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.