Etnia Nativa: Your peek into Native magic, healing the spirit.
Article by Etnia Nativa call us 592 2702 and book your experience!
The narrative of Etnia Nativa—which means Native Ethnicity—highlights the importance of recovering and preserving Aruba’s cultural identity and heritage. Through this platform, readers can experience an authentic native perspective that both educates the public and inspires a growing “island caretaker mindset.”
This episode focuses on a highly sensitive issue: the delicate balance between humans, their pets, and the fragile ecosystems that sustain us.
Cats are among the most beloved animals in the world, admired for their grace, intelligence, and companionship. Yet their presence outside the home has become one of the most underestimated environmental challenges of our time.
On islands and in small habitats like ours—where native species have evolved in isolation for thousands of years—the introduction of non-native animals can easily upset the natural balance. The domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus), admired for its beauty and agility, becomes an apex predator when released into the wild, where native wildlife often lacks the instincts to defend itself.
Studies around the world confirm that free-roaming and feral cats kill billions of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals each year. On islands like Aruba, these impacts are magnified due to our limited territory and small, vulnerable populations. Many of our native lizards, ground-nesting birds, and insects are now rarely seen in their once-abundant habitats—gardens, dunes, and coastal scrublands—as a direct result of feline predation.
What began as affectionate companionship has slowly transformed into a silent environmental crisis. Cats were first brought to the island by buccaneers and sailors, and later by settlers as pets. As new residential areas have spread across the island, natural habitats have been consumed piece by piece. Today, nearly every corner of Aruba is inhabited, with many households keeping cats or dogs.
Some pets have become feral, living as natural predators and often beyond effective control. These free-roaming cats and dogs thrive, while our endemic wildlife continues to decline. The irony lies in the fact that animal protection laws—though essential for preventing cruelty—can sometimes conflict with the urgent need to protect native biodiversity.
To address this challenge, Etnia Nativa advocates for responsible pet ownership and greater ecological awareness. All domestic cats should be sterilized, microchipped, and kept indoors or within enclosed spaces. Even a simple measure—such as placing a bell on a cat’s collar—can significantly reduce its hunting success and help safeguard our native fauna.
Education also plays a crucial role. Many cat owners are unaware that their pets, even when well-fed, hunt out of instinct and play, not hunger. True compassion for our animals must extend to compassion for nature itself—for the birds, lizards, and insects that form part of our island’s unique natural identity.
Our ultimate goal is coexistence. By managing pet populations humanely and respecting the ecological boundaries of our environment, we can ensure that both domestic animals and native wildlife have a sustainable future.
Aruba’s biodiversity is its heartbeat. Protecting it requires awareness, responsibility, and love for all forms of life that share our island home.
Explore Aruba’s Roots at Etnia Nativa
If you’ve enjoyed discovering our ancestral stories and wish to delve deeper into the true identity of the Aruban people, we invite you to experience Etnia Nativa—the only “living museum” of its kind in the Caribbean, celebrating the island’s rich mestizaje (cultural blending).
Founded in 1994, Etnia Nativa has been a cultural pioneer—co-founding Aruba’s National Park, the Archaeological Museum, artisan foundations, and several grassroots initiatives dedicated to heritage and conservation.
But Etnia Nativa is more than a place—it’s a keyhole, a gateway. Quietly tucked away near the high-rise hotels, this private residence is a cultural sanctuary few tourists ever imagine discovering—and that’s precisely its magic. Intentionally intimate and off the beaten path, it welcomes only those with a genuine curiosity and a thirst for authentic discovery.
Connect with the spirit and soul of Aruba’s ancient heritage through a one-of-a-kind experience unlike anything else on the island. Whats App +297 592 2702 etnianativa03@gmail.com
