Taino Indians
If you are not familiar with the Taino Indians, you are not alone. In
fact, even some of the modern day Tainos are unaware of their heritage. The
U.S. Government says they are extinct as a people, but it is simply not true. That
is quite a statement being that population estimates from 1492 was approximately
8 million. Today you would know them as Latinos, a Spanish speaking
person of Latin American descent.
The Arawak people of South America began migrating and scattering themselves
along the Caribbean islands about 1500 years ago. The islands we now
know as Cuba, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, the Bahamas, Bimini, and Jamaica
to name a few were packed full of the multitude of Arawak tribes. The
majority of these people called themselves Taino, which stood for "the
good people" in their language. It was common for the different groups
to intermarry extensively to strengthen ties amongst themselves.
The Taino Indians have always had a beautiful culture. Like all of the Indian
tribes of their day, they believed in a divine presence that they called Yocahu,
and it was part of their everyday lives to worship and give thanks to Yocahu.
They had special reverence for nature, which they called Atabey; they had
respect for all living things. The Taino Indians had a social order that provided
the leaders and guidelines by which they all lived. They hunted, fished, cultivated
vegetables and grains and ate the abundant fruits provided by nature. They
were a clever people whom had everything they needed to survive and knew how
to use it.
Tribal ceremonies were held for births, deaths, marriages, during harvest
times, and for naming and coming of age. The Taino Indians had very little
use for clothing due to the tropic heat, but upon reaching puberty both males
and females would wear a small woven loincloth. Puberty was also the time
at which they were considered old enough to be married.
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