The Conquistadors explored Puerto Rico on Columbus' second voyage to the New World, November 19, 1493 and were greeted by the Taino, a peaceful indigenous people who called the island Boriken, Great Land of the Valiente and Noble Lord. There were millions of Taino living across the Caribbean at the time. Taino had a lively intelligence and a pure mind with a natural goodness that shined through. They lived in small yucayeques (villages) led by a Cacike (chief) and subsisted on hunting, fishing and gathering of native cassava root and fruits. The Taino believed in one supreme God and held a deep sense of spirituality that was present in every aspect of life. They held many ceremonial events including areytos (dances) in the batey (ceremonial plaza) that was located at the center of their yucayeque surrounded by their bohios (homes).
The Taino population rapidly declined from slave labor conditions brought on by the Conquest, and new European diseases for which they had no immunity. Horrific numbers were slaughtered and many took their own lives to escape the brutalities. By 50 years after the Conquest, history recorded the Taino extinct. In reality, Taino communities survived by escaping high into the Cordillera Central mountain range. By 1514, 40% of officially recognized wives of the Spaniards were Taina. In 1800, the thousands of full-blooded Taino who still lived in the mountain regions disappeared from record when the Indian category was dropped from the census.
Because of this history, it's not surprising to learn that 61% of all Puerto Ricans carry Amerindian mitochondrial DNA from their maternal lines. Taino traditions have survived, handed down from mother to child and have become a permanent part of our island's heritage, our vocabulary, music, customs, culture, beliefs and the nature of our people. We cannot be a complete people without knowing the Taino History that is part of our fabric and the legacy of Taino traditions that we still enjoy today. Here are additional Taino Resources to learn more.
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