Caribbean Amerindian Centrelink
(CAC)
The Taïnos of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto
Rico, and the USA
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Baramaya Taino Page Baramaya
is a yukayeke of Taino families questing to learn their Taino culture and
traditions
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BIARAKU --An excellent
web resource overall: heavily loaded with samples of art work, poetry,
personal testimonies, history, discussions, documents, reports, and excellent
links. A resource worthy of high praise.
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Bobby Gonzalez: Native
American/Latino lecturer, storyteller, and poet.
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Bohio Bajacu:
Taino House of Dawn by Valery Nanaturey Vargas Stehney
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Caney
Indian Spiritual Circle
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Ciboney Tribe of Florida
History, Culture, Organization, Services, Marketplace, Comments, Newsletter.
Descendants of the original tribes of the island of Cuba founded the Ciboney
Tribe in June 1998 as a non-for profit organization in the State of Florida.
It was formed to provide leadership within our community, ensure that the
necessary legislation is put in place to protect and recover our patrimony,
to research, document and archive the cultural phenomenon of our region,
and most importantly to provide management and conservation of our cultural
Cuban Indian heritage. Jorge Luis Salt, Pres. Tamara Cunill-Salt, V.Pres.
Robert Cunill,Sec. Rosy Vazquez,Treas.
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Coqui's Village
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The Jatibonicu Taino
Tribal Nation Home Page: "This is an official tribal Government
web site of the Jatibonicu Taino Tribal Nation of Boriken Puerto Rico.
We as a part of the greater Taino nation of the Caribbean and Florida are
recognized as the very first Native American Indian Nation to greet and
meet Christopher Columbus in the year 1493".
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KU KAREY SPIRITUAL CIRCLE, INC.Ku
Karey Spiritual Circle, Inc. is dedicated to maintaining Taino culture,
its language and spirituality as we connect with all indigenous people
from North, Central and South America and the islands of the Greater and
Lesser Antilles. Ku Karey Spiritual Circle, Inc. was established for the
purpose of giving all people the opportunity to gather in a spiritual Native
& Taino manner and to discuss topics of interest that encourage spiritual
growth.
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Maisiti
Yukayeke Taíno People "Maisiti is a community of Taino families
from all walks of life. We come together to pray, play together and to
learn the ways of our ancestors. We teach our children to respect and honor
everything on Mother Earth. Everything we do reflexs us as a people. We
help each other in times of need and celebrate life to the fullest. We
respect our elders. Grandparents are asked for their blessing for all the
people. The children are the responsibility of the entire yukayeke. The
woman are treated with high respect. We teach of the importance of keeping
the family together, for the strength of the yukayeke are in families united
and working together. That being Taino is a way of life. We are peaceful,
patient and humble, warriors". [this page has been retrieved from the Internet
archive]
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Presencia
Taina TV: "Presencia Taina.TV has been created to help disseminate
the productions of multi-media presentations that highlight the ancestral
cultural heritage of the Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean"--includes,
Educational Videos (1/2 and 1 hour VHS productions); Research Books (rare
and out of print copies available); Maps (featuring colorful and historical
educational aides); Historical References (accomplished research assistance);
Photographs (action Taino photos); Music (CDs and cassettes).
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Taíno Ancestry
Legacy Keepers "Taino Ancestry Legacy Keepers, Inc., is a
non-profit organization dedicated to support and promote public awareness,
the preservation of Taino historical sites, sacred ceremonial grounds,
Taino ancestry and genealogical record keeping. Talk, Inc. fosters a positive
image and serves as a supportive source in educating and maintaining Taino
legacies and cultural events. Talk, Inc. encourages and assists individuals
in their own search for Taino lineage by maintaining and preserving genealogical
records of Taino culture and its people".
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Taino
Net
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Taino.Com (Spanish)
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Taino Pride-- This page is dedicated
to our ancestors the Tainos, with the purpose of showing to all the different
cultures who the Tainos were. I believe it's important to educate ourselves
and learn where we came from. [Includes: Roots, Vocabulary, Legends, Characteristics,
Casabe Secrets, Anacaona, Medical Plants, Bibliography]
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Taino Timucua
Tribal Web Page, Tampa, Florida: An ethnohistoric overview of the
Timucua of Florida.
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Taíno Wara-a Bawakén
/ Nación Taína de las Antillas / Taíno Nation of the
Antilles—this website for one of the older representatives of the
Taino restoration proclaims its mission as follows: “The mission of the
Taíno Wara-a Bawakén (Nación Taína de las Antillas
/ Taíno Nation of the Antilles) since the proclamation of the restoration
has been to organize, educate and advocate for all Taíno people.”
