The Kalinago people, Dominica’s first people, our cultural torchbearers, have been treated as an afterthought in their homeland. Successive governments have spoken the language of support but have failed to follow through with action that brings lasting change. Yes, there have been moments of assistance, particularly after national disasters like Hurricane Maria, but these short-term initiatives have not addressed the deeper issues of economic exclusion, underinvestment, and historical marginalization that continue to affect Kalinago communities today. The promises have too often been symbolic, the support sporadic, and the relationship unbalanced.
The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) believes this must change, and will change, under our leadership. We do not see the Kalinago people as a political constituency to be managed or pacified. We see them as our brothers and sisters, our family, our equals. Their story is not separate from Dominica’s story; it is Dominica’s story. The pain and hardship they face are not theirs alone. When the Kalinago suffer, we all suffer. When they rise, we all rise.
The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) is committed to building a new partnership, one built on respect, dialogue, shared values, and meaningful collaboration. We will work with Kalinago leaders, elders, and youth to create real opportunities for growth, social, economic, and cultural. This includes infrastructure development, land reform discussions, educational support tailored to their heritage, and a voice at every table where national decisions are made. The Kalinago people will no longer be spoken for; they will speak with us, beside us, and lead with us.
The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) also believe this relationship must be more than policy, it must be grounded in love. Love for our shared island, love for our differences, love for the lessons we can learn from one another. The Kalinago have much to teach us about community, about balance with nature, about cultural preservation in the face of adversity. If Dominica is to move forward, it must do so with all its people united, and that includes repairing, rebuilding, and reimagining the relationship with our indigenous family. This is not charity. This is not politics as usual. This is justice. This is reconciliation. This is nation-building.
Let the world see a Dominica where no child is forgotten, no village is left behind, and no people are made to feel like strangers in their land. The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) will not stop until this vision is a reality for the Kalinago, for every Dominican, and for generations to come.
Team DRP