This book tells the story of a remarkable people. The Kalinago people of Dominica in the eastern Caribbean are the last survivors of the indigenous peoples of the region - their ancestors largely wiped out after the European encounter. Nowadays they live in a corner of Dominica as farmers and fishermen, taxi drivers and teachers; they make baskets and build canoes and preserve what is left of their rich cultural legacy.

With their own words and pictures, this book offers an extraordinary insight into the Kalinago people as they see themselves today: at work and play, shopping, schools, religion, the differences between women's and men's lives. It illustrates who they are, how they live, how they see their future.

Professor Peter Hulme, author of Wild Majesty: Encounters with Caribs from Columbus to the Present Day, and professor of literature at the University of Essex writes:

"Most history books say that the indigenous population of the Caribbean has been extinct since the sixteenth century. As its title suggests, Yet We Survive shows that the Kalinago (Carib) population of the island of Dominica is still alive and kicking in the 21st century. Just 515 years after Columbus first arrived in the Caribbean, those indigenous people finally get to speak here through their own words and photographs, showing what it means to maintain traditional culture while living in the modern world. In turn dramatic and commonplace, heart-rending and uplifting, Yet We Survive offers a unique window into a unique culture."

Irvince Auguiste, former Carib chief writes:

“Yet We Survive has been the most interesting literature on the Kalinago people of Dominica because it provided a number of our young people with the opportunity to collect the information and to work on it while they acquired new skills in photography and techniques in conducting interviews. Since the work was done, the infrastructure has improved and new projects are being explored for economic development, particularly in tourism. Congratulations to Mary Walters.”

As an educational resource, this book is particularly relevant for pupils at KS2 or year 7 in England and Wales, at S1 and primary 7 in Scotland. The material relates to the following subject areas: language, social subjects, history, geography, arts, global citizenship and enteprise. The book comes with teachers' notes; also available from Papillote Press by email (pollyp@globalnet.co.uk).

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