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Tekesta Taino
Tribal Band of Bimini Florida "The Tekesta Indians lived in what
is now Dade and Broward Counties, southeast Florida, and had a capitol
town, probably also called Tekesta, in Miami. Today the Tekesta Taino society
is reorganized under the Tekesta Taino Tribal Band of Bimini Florida is
organized and based in the area of Miami and West Palm Beach Florida."
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Turabo Aymaco Taíno
Tribe "The Taino Native American Indian Tribe of Turabo Aymaco,
Borinken (Puerto Rico) is the modern-day revival of the ancient Taino Native
American Indian Tribe of the region of Turabo Aymaco. Our tribe represents
those Taino Native Americans who died, and fled their homelands during
the massacre that came with the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the
Americas in 1492. Our tribe also represents those survivors and their descendants
of the massacre. Our Tribe is made up of: documented and non-documented,
pure blood and non pure blood descendants of the Taino Turabo Aymaco Tribe,
pure blood and non pure blood descendants of other various Taino Tribes
from the entire Caribbean, and non-Taino friends, families, and supporters
of the Taino People. With this document we are officially announcing our
reclaiming of our ancestral legacy and tribal sovereignty..."
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United Confederation of Taino People
This site features information on the organization, contact information, a wide
variety of educational resources, a news group and a journal focusing on
contemporary Taino, Carib and Arawak Indians within and outside of the Caribbean
Islands. In addition, the site offers essays and links to affiliated
organizations across the Caribbean.
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War Party: Telling Our Own
Stories WarParty Productions was established by three indigenous people
in 1996. Its purpose is to create and conceptualize personal stories through
the use of both the film and video medium. We are a Native owned and operated
company that has a strong commitment to the Native community....We are
heavily involved in our community here on the East Coast, providing a monthly
cable access show entitled, "WarParty Productions: An Indigenous Bootleg
Network" (named such for the limited coverage the community gets from the
main stream networks.) In this program we strive to provide access to Native
peoples of North, Central, South America and the Caribbean.
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Yukayeke
Guajataka, “A Taino Yukayeke Bringing the Community Together One Family
at a Time”: this site features photographs of members, a newsletter,
and an art gallery. The group describes itself as follows: “Yukayeke Guajataka
is a family oriented community of Taino people. We have chosen to reaffirm
our social structure as it was then, with contemporary applications now.
We are not a ‘Club’, ‘Group’ or ‘Nation’. We are a FREE community of people
with a leadership that is not beyond reproach. The leadership is chosen.......by
the people !!. Everyone has a voice !!. We are a gathering of families(Bohios)
that wish to preserve our traditions and insure a future for our children.
We will outreach, recognize, welcome and enjoin with all persons, families,
and communities who wish to reaffirm their Taino culture and heritage…”
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
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Chronology of Taíno
Cultural and Biological Survival, by Jorge Estevez--detailed notes
extracted from a wide array of historical sources.
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Taíno Caves in the Dominican Republic: An essay accompanied by an
extensive range of photographs of Taíno petroglyphs and pictographs, gathered
and arranged by Dr. Lynne Guitar
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“The
Admiral and the Chief,” by Samuel M. Wilson, Natural History, pp. 14-19,
3/91: Excerpt, on the relationship between Guacanagari and Columbus—“
At first, the chief and his people participated in the subjugation of the
island, accompanying the Spaniards as interpreters and allies. But
as Taino society crumbled under the impact of Old World diseases and the
demands of the Spaniards, and as Columbus was increasingly entangled in
factional disputes among the conquerors.”
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“Adventure
runs deep in Puerto Rico's underground”, an article on CNN.com, July 7,
2000, from the Associated Press: Tours of Camuy Cave Park in Puerto
Rico and Taino cave paintings are described in this article.
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Antes
del Descubrimiento—La Cultura Taína: A page on the pre-Columbian
history and culture of the Tainos of the Dominican Republic, focusing on
agriculture, petroglyphs.
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“Los
Aruaco-Tainos en Internet,” from the Internet Archive: a comprehensive
archaeological and anthropometric information resource, in Spanish, on
the origins and evolution of the Tainos from mainland Arawaks, with information
on Baracoa, Cuba, Taino life, etc.—excerpt: “Los aruacos, uno de los grupos
más expandidos de América, llegaron a asentarse desde las
Lucayas y las Antillas Mayores y Menores, hasta áreas suramerianas
tan amplias como las que comprenden desde la costa norte de la región
hasta Paraguay. Los investigadores creen que su centro era la costa norte
y noroeste de América del Sur. Esa extensión territorial
se vió reducida con posterioridad por la presión de grupos
como los tupi, los caribes y los chibchas…”
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Books
on Tainos, from the Puerto Rican History and Culture Home Page
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Books on Taino
Culture History
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Caciques de Borikén—a
detailed listing of the names of indigenous chiefs, recorded during colonial
times, in different parts of what is today known as Puerto Rico, provided
on the El Boricua website.
