Prospecting the past: genetic perspectives on the extinction and survival of indigenous peoples of the Caribbean

In this paper, I examine discourses of survival and extinction regarding the fates of indigenous Caribbean peoples and the manner in which genetic ancestry data influences these discourses. I argue that ideas of extinction and survival are intricately tied in places where a hybrid national identity is generally accepted, thus making the incorporation of genetic data into these debates more malleable. Meanwhile, other Caribbean contexts present the possibility for genetic data to significantly affect people's conception of how indigenous people should fit within contemporary conceptualizations of the nation. Secondly, I explore the incongruities between folk and scientific understandings of ancestry as well as how ideologies of race, histories of colonialism, and political economy affect the manner in which researchers present genetic ancestry. Finally, I call for genetic anthropologists to “look beyond the laboratory” and to be prepared and willing to engage in the repercussions of their research. Such an engagement would involve the repudiation of racist applications of genetic ancestry data and making meaningful attempts to include and collaborate with members of the studied communities.