In South America, Taino people are recognized as Arawak people. Even their language falls under the Arawakan family of the northern region in South America. Typically, Taino culture is used to describe anything related to the indigenous, seafaring people of Lesser Antilles, Greater Antilles or Bahamas.
Columbus arrived in 1492. At the time, there were five Taino territories and chiefdoms tribute was paid to. These were in an area formerly called Hispaniola and in the modern world are called Dominican Republic and Haiti.
These people were known as the enemy to Carib tribes, historically. This group also had origins in South America and was mostly located in Lesser Antilles. The relationship between these tribes is a topic that many have discussed and studied. For a good portion of the fifteenth century, Taino people were forced to the northeastern area of the Caribbean because of raids by the Carib tribes. Women were held in captivity, which is why many Carib women started to speak Taino.
Spaniards who arrived in Puerto Rico, after first going to Bahamas, Hispaniola and Cuba in the 1490s, did not bring along women in their first excursions. Instead, they took Taino women as their common-law wives, which resulted in mestizo children. Sexual violence against these women was common in Haiti. There are some who suggest there was substantial amount of cultural and racial mixing in Cuba too.
The culture went extinct once the Spanish colonists settled. This was mostly due to the infectious disease that spread and the lack of immunity. The first epidemic with smallpox that was recorded in the region of Hispaniola occurred in December 1518 or 1519 in January. The situation in 1518 killed 90 percent of natives who had not already died. Warfare and enslavement by the colonists was another reason many died. By 1548, native population was below 500.
There were two main classes in this society: naborias, also called commoners, and nitainos, also known as nobles. Chiefs were responsible for governing these classes and were given the title of caciques. These people may have been female or male, and were known to be advised by healers or priests called bohiques. The bohiques were thought to have special abilities when it came to speaking with the gods and healing. They were often the ones consulted and giving permission for the society to participate in practices.
This culture had a matrillneal system that was used when it came to inheritance, kinship and descent. If the male heir was not present, the succession or inheritance was then granted to the oldest child, be it female or male, of a deceased individual's sister. In society, married couples lived in the home of the maternal uncle because there was belief that the uncle had a more important role in the life of the woman than her biological father. Both men and women were known to have participated in polygamy in this culture. They might have up to three spouses, although caciques were recorded to have as much as 30.
Women from this society had high skills in agriculture. In fact, the culture depended upon them for this. Men were also responsible for hunting and fishing. They used cotton and palm to make fish nets and ropes. Arrows and bows were also utilized for hunting, as well as poison arrowheads.
Columbus arrived in 1492. At the time, there were five Taino territories and chiefdoms tribute was paid to. These were in an area formerly called Hispaniola and in the modern world are called Dominican Republic and Haiti.
These people were known as the enemy to Carib tribes, historically. This group also had origins in South America and was mostly located in Lesser Antilles. The relationship between these tribes is a topic that many have discussed and studied. For a good portion of the fifteenth century, Taino people were forced to the northeastern area of the Caribbean because of raids by the Carib tribes. Women were held in captivity, which is why many Carib women started to speak Taino.
Spaniards who arrived in Puerto Rico, after first going to Bahamas, Hispaniola and Cuba in the 1490s, did not bring along women in their first excursions. Instead, they took Taino women as their common-law wives, which resulted in mestizo children. Sexual violence against these women was common in Haiti. There are some who suggest there was substantial amount of cultural and racial mixing in Cuba too.
The culture went extinct once the Spanish colonists settled. This was mostly due to the infectious disease that spread and the lack of immunity. The first epidemic with smallpox that was recorded in the region of Hispaniola occurred in December 1518 or 1519 in January. The situation in 1518 killed 90 percent of natives who had not already died. Warfare and enslavement by the colonists was another reason many died. By 1548, native population was below 500.
There were two main classes in this society: naborias, also called commoners, and nitainos, also known as nobles. Chiefs were responsible for governing these classes and were given the title of caciques. These people may have been female or male, and were known to be advised by healers or priests called bohiques. The bohiques were thought to have special abilities when it came to speaking with the gods and healing. They were often the ones consulted and giving permission for the society to participate in practices.
This culture had a matrillneal system that was used when it came to inheritance, kinship and descent. If the male heir was not present, the succession or inheritance was then granted to the oldest child, be it female or male, of a deceased individual's sister. In society, married couples lived in the home of the maternal uncle because there was belief that the uncle had a more important role in the life of the woman than her biological father. Both men and women were known to have participated in polygamy in this culture. They might have up to three spouses, although caciques were recorded to have as much as 30.
Women from this society had high skills in agriculture. In fact, the culture depended upon them for this. Men were also responsible for hunting and fishing. They used cotton and palm to make fish nets and ropes. Arrows and bows were also utilized for hunting, as well as poison arrowheads.
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