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Cave Art from the New
World: A collection of Caribbean Aboriginal inspired paintings of petroglyphic
images and motifs, by Glenn Woddley
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Cuba - Indigenous Legacies of
the Caribbean, Interdisciplinary Conference And Intensive Field Study,
November 16 To 23, 1997 in Baracoa, Cuba: “This international encounter
will explore and celebrate the legacy of indigenous peoples of the Caribbean.
Participants will examine elements of indigenous culture and history through
conferences, professional exchanges, workshops and field observations.
The conference also features an historic opportunity for a gathering of
Taino culture from the eastern region of Cuba as well as Puerto Rico and
the North American diaspora….”
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Cuba - Indigenous Legacies
of the Caribbean, A Tour - Conference, January 5 -12, 2001: “An encounter
with the origins of Cuban music, its uses in healing ceremonies with plants
and other natural medicines and its foundation in the use of the land,
this January, 2001 tour is an excellent opportunity to understand the genesis
of Cuban culture, while enjoying the charm and hospitality of eastern Cuba,
its forests and coasts, its people. From the Taino areito to the changiil'
of the mountain guajiro, this seven-day tour/conference traverses through
the mountains and coasts of eastern Cuba, the fabled "Oriente," to study
with herbalists and other medical practitioners in Cuba's health care system
and to hear and experience the rhythms of the most autochthonous instrumental
musicians and vocalists on the island. Participants will meet and share
with Native peoples of Cuba, the Caribbean and elsewhere. They will visit
Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo and Baracoa….”
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Dominican
Republic: “For at least 5,000 years before Christopher Columbus ‘discovered’
America for the Europeans, the island which he called Hispaniola was inhabited
by Amer-Indians.”
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Aia Na Ha`ina
I Loko o Kakou (The Answers Lie Within Us), From Tony Castanha 10
November 1999 —“Boricua Migration to Hawai`i and Meaning of Caribbean
Indigenous Resistance, Survival and Presence on the Island of Boriken (Puerto
Rico), edited, by Tony (Akoni) Castanha, Paper Presented at the 1999 World
Indigenous Peoples' Conference on Education, Hilo, Hawai`i, August 1-7,
1999. (Copyright, 1999)”
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“Before Columbus:
Destroyed almost overnight by Spanish invaders, the culture of the gentle
Taino is finally coming to light” By Michael D. Lemonick, in Archaeology,
Vol. 152, no. 16, 19 October 1998 —“It took no time at all for the
native Americans who first greeted Christopher Columbus to be all but erased
from the face of the earth. For about a thousand years the peaceful people
known as the Taino had thrived in modern-day Cuba, the Virgin Islands,
Puerto Rico and many other islands in the Lesser and Greater Antilles.
But less than 30 years after Columbus' three ocean-crossing ships dropped
anchor off the island of Hispaniola, the Taino would be destroyed by Spanish
weaponry, forced labor and European diseases.”
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Caciques, Nobles and
their Regalia (The Taino World, El Museo del Barrio): “Taíno
society was divided into two classes - nobles (nitaínos) and commoners
(naborias) - governed by a hierarchy of greater and lesser chiefs known
as caciques, who were advised by high-ranking nobles and shamans (medicine
men)…”
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“Canada
First Nations Back Taino Treaty”, by José Barreiro/Marie-Helene
Laraque, from Native Americas Magazine, Hemispheric Digest, Winter 1998:
“A
peace treaty signed in 1533 in the Caribbean between a Taino cacique and
a representative of the King of Spain was recognized as the "first international
treaty in the Americas between Indigenous people and Europeans," by over
100 delegates to the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Treaty Conference,
held in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories on Oct. 28….The AFN resolution
recommends recognition of the Taino-Spanish treaty to a United Nations
rapporteur, Miguel Alfonso Martinez of Cuba, presently completing his final
report on treaties with Indigenous peoples around the world.”
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“Caribbean
Encounters: Cuban Scholars, Indians Host Indigenous Conference”, by José
Barreiro, from Native Americas Magazine, Hemispheric Digest, Winter 1997—“A
planning conference on Caribbean indigenous legacies held in early 1997
in Baracoa, Cuba, gathered Taino descendants and other Native peoples from
countries in the Caribbean as well as the United States and Canada…”
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Caribbean Indigenous
people: This page includes links on--General background; Mythology
and Culture; Ferdinand letter to the Tainos; From Canima/Caniba to Caribs
and cannibal; The Karibs; The Tainos; Tainos /Caribs map; and sketches
of Caribs.
