Redefining '60,000 crabs in a barrel'

A few weeks ago, a visiting Trinidadian called me to report a dog tied near one of the food huts on the roadside at the Mt Irvine beach carpark.

Thinking that the dog looked weak, dehydrated and hungry, he gave him tinned meat and water and, before leaving, released him from the chain.

About an hour later, I was able to take a drive to the location. The handsome young canine was still lying next to the chain, the uneaten meat by then smelling offensive in the afternoon heat. Finding it strange that he had not moved from that position, I quickly realised that he was paralysed – possibly the reason why the person had abandoned him, for someone else to "deal with."

As I waited with him, phoning a volunteer to collect and transport him to the vet clinic, I heard a strange sound coming from a nearby blue barrel.

Upon inspection, I saw many large crabs scraping and scrambling together in frantic, unsuccessful attempts to climb out of their plastic prison. I felt sorry for them – as I do for all crabs destined for eventual hot water and human consumption.

Those crabs in the blue barrel are the first image that came to my mind when I heard TT’s former prime minister (in his speech made at the opening of Tobago’s new airport terminal) forcefully referring to Tobagonians as “60,000 crabs in a barrel.”

Understandably, many social media posts and comments that followed showed outrage at the analogy:

“I am a proud 60th thousand crab in a barrel.”

“Crab can vote.”

“Did he just insult our intelligence as an island?”

“I am so ashamed as a Tobagonian to witness this debacle in front of the world, where a former prime minister and fellow Tobagonian embarrassed our chief secretary and all of us.”

And so on...

Traditionally, "crabs in a barrel" refers to people who actively attempt to pull others down when they are trying to achieve success.

However, as with any perceived insult, the choice can be made to accept or claim it as intended, or rise above the slur by interpreting it in a new, positive light.

For example, if someone called me "a dog," intending to insult, I could smile and say “Thank you,” as I know dogs to be generally loyal, loving, protective...(to name a few of their many attributes).

In this vein, how can being called "a crab" be positively reinterpreted?

Crabs are resilient creatures, existing peacefully in their natural habitats. Their social behaviour is widely varied. They can be solitary or communal, at times interacting territorially (eg males fighting over females or burrows) or co-operatively (when sourcing food or defending against predators) – not unlike some human behaviour patterns.

Through "indigenous glasses" one can view the crab as a "spirit animal" or "power animal" – a native tradition of seeing animals as guides and protectors and also as being symbolic and representative of an individual’s inner qualities or traits.

Below are some examples of the attributes ascribed to the crab as a spirit animal:

1. A powerful symbol of protection, adaptability and emotional depth.

2. Representative of self-reliance and survival.

3. Hard exoskeletons enable crabs to protect themselves from threats, symbolically representing the importance of creating and maintaining boundaries to facilitate well-being.

4. Crabs easily move between land and water, symbolising flexibility, adaptability and resourcefulness in challenging times.

With qualities like these, crabs can stand proud.

Interestingly, the geographical shape of Tobago, with its somewhat wider centre and narrower ends, is akin to a long barrel. Indeed, this "barrel" has a population of (a little over, according to the 2011 census) 60,000. What symbolic significance could this geographical barrel hold?

West Indians are familiar with the concept of "barrel culture" – the phenomenon of Caribbean parents migrating, seeking work and a better life abroad and, from "foreign," sending barrels packed with various gifts and goods for loved ones. While some consider barrels negatively (eg creating the "barrel children" situation), this article is about positive reinterpretation.

May the 60,000 Tobago crabs rise together, self-reliant, adaptable and resourceful, to build and nurture this geographical barrel as a wellspring of gifts, goods, sustenance and provision.

PS: The dog tied near the barrel of crabs is recovering well from tick fever and tick paralysis, and is being adopted by the volunteer who transported him to the vet.