Mucho Gusto Yumnuk3,
Taino lineage/identity is something that has only been consciously pursued in the DR by few people. The things that survive, such as culture, biological and linguistics of Taino extraction, are simply integral to Dominican Culture today. For example casabe bread on the dinner table is as common to us as wine with dinner is to others. Considering that we have been making casabe on the islands for thousands of years, this is a lasting cultural contribution. Dominicans practice a myriad

The fact that so much of our ancestors has survived even when historians and other scholars have for so long "buried" the Taino is amazing. Imagine, Dominicans feel a connection to Nativeness even though they are taught that the Indians of the islands all died out.

Through multi-disciplinary studies, tests and conclusions we are proving that the extinction of the Taino is a myth. It is a myth that was created by the elite population in the islands colonial past. But it is up to us to seek out and preserve this wonderful heritage. This is what I have dedicated my life to.

All the best
Baracutei

Thank you Manhattanite,
The answer to your first question is YES. Kathleen Deagen is an archeologist who has demonstrated through her extensive field work in both Haiti and the DR that after Initial contact with the Taino, the Spanish households were becoming more Indian rather than Spanish. For example the pottery made at this time shows Spanish design but using Taino pottery techniques. You have to remember that by 1545 40 percent of the recognized Spanish wives were Taino. Also that one of the biggest pre-occupations that runnaway African slaves had was finding women. The Africans needed help to survive in the mountains. It is quite absurd as some have suggested that Africans escaped and lived survived in lands that were totally unfamiliar to them.

Historical sources are also demonstratiing that Taino extinction was a myth. My friend and colleague, Lynne Guitar has done extensive work in this area. She lives in the DR and became convinced that the history books were biased and not telling the true story of the fate of the Taino. She was actually an African studies major who changed her scope. Today she not only defends all aspects of African contribution to the island, but also the Taino.


You are correct, Identity is complex and personal. I would never tell anyone that he or she is Taino. Thats not my job. I find it disturbing when "others" want to make Dominicans to be African for example and then are surprised when some dont identiy as such. While certainly the denial of Negritude is a problem in the DR, so is the myth of Taino extinction.

Through education of the islands true past we as Dominicans will one day have a true identity that is not just based on nationality. I think what we will find at such time is that Dominicans are Black, Indian and White...........as if we didnt already know that!
Baracutei

Thanks yumnuck, very fascinating, I hope el Senor Baracutei,, will post a little more often I enjoy reading all his posting.

Perhaps, if you can provide some additional link s or books that deal with taino ancestry throughout the island of Hispanola or Haiti that will be appreciated.

baracutei,
Thank you so much for doing such an extraordinare research and work. This has proved all our suspitions were rightly founded and that all our grand and great-grandparents were right when they told us the stories about our ancestry. They were not all myths. My grandfather and great aunts used to tell us stories on how the Indians were not really wiped out; that they went to hide in the central mountains and the caves.
That the Ciguapas protected the Indians for they were Indians. They also used to say that when the slaves proclaimed their freedom and were attacking the white Spaniards, the Spaniard also flew to the mountains of the Cibao.
Conti….

Baracutei,
They also used to tell us that the English pirates were the ones killing the Indians since the Spaniards married Tainos women.
I never believed that all Tainos were killed. I always thought that was impossible.
Fist of all, the Spanish did not know to the landmarks of the virgin jungles as the native did.
I always wonder if the Ciguapas were actually Tainos Indian woman with club feet or some type of genetic body malformation or mental retardation that scared the people away.
Baracutei, are you planning investigate further like interviewing the old ones in the places you researched?

Hello Poponlaburra,
I have done extensive study of the ciguapas and in my opinion it is one of the most enduring folk tales that our ancestors have left us. although the Spanish chronicles do not mention the ciguapa nor are they in depicted in the petroglyphs found throught Kiskeya I am convinced that this is a direct story pased down to modern times. Here are my reasons:

(1) the ciguapa is not unique to us in Kiskeya. In fact most of the Indians of the circum -Caribbean, especially those of Arawakan lineage (as were are ancestors) have this same creature in their folklore. In Brazil she is known as Curupia. In Venezuela she is known as Caipora, the Caribs of trinidad call her duen and in El Salvador she is called Ciguanama.

(2) Ciguapa and ciguayo have obvious linguistic connections. Our ancestors called the the people of Samana (whom spoke a different Language) Ciguayo because of their long hair (the Taino men wore their hair short. as you know the Ciguapa have long hair down to their ankles.

(3) None of the Indians who have this similar story depict the ciguapa in paintings either. It appears that it is a household legend used perhaps to scare children so they will not wander off at night. sort of like the Cuco.

The fact that this story has survied in our campos shoes a deep connection to our ancestral past. when one adds these folkloric connections, linguistic influences and the incredilbe amount of material culture to the current genetic analysis it becomes clear that our ancestors not only survived, but influenced the entire island of kiskeya.
All the best
baracutei

Thank you Mr. Estevez,
I will definitely follow your work and pas it on to my nephews and nieces who recently asked and showed interest in their ancestry.

Again thank you for this great reseach.

Here's a link that assemble pretty much anything Tainos, however nothing specific to the island of hispanola, enjoy.

http://www.geocities.com/teresitasi/caribevibes.htm

Correct me if I am wrong there are presently 3 islands where you could find some people with very strong Tainos lineage: Cuba, Dominica, Puerto Rico from what I understand, only in Dominica that the government do encourage preservation.

Thank you for the site Antonio,
I am very familiar with these websites and also with the authors of most of these articles.
One of the Links "Caribbean Amerindian Centrelink" which is now only archival was created by my good friend Max Forte. I was one of the senior editors of the site for 10 years. There is a wealth of information on there as well.

Cuba has given some subtle recognition to the Taino in recent years. In the Dominican Republic only ten years ago,bringing up the subject of Taino survival was laughed at and viewed as a denial of Africaness or simple romanticism. Today more and more Dominican Teachers are teaching the true story of what happened to our ancestors. In Puerto Rico Taino affirmation is very strong although not yet recognized by the local government as in DR and Cuba.
The elite of the islands, the descendants of the Spanish whom colonized the islands have always have always manipulated our identities. Admiting now that there is a Taino component to US brings up this question. Why are were the Taino viewed as and extinct? Because they mixed? The Spanish and Africans on the islands are also mixed yet we readily accept people whom identify with these racial groups. It is only the Taino that has been held to a standard of purity that in reality does not exist anywhere in the world.
All the best
Baracutei

I have two questions for you, mr. Baracutei:

Is your team planning to expand the Taino DNA investigations to cover the whole island? Is it true what some historians say about the chieftain Enriquillo being a sellout and not the liberator of our people that the traditional mythos usually portrays?