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“Chief
Torres of Arawak Indian Descent Denies Claims of Genocide”: “We as
a Taino people must start writing to anyone who is presently authoring
articles of misinformation about the extinction of our Taino people and
to correct those who are promoting this kind of misinformation about our
Nation. It is the reponsibility of a people to justly defend their Taino
national sovereignty. In this way putting to rest once and for all, the
false rumors that we as a people are extinct…”
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Cuba’s First Nations:
“We are not Extinct!”-- Annual Interdisciplinary Conference and Field
Study, December 28 - January 04, 1997.
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“Death
Toll,” by William Keegan in Archaeology (January/February 1992, p. 55):
Excerpt—“In the absence of reliable population estimated, two opposing
viewpoints have emerged concerning the demise of the Taino. There
are those who believe that Columbus's brother Bartolome made a census of
Hispaniola in 1496 and counted 1,100,000 people. Working from that
number, the historical demographers Sherburne Cook and Woodrow Borah of
the University of California, Berkeley, estimated a population of seven
to eight million Taino in 1492. Those seeking to emphasize the devastating
impact of the Spaniards put the number closer to ten million. Others,
like Mexican scholar Angel Rosenblatt and David Henige, of the University
of Wisconsin-Madison, do not believe that Bartolome Colon's census took
place and estimate the native population in 1492 to have been around 100,000…”
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“Destruction
of the Taino,” by William F. Keegan in Archaeology (January/February 1992,
pp. 51-56): Excerpt—“ How many Taino were living in Hispaniola at contact?
How devastating was the European invasion? We can't be certain, but
a reasonable estimate of the Taino population is between 400,000 and two
million…. Archaeological surveys have identified enough villages of sufficient
size to confirm that the Bahamian Lucayan population in 1500 was between
40,000 and 80,000. By the time of Ponce de Leon's voyage in 1513,
the Bahamas were uninhabited….”
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“The First Cubans”,
in The Timetable History of Cuba, compiled by J.A. Sierra: “Before
the Europeans arrived, Cuba was inhabited by three different cultures:
the Ciboneyes, the Guanahatabeyes and the Taínos…”
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The History
of Cuban Art: includes selections of pictures of cave paintings from
pre-Columbian times in Cuba
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Hubert
Montas’ “Early History of Haiti”: “The island on which Haiti is located
(Hispaniola) had been inhabited by various cultures before the arrival
of Columbus. The first known settlers of the island were the Ciboneys who
migrated from what is currently the North American continent in 450 A.D.
These people were followed in 900 A.D by the Tainos (good people) who were
members of the Arawak nation and had origins in the Amazon valley…”
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Les Indiens
Tainos, Bons et Nobles: This French-language site presents a concise
introduction to Taino social organization, arts, and agriculture, with
materials on Cuba.
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“Indigenous Latino and
the consciousness of the Native Americas”, Editorial in Indian Country
Today, 04 February, 2003—Extract: “Borders between Indian peoples -
as psychological as language and as legalistic as those of national frontiers
- are coming down. A sense of relations, all our relations, is increasingly
apparent in the communications between Indians throughout North America,
Central America, the Caribbean and South America. It is a refreshing trend
that we encourage. We note the recent repatriation of Taino human remains
from the United States’ Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the
American Indian to a small Indian enclave in Cuba’s eastern mountains,
the community of Caridad de los Indios. Navajo, Mohawk, Algonquin, Kaw,
Paiute, Chicano and other peoples, including scholars and participants
from several countries, witnessed the unique ceremony, which coalesced
the forces of many people to guarantee its success.”
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“Indigenous Puerto Rico:
DNA evidence upsets established history”, by Rick Kearns, in Indian Country
Today, 06 October, 2003—Extract: “Dr. Juan Martinez Cruzado, a geneticist
from the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez who designed an island-wide
DNA survey, has just released the final numbers and analysis of the project,
and these results tell a different story. According to the study funded
by the U.S. National Science Foundation, 61 percent of all Puerto Ricans
have Amerindian mitochondrial DNA, 27 percent have African and 12 percent
Caucasian. (Nuclear DNA, or the genetic material present in a gene’s nucleus,
is inherited in equal parts from one’s father and mother. Mitochondrial
DNA is inherited only from one’s mother and does not change or blend with
other materials over time.) In other words a majority of Puerto Ricans
have Native blood….”
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King Ferdinand's
Letter to the Taino People: reproduction of an important colonial document.
