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TAÍNO HISTORY // HISTORIA TAÍNO

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TAÍNO HOMELANDS // LA PATRIA TAÍNO

The Taíno are Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean. At the time of European contact in the late fifteenth century, our ancestors lived across most of Kuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Borikén (Puerto Rico),  Bahamas, the northern Lesser Antilles, and the southern tip of Florida in what is known as the U.S. today.

Los Taíno son Pueblos Indígenas del Caribe. En la época del contacto europeo a finales del siglo XV, nuestros antepasados vivieron en la mayor parte de Kuba, República Dominicana, Haití, Jamaica, Borikén (Puerto Rico), y en la mayor parte de la región. Bahamas, las Antillas Menores del norte y el extremo sur de Florida en lo que hoy se conoce como los Estados Unidos.

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FIRST ENCOUNTERS // PRIMEROS ENCUENTROS

The Taíno were the first Indigenous Peoples of the Western Hemisphere to encounter  Cristobal Colon (Christopher Columbus) during his first voyage in 1492. The Taíno are also the first Indigenous Peoples of the Americas to be called Indians.

Los Taíno fueron los primeros pueblos indígenas del hemisferio occidental en encontrarse con Cristóbal Colón (Cristóbal Colón) durante su primer viaje en 1492. Los Taíno son también los primeros Pueblos Indígenas de las Américas en ser llamados Indios.

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TAÍNO LANGUAGE // LA LENGUA TAINO

The language and dialects of the Taíno are largely a part of the Arawakan language group, but also include other linguistic influences from all around the region. See our Language Page to learn more!

La lengua y los dialectos del taíno forman en gran medida parte del grupo lingüístico arawakan, pero también incluyen otras influencias lingüísticas de toda la región. ¡Consulta nuestra página de idiomas para saber más!

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TAÍNO RESILIENCE // RESISTENCIA TAÍNO

It is a common misconception that the Taino Peoples are extinct, but this is a myth. We are still here. 

Es un error común pensar que los pueblos taínos están extintos, pero esto es un mito. Seguimos aquí.

Deminan Karakarakol

TAÍNO ART // ARTE TAÍNO

Before the arrival of Europeans, art in Taíno culture represented various aspects of daily life including spiritual world-view. Taíno artists worked with clay, wood, stone, shell, cotton, gourds, palm, feathers, and even bone. Today, contemporary Taíno artists work hard to maintain many of these artistic traditions. 

Antes de la llegada de los europeos, el arte en la cultura taína representaba varios aspectos de la vida diaria, incluida a su cosmovisión espiritual. Los artistas taínos trabajaron con arcilla, madera, piedra, concha, algodón, calabazas, palma, plumas e incluso hueso. Hoy, los artistas taínos contemporáneos trabajan arduamente para mantener muchas de estas tradiciones artísticas.

...no census can vie with the trained observer, and therefore attention must be called to the following statements of Captain W.S. Shuyler in a report onAugust 30, 1899: while work was being done on the roads, I had the occasion to watch crowds of 700 or 800 men gathered around the pay tables at Las Marias, La Vega, and Anasco. The frequency of the Indian type was very noticeable. While its almost certain that there is today no single Indian of pure stock in PR it is equally sure that the type can be seen every where in the mountain settlements. At San German I noticed a woman whose color, hair, and features were true Indian as seen in the Southwest of the US.

Report of General George W. Davis, War Department Census Of Puerto Rico 1899, LT. COL J.P. Sanger, Inspector-General, Director. Government Printing office 1900

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