However, long before any white man had put his foot on these shores, there lived a proud people-Caribs or in the Carib language-Kalinago, who had lived in the islands of the Caribbean sea for centuries before the arrival of the Europeans. To them, Dominica was: Waitikubuli, or in the nearest English translation means, "Tall is her body."

I was born of Dominican parents UK in 1962; I migrated to Dominica in 1972 at the age of 10 where I lived for 32 years before my return to the UK in October, 2004. I now live, in Crawley in West Sussex. Crawley has a population of 100,000, of which 11,500 are either Black, Asian or of some other minority nationality. When you do meet a colored person, they are nine times out of ten, usually from South Africa, Uganda or Zimbabwe. In these parts, Juliet Goddard, a graphic artist, and Dominican by descent, and who has never visited Dominica, is the only person who remotely can be called a Dominican.

One of the questions that people regularly ask me wherever I go is "where are you from?" When I tell them Dominica, they might ask puzzled, "Where is Dominica? Or "Is that in Jamaica?" Or someone might say, "Oh yes, the Dominican Republic."

From there, the conversation turns into an impromptu geography lesson about the Caribbean. It is a time to act as an unofficial ambassador for my country to point out the difference between the two Dominicas. To set the record straight, I have to stress that the Commonwealth of Dominica, is not the same island as the Dominica Republic. I tell them that Dominica is a smaller island, situated in the Eastern Caribbean between the French territories of Martinique and Guadeloupe, while the Dominica Republic, situated in the north Caribbean, shares the island of Hispanolia with Haiti.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

As a teenager, I was one of the many thousands of Dominicans who gathered in the Windsor Park in Roseau, On November 2, 1978, who were there to witness, at the stroke of midnight, the lowering of the Union Jack of Great Britain. In its place was hoisted the Dominica National Flag. This symbolised the end of an era. The end of a relationship, between a mother country and its colony.

I can remember too, in the months leading up to the granting of Independence of Dominica from Britain, the debates as to whether Dominica should change its name, to avoid being mistaken for the Dominican Republic. Not only is the Dominica Republic our namesake, but as well, the citizens of both countries are known as Dominicans. Unfortunately, the government of the day decided to retain the name Columbus gave us.

Other nations have decided to change their names, particularly after a momentous occasion such as the attaining of independence. Rhodesia for instance changed its name to Zimbabwe.

A name such as Waitikubuli would have had more significance, especially as we are the only nation, which has a reservation for the last remaining original inhabitants of the Caribbean.

Also Waitikubuli-Tall is her body—aptly describes our beautiful island. The renaming of the island would have ended the confusion between the two Dominicas years ago. In addition, this would have established her (Dominica) as a unique country in the eyes of the international community. Imagine answering the question, Where are you from? With "I am from the Commonwealth of Waitikubuli." Then they would say, "Fantastic! Tell me about Waitukubuli."

Then I would answer, "Waitikubuli is the home of the Carib Reserve. We have the only Carib Indian reservation in the Caribbean. Waitikubuli, we are the home of endangered Sisserou parrot. Waitukubuli is the home of the world's second largest boiling lake. Waitukubuli is the birthplace of world-renown author and novelist, Jean Rhys. Waitukubuli is the home of the World Creole Music Festival. Waitikubuli is the home of the world’s most spontaneous carnival. Waitikubuli is the land of 365 rivers, one for each day of the year."

The End.