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Mama D.O.C., promoting natural health
and natural dyes: dealing with a special project focused on the Dominican
Republic, the site states: “…while working with the people there, we
discovered a group of indigenous peoples who were thought to be extinct.
The land on which the last remaining Indios of the Dominican Republic are
living is owned by the government, who propose to sell it to tourist developers.
Mama D.O.C. is trying to raise enough money from various ecological development
projects and donations to allow them to buy their land from the government
and preserve their unique way of life…”
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Miguel Conesa
Osuna’s Digital Portfolio: The painting “Taino's song at Dawn” is part
of a series here inspired by Taino themes.
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“MtDNA
from Extinct Tainos and the Peopling of the Caribbean”, by C. Lalueza-Fox,
F. Luna Calderón, F. Calafell, B Morera and J. Bertranpetit, in
Annals of Human Genetics, Volume 65 Issue 2 Page 137 - March 2001:
abstract—“ Tainos and Caribs were the inhabitants of the Caribbean when
Columbus reached the Americas; both human groups became extinct soon after
contact, decimated by the Spaniards and the diseases they brought. Samples
belonging to pre-Columbian Taino Indians from the La Caleta site (Dominican
Republic) have been analyzed, in order to ascertain the genetic affinities
of these groups in relation to present-day Amerinds, and to reconstruct
the genetic and demographic events that took place during the peopling
of the Caribbean….”
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The New Old World—Antilles:
Living Beyond the Myth—samples of a photographic exhibition hosted
by the National Museum of the American Indian in New York, with a focus
on Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominica, and Trinidad.
-
Pedro
Guanikeyu Torres, “The Historical Roots of a Nation”, from the Internet
Archive’s Way Back Machine: essay by the leader of the Jatobonicu Taino
Tribal Nation—excerpt: “As for the so-called ‘Taino Extinction’ stories
told by the Euro-Spanish colonial historians, the Taino people and their
Caribe regional nationality has never been extinct. Although the nation
was suppressed in history and decimated by past and present-day white Spanish
colonists, the Taino nationality has always been waiting to rise up again,
as it did on the of November 18, 1993, following the long awaited 500 year
old prophecy. Many ask the question, ‘How can a group of people from other
Caribbean islands, seeing themselves as Taino indigenous people, band together
and call themselves a ‘Taino Indigenous Caribbean Nation?’”
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Pre-Columbian
Hispaniola, Arawak/Taino Native Americans, by Bob Corbett: includes descriptions
of the following-Lifestyle of the Arawak/Taino; Housing and Dress;
Food and Agriculture; Transportation; Defense; Religion and Myth; The "genocidal
end of the Arawak/Taino" (according to Bob Corbett); Specific Indian leaders at the time of Columbus
(The five caciques of the time)
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Pre-Columbian
Hispaniola Arawak/Taino Indians
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Native Americans
of the Caribbean and Florida --The history of Caribbean peoples of
Amazonian origin in general, The history of Native Americans in Bimini
(Florida), The history of Native Americans in Boriken (Puerto Rico)
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Retrospective
history of the Tainos of Boriken (Puerto Rico); Contemporary history of
the Tainos of Boriken (Puerto Rico)
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Return of Native
Remains to Cuba, January 18, 2003, South Florida Sun-Sentinel—extract:
“CARIDAD DE LOS INDIOS, Cuba - Plucked from their graves in 1915 and stored
in the drawer of a New York warehouse, the fragments of bones of seven
Taino Indians finally completed their long journey home. On a hillside
cemetery nestled in the mountains where Tainos once thrived, representatives
of the Smithsonian Institution turned over a cardboard box containing the
pre-Columbian remains to the tribe's descendants….”
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Siboney, by
Antonio Rafael de la Cova: basic site focusing on indigenes of Cuba,
presenting Siboney pictographs
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“Surviving Columbus
in Puerto Rico: the myth of extinction”, Editorial in Indian Country Today,
06 October, 2003—Extract: “The story this week of a new major DNA study
showing considerable American Indian ancestry in the population of Puerto
Rico is intriguing and revealing. Of course, there has been for over two
decades considerable agitation by Taino people of Puerto Rican nationality,
on the island and in the diaspora. But now Dr. Juan Martinez Cruzado has
shown that as high as 61 percent of Puerto Ricans carry American Indian
mitochondrial DNA from their maternal lines. The level of Native genetic
ancestry is impressive and once more evidence that the legacy of American
indigenous peoples, across the Western Hemisphere, has been all too easily
diminished or denied. The claim that all Native
Caribbeans succumbed to
war, slavery and disease, that they in fact became "extinct" as peoples
and cultures by the 1600s, has been asserted as truth by governments and
academics for over a hundred years. However, in Puerto Rico, as elsewhere
in the Caribbean, actual, surviving Native communities and numerous families
and people of Native ancestry have increasingly revealed themselves….”
