, Medina is one of six children. Her Carib heritage comes form her
mother's side of the family.
Her
involvement in the indigenous ways of life increased after her marriage to John
Medina in 1952.
"I
was 18 when I get married," she said.
"After I got married, the
Carib Queen (Edith Martinez) called on us to take a more active role in the
traditional ways of life. I was
queen for a day three times and my husband was king."
Ricardo Bharath, president
of the Carib community, said in the early days, when one was nominated for king
or queen for a day, one had to take care of all the preparations and
responsibilities for the men and women during the day of the Santa Rosa
festival. Today, however, the
positions are symbolic.
Medina's installation is
carded for May 6. This would take
the form of a mass or service to be held at the Santa Rosa RC Church, where she
would be anointed and the banner, symbolizing her queenhood, would be handed
over.