Kalinago attorney Joel Paris is calling for the establishment of a financial trust and greater administrative autonomy for the Kalinago Territory, arguing that indigenous people in Dominica continue facing long-standing economic disadvantages tied to land ownership and access to financing.
Speaking during a public discussion on indigenous rights and development, Paris questioned why no structured financial mechanism has been created to help Kalinago people access capital and improve economic conditions within the Territory.
According to Paris, the inability of many Kalinago residents to use communal lands as collateral places them at a major disadvantage compared with non-indigenous citizens who can secure loans through formal land title ownership.
“In all of the Caribbean, everybody has, all non-indigenous people have titles to land approaching financial institutions with the ability to borrow using these titles,” he stated.
Paris argued that this situation creates what he described as a contradiction where indigenous people remain economically restricted despite their historical connection to the land.
He also called for stronger institutional authority for the Kalinago Chief and the Kalinago Council, suggesting that resources currently directed toward the Department of Kalinago Affairs should instead be transferred directly to the Territory’s governing body.
He further referenced international indigenous rights frameworks, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, arguing that states benefiting from indigenous lands and resources have obligations to support indigenous governance structures and socio-economic development.
Paris additionally urged government officials and state agencies to show greater respect and recognition toward the authority of the Kalinago Chief and Council, insisting that the institution should not be treated as equivalent to an ordinary village council because of its unique constitutional and historical role within Dominica.
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