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Die Tainos:
An article in German on the Taino history of the Dominican Republic.
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"Revelations
of Carib Heritage", by Bob Krauss, Advertiser Columnist, The Honolulu Advertiser,
Sunday, January 16, 2000: "For Tony Castanha, the Hawaiian sovereignty
movement has become a springboard into his Puerto Rican heritage. Although
he is not Native Hawaiian, he is like many Hawaiians in that he is learning
a lot about who he is".
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"Taíno: Ancient
Voyagers of the Caribbean", by Dicey Taylor, Ph.D, Guest Curator, El Museo
del Barrio: a paper outlining the archaeological history, pre-colonial
culture, religious beliefs, cosmology, food, and social structure of the
Tainos, ending with a consideration of the their cultural legacy-this relates
to the exhibition, by the same name, hosted by El Museo del Barrio.
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Taino influence
in Haitian Vodou, from the American Museum of Natural History—extract:
“Escaped slaves, called Maroons, mingled in mountain hideaways with indigenous
Taino people. Both peoples had much in common. Taino memories are still
evoked by stone celts placed on altars. Other Native American traces persist
in Vodou as well, from words to musical instruments, dance and dress styles,
and weaponry. Although discrete Taino survivals are difficult to isolate,
the secret Bizango rites keep alive the history of the intermingling, as
do bands of Rara performers during their post-carnival celebrations….”
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Taino Legends,
from CubaHeritage.com: Taino legends of the rainbow, night, love, stars,
the rivers and the sea, the bat, mosquitos, honey, seeds, tobacco and dangers.
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Taino Museum --Welcome
to this unique and most complete collection of hand-crafted creations by
the Taino Indian culture. They were the predominant tribe in the Eastern
Caribbean region in the Pre-Columbian era. Here you'll find over 200 pieces
of artwork subdivided in 18 galleries. These are all faithful replicas,
inspired by the works and extensive research of over 25 years by Antonio
Blasini, author of the book: The Eagle and the Jaguar.
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Taino Survival, "The
Caribbean Taino Indians have been considered extinct for hundreds of years,
yet they have always been with us": Las Culturas article criticizing
the Taino extinction thesis, with an added interview between the author
and Cacique Pedro Guanikeyu Torres
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Taino:
Voices from the Past-A brief introduction to Taino culture history: “In
recent years, however, spectacular finds have rekindled interest in the
original inhabitants of the Caribbean. In 1997, for instance, archaeologists
found the remains of a major Taino city on the eastern most part of the
Dominican Republic. The discovery of the city's long-hidden ceremonial
plazas and homes "is going to give us more insight into the Taino than
has ever been known before," says Indiana University archaeologist Charles
Beeker.”
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The Taino Indians
and the Jose Maria Cave: Taino Indians, Dominican Republic, 1500 AD-An
Indiana University website on the archaeology of the Taino.
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Tainos:
links
to archaeological resources and artifacts of the Tainos by Antonio Rafael
de la Cova
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“Los
Taínos”, by Juliette White [Spanish]: a student summary of Internet
articles and sources
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Tainos
of Haiti: “There is interest in Haiti in Taino artifacts as well as
in the apparent remnant of Taino still thought to be present in the nineteenth
century as evidenced by laws against intermarriage…”
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“Taino Journal: In the Cuban
heartland, Elian and remembrances of Ingrid”, by Jose Barreiro in Indian
Country Today, 07 June, 2000—Extract: “There is a growing understanding
in Cuba about the survival of Taino-descendant people in various parts
of the country. The assertion of ‘non-extinction’ in Cuba is important
to a widespread interest in Taino-guajiro-jivaro cultures among Indigenous
descendants of the Greater Caribbean islands….Panchito's community of some
2,000 people is one of several documented Cuban Indigenous-descendant population
enclaves along the eastern mountains. Chroniclers, from Father Bartolome
de las Casas, an early human rights advocate, to José Martí
wrote about the Cuban Indian population in the Sierras….’Tell the world
that we are still here, very Indian, very Cuban, very ready to do for our
country,’ he said. ‘And this is not out of sheer good luck. Our elders
knew to protect our songs and our culture of the earth up here in the mountains’.”
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The Taino Legacy in
the Contemporary World
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“Taino Nation alive and strong”,
by Jose Barreiro in Indian Country Today, 24 January, 2001—Extract:
“CARIDAD DE LOS INDIOS, Cuba - No one ever told Panchito Ramirez that his
people were extinct. Though the history books tell us otherwise, here in
the remote mountains of Cuba, the knowledgeable herbalist and healer lives
with some 350 Taino descendants who make up his village and nearby rancheria….”
