Imagine an enormous nation of people whose homeland stretched from coastal Brazil, through all the islands of the Caribbean, across the southern half of Florida, crossed the Gulf of Mexico, and ended on the eastern coast of Mexico in the land of the Aztec. This was the home of the Taino; a matrilineal society. At the height of their history, one grouping of islands alone (now known as the West Indies) boasted a population of some 3 million Taino.

Both men and women were tall, well proportioned, regal in bearing, and handsome in countenance. In the heat of the dense jungles of the tropics, little clothing was worn. The men and children wore nothing; the women wore apron-like drapes made of grasses, leaves or cotton. Men and women wore necklaces, bracelets, earrings and nose pendants made from shell, bone, stone or clay, as well as intricate jewelry made from twisted cotton.

Gold and copper were plentiful and were hammered into beautifully shaped ornaments, ceremonial tools, jewelry and decorations. At ceremonies, these treasures were worn with great pride along with masks made of wood and shells, feather adornments in the hair, and red and white body paint.

The people lived in houses with circular walls made from the stems of palm trees and various cane plants. The roofs were cone-shaped and were often fashioned from palm fronds woven into a thatched covering. Everyone kept parrots for pets. The village chiefs, called Caciques, respected elders, and other village "officials" lived in rectangular houses with peaked roofs, but made from the same palm and cane materials. The mark of a successful Cacique was his ability to secure successful trading partners, and to keep large warehouses filled with foodstuffs and other trading treasures.

The Taino were outstanding horticulturists, gatherers, hunters and fishermen. On their farmland they grew manioc, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, peanuts, peppers, cotton and tobacco. They gathered a variety of edible plants to give their diet balance. They hunted a wide range of animals and large birds, and trained dogs to assist them with the hunt. Blowguns, spears, and the bow and arrow were the tools of the hunters. The fishermen were ingenious, and actually trained remoras (a kind of fish) to help them capture the large sea turtles. From their large canoes, they also used nets, spears, and hooks with lines.

The Taino were expert navigators and skilled boatbuilders with ocean going canoes that would hold up to 150 people. They traveled the sparkling waters of the Caribbean to trade with their far-flung relatives and trading partners. Favorite trade items were food, parrots, feathers, fruit, gold, copper, wood, pottery, cotton thread and fabric.

The great enemy of the Taino was the Carib people; fierce and ruthless marauders who prowled the lands of the Taino, as well as their seas in swift canoes fitted with sails. While Carib warriors fought individually and not in war parties, they would join with others for large raids, with fleets of up to 100 canoes bearing down on a single destination. The Carib were cannibals from parts of South and Central America. The word "cannibal" comes from the Spanish name for these people (canibales), and the Caribbean itself is named for them.

The Carib was the great enemy until Christopher Columbus entered this paradise, landing in what is now San Salvador. Under the illusion that he was in the East Indies, Columbus immediately named the people "Los Indios" and thus, the proud Taino became the first "indians" of the new world.

Thinking another trading partner had made itself known, the Taino showered them with foods never seen by the Spanish, and with treasures of gold and copper. In return, the ships were loaded with these beautiful creations, and with foods which introduced Europe to potatoes and tobacco among other things. In fact, the word "tobacco" has as its root the Taino word for cigar, and "barbeque" comes from the Taino "barbacoa" or fire pit. Slaves were also captured and taken, including a young boy named Guaikan of San Salvador who was later adopted by Columbus as his Taino "son", and re-named Diego Colon.

When Columbus returned in November of 1493, it was with an armada of 18 armed ships. This force landed in the Taino village of Boriken, which he re-named San Juan Bautista, and later re-named again as Puerto Rico. The following events are history, and will not be repeated here.

While it is commonly held by some historians and writers of Native history that the Taino are extinct, this is not correct. In today's world, there are some 30,000 living in Guyana, Siriname and French Guiana. Taino from the mountains of the islands, and from Florida are re-grouping on land granted to them by the Lenni-Lenape in New Jersey. To learn more of their activities in the United States, visit their web site at http://www.hartford-hwp.com/taino/docs/Tnation.html
 

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