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Taíno: Pre-Columbian Art
and Culture from the Caribbean Website connected to the first comprehensive
exhibition of Taíno art to be presented in North America in 1997-98.
It provides an overview of the remarkable achievements of this ancient
Caribbean people. Link to the Taíno Legacy, an exhibition of photographs
and videotapes, which explores the persistence of Taíno cultural
traditions in the present-day Caribbean and its diaspora. Taino image citations
can be accessed by clicking on the photographs of each work, or visitors
can view the complete list of Taíno images featured on this site.
Publications created from this exhibit also listed.
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Taino Presentations
by Mel Gonzalez at the National Musuem of the American Indian
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Taino
Tours in the Dominican Republic, led by Dr. Lynne Guitar and other
specialists on the history, culture and ecology of the Dominican Republic.
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The Taino World
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Taino Zemis:
this site features a sample of pictures of zemis.
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Taino
Zemi Basket, c. 1492-1520: A talented Zemi artist (probably a woman)
made this basket to represent a Zemi god. Note the incorporation of European
mirrors into a traditional belief.
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“Termination by denial and
hello Columbus”, Editorial in Indian Country Today, 15 October, 2001—Extract:
“For example, in the Caribbean, for the Taino, the people who first greeted
Columbus, malice and ignorance have conspired to keep the myth of extinction
alive. Despite a substantial continuity of evidence to the contrary, from
the 1600s to the present, any assertion of Taino survival can expect to
be formally greeted with hostility, derision, even hatred, by many officials.
While many scholars have accepted the reality of considerable Indigenous-derived
culture among the Greater Caribbean populations and while recent DNA testing
(in Puerto Rico) provides evidence of significant Amerindian mitochondrial
DNA among the island’s contemporary population, and while in Cuba, Dominica
and elsewhere communities exist that have well-documented continuity in
place, the efforts by peoples of Indigenous heritage to reconstitute their
societies are more often attacked than seriously considered….”
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Three poems honoring the
Taino people, by Ward Kelley
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Gallery
of Taino Images: courtesy of the Taino Inter-Tribal Council
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“Under
the Deep Blue Sea”: An article in TIME for Kids on a children’s book,
The Secret Footprints, by Julia Alvarez, including Taino legends of figures
such as the ciguapas. (October 6, 2000).
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Welcome
to Puerto Rico: Taino Culture -- Welcome
to Puerto Rico is a recently revamped site that provides a comprehensive
overview of Puerto Rico in general. Its pages dealing with CULTURE
and FOLKLORE
also have information on Tainos in addition to the first link above. Their
Taino page also contains links to: "Arawaks, Cacicazgos del Siglo 16, Our
Taino Indians, The Taino Expedition, Taino Legends." The webmaster is Magaly
Rivera.
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World History
Archives--History of Caribbean peoples of Amazonian origin in general:
Retrospective
history, The Taino peoples of the Caribbean in general, The Taino people
of Cuba, The Taino people of Montserrat.
-
"Some important
research contributions of Genetics to the study of Population History and
Anthropology in Puerto Rico: An interview with Dr. Juan Carlos Martínez
Cruzado, Dept. of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez":
from the Delware Review of Latin American Studies, Vol. 1, No. 2, August
15, 2000, "Profiles"-this is an important article for those interested
in the post-conquest survival of the Amerindian population of Puerto Rico,
contra the extinction thesis.
ONLINE INFORMATION ABOUT ANACAONA AND OTHER CACIQUES
-
Anacaona, a concise essay
from Anacaona.net: Excerpt—“The Queen Anacaona was married to the Indian
chief Caonabo, king of the Maguana. Anacaona means ‘Gold Flower.’ She was
also tribal chief Boechio Anacauchoa sister, king of Xaragua or Jaragua….”
-
A Biography of Anacaona
from www.famousamericans.net: Extracted from Appleton’s Encyclpoedia—excerpt:
“ANACAONA, also called the Golden Flower, was an Indian queen, wife of
Caonabo, one of the five caciques who possessed the island of Santo Domingo
when the Spaniards discovered it and settled there in 1492.”
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Anacaona, on
the Famous Haitians list: a concise page, in English, accompanied by
an artistic illustration of Anacaona painted by Marie-Denise Douyon. A
link to more information on Anacaona is also provided. Excerpt: “….In Xaragua,
she soon asserted her authority over her brother and ruled as a queen famed
for the ballads, ballets, poetry, plays and ornaments of her court. Xaragua
was the only Taino kingdom on the island that had not succumbed to Spanish
conquest when a new Spanish governor, Nicholas Ovando, arrived with some
2500 troops in 1502….”
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Los
Padres de la Patria, by Luna De Plata: a page in Spanish on some of
the key caciques of Hispaniola, including Caonabo (Chiefdom of Maguana),
Guarionex (Chiefdom of Magua), Bohechio (Chiefdom of Jaragua), Cayacoa
(Chiefdom of Yguayagua), Guacanagarix (Chiefdom of Marien), and Anacaona
(of Jaragua). Excerpt on Anacaona: “….Según los cronistas, su nombre
significaba en lengua aborigen ‘Flor de Oro.’ A pesar de que en un principio
ella sintió gran admiración por los españoles, a quienes
consideró superiores, el continuo abuso que estos cometían
contra los indígenas, junto a la prohibición por parte de
Roldán del matrimonio entre Hernando de Guevara y su hija Higüemota,
convirtió en odio y antipatía esa admiración. A la
muerte de su hermano quedó gobernando el cacicazgo de Jaragua….”
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Anacaona,
on rincondominicano.com: a short biographic entry, in Spanish, featured
on this Dominican Republic portal site. Its contents mirror those of the
Los Padres de la Patria page.
-
Cacicazgos
(Chiefdoms of Hispaniola), from www.rincondominicano.net: a very short
entry, in Spanish, listing the main chiefdoms of Hispaniola as encountered
by the early Spanish chroniclers.
-
Cacique
(the meaning of the word), from www.rincondominicano.net: a short entry
in Spanish on the cacique, or chief, in aboriginal Hispaniola and a list
of the main chiefdoms.
-
Caciques of Puerto Rico,
from www.elboricua.com: A useful page that lists the principal chiefdoms,
or cacicazgos, of aboriginal Puerto Rico, indicating their general locations.
The site as a whole provides a wide range of cultural information.
-
Map of Chiefdoms (Cacicazgos)
of Puerto Rico (Boriquen), from taino.com: an illustration of the names
and distribution of known chiefdoms is shown on this site.
...OTHER PUERTO RICAN PAGES OF DIRECT TAINO RELEVANCE...
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"Adventure
runs deep in Puerto Rico's underground", an article on CNN.com, July 7,
2000, from the Associated Press: Tours of Camuy Cave Park in Puerto
Rico and Taino cave paintings are described in this article.
-
Course
Syllabus: The Heritage and Culture of Puerto Ricans by Rose Christoforo-Mitchell,
at the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute-includes lesson plans and readings,
with materials on the Tainos.
-
"Our People in Struggle:
The History of Puerto Rico", by José Medina: this paper begins
with introductory material on the pre-colonial and colonial history of
the Tainos in Puerto Rico.
-
Institute of Puerto
Rican Arts and Culture—History Resources: links to various sites featuring
information on the Pre-Columbian Tainos as well as contemporary Taino groups.
-
Lambda Sigma Upsilon:
a
Latin Fraternity at Rutgers University that has adopted the Taino Indian
as its mascot.
-
NY Boricua, Taino Page:
a
glossary of terms, an article on the Taino DNA survey, an article on pre-Columbian
history (Archaic, Igneri/Saldoid, Ostionid and Taino culture, caciques)
and selections of photos from the Tumba del Indo, la Piedra Tallada, Caguana
Ceremonial Park, Taino history links, Websites, and related books.
-
Parque
Ceremonial Tibes
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Taino
Chieftaincy Map
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Taíno
Indians of Boriken
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The Taino Culture History
of Puerto Rico, from ElBoricua.com: "In spite of being almost completely
wiped out within two decades, the Taínos left us their heritage
- a legacy. Traces of Taíno physical characteristics are found in
Taíno descendants clustered in areas of Borinquen. The names of
many towns Mayagüez, Coamo, foods (mamey), instruments, trees and
plants are original Taíno names. We have little detail knowledge
of Taíno culture, religion and daily life. What we know comes from
Spanish documents and from recent excavations."
-
The Taino Culture of Puerto
Rico
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The Caciques of Puerto
Rico: from ElBoricua.com
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A Vocabulary of Taino
Words: from ElBoricua.com
-
The Cacique Majagua,
by Dr. Fray Mario A. Rodríguez León, O.P.: Historical
notes on Bayamon.
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Yukiyú o Yokahu, dios del
bien --Nuestros indios taínos veneraban con propósitos
espirituales la gran montaña del Yukiyú. Llamada así
por estos, en honor a lo que ellos percibían como su protector segú
las historias y anécdotas que han salido de escritores e historiadores
españoles.
-
Walter Cardona Bonet’s
Taino Presence in the Island of Mona
This page last updated: Sunday, 22 May, 2005.
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