TAINO CULTURE
Bruno Rustico-2A
Anthropology Culture Project
HISTORY OF THE TAINO
Nation of indigenous people who flourished in
the Greater Antilles-Caribbean Sea
 Islands include Cuba, Hait, the Dominican
Republic, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico
 Taino people dwindled quickly with the arrival
of the Spaniards mainly because the Spanish
brought diseases which were foreign to the
Taino’s immune system
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HISTORY OF THE TAINO (CONT.)
Many were enslaved to pave roads, build housing,
farm foods and construct forts
 They primarily spoke Arawakan
 Originally traveled from the Amazon Basin in the
North Eastern part of South America during the 6th
century
 Gentle culture; based on happiness, friendliness,
and a highly organized hierarchical and paternal
society
 The word “Taino” means Good and Noble
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LOCATION OF THE TAINO
Originally from the North Eastern Part of South
Africa near the Amazon Basin
 At the end of the 6th century, they moved to the
Caribbean
 Occupying Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Dominican
Republic, and Jamaica
 Although pure Tainos do not exist today,
descendents do and are located mostly on the
eastern board of the U.S.
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LOCATION OF THE TAINO
CLIMATE
Average high temperature of the Caribbean is
82oF and low is 74oF.
 Average annual rainfall is 39.3 inches
 Mountains of Islands will have increased
rainfall (sometimes 200 inches)
 Tropical Weather
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RESOURCES
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Developed agricultural system which was environmentally
friendly and virtually maintenance free
Farmed crop on conuco, a large mound created for farming
They packed the conuco with leaves which improved
drainage and protected it from soil erosion
Primary crops cultivated by the Taino were cassava, yucca,
corn, squash, beans, peppers, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and
tobacco
Used wood from surrounding forests to construct housing, in
addition to mud, palm leaves, and woven straw
Water from streams and fresh water ponds on islands
RESOURCES (HOUSE AND CONUCO)
ECONOMICS
Agricultural Lifestyle
 Relied heavily on farming and agriculture
 Minor degree of trade; usually all crops and
goods were open for anyone to take
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STATUS
When the Spaniards came to the islands, they
brought disease which were detrimental to the
Taino as their immune system was unable to
handle the diseases
 Taino were made “slaves” for Spaniards
 Both combined ultimately caused extinction.
 No pure Taino exist today, however mixed
descendents do exist today and are mainly
located on the east coast of the U.S.
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MIGRATION OF CULTURE
The Taino are a branch off the Arawak culture
 Taino mainly stood by themselves with no major
migration of culture
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GOVERNMENT
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Highly organized hierarchical society-top leader is the Chief
Paternal Society
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Importance in the tribe being determined by the size of the
clan, rather than its war-making strength. There was no
aristocracy of lineage, nor were their titles other than those
given to individuals to distinguish their services to the clan.
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Divided into three social classes:
Naborias (working class)
Nitaínos or sub-chiefs
Noblemen (priests/medicine men)
RELATIONSHIPS OF THE TAINO
Close internal relationship-always friendly
towards neighbors and fellow tribe members
 Little to no relations outside the
tribe/community…only relations would be with
Spaniards
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CULTURE
Developed in the late 1400s-early 1500s, with the
sole founder, Juan Ponce de León (he took
possession of the land)
 Twenty villages were established (20,000-50,000)
 Dwindled down to 4, 000 due to disease, war, and
maltreatment
 Cacique Agüeybana was the original Chief
 Rank was established along democratic lines
 People of the island would gradually join,
increasing the size of the tribe
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CONTRIBUTIONS
Had little to no contact with the outside world
 Created agriculture and travel/transportations
needs (canoes, rafts etc.)
 When Spaniards invaded, became slave
workers for them
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RELIGION/BELIEF SYSTEM
Ceremonial ball parks whose boundaries were
marked by upright stone dolmens
 Dances were created for spirits
 Strongly believed in cosmology as main source of
religion-based beliefs off of stars and alignment
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Yocahu was the supreme Creator
 Jurakán, power of hurricanes
 Zemi and Maboya, sex icons/marriage/love
 Being in “good graces” of the above officials meant
they were protected against disease, war, and
hurricanes.
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MUSIC
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Highly relied on dance to communicate with the supernatural/spirits
Taíno used music to recall and to recount their history,
for celebrations and special events, and to
communicate with their spiritual guides, their zemís to
cure illnesses, for protection against them and endeavor
storms from Mother Nature.
Tainos also used their music to have rain when they
needed good crops, to hunt, and to fish
No specific details on type of music; suggested that one
leader led the group and others sang in the background
MUSIC (CONT.)
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Dance
Cave Drawings by Taino of music
LITERATURE
Cave drawings
 No books or bindings of literature
 Only used pictures; no words
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ART
Cave drawings (animals/music/working)
 Sculptures of super-natural
 Engraving of stones
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CLOTHING
Men generally went naked or wore a breech
cloth, called nagua
 Single women walked around naked
 Married women wore an apron over their
genitals
 Usually made out of cotton and palm fibers
 Both sexes painted themselves on special
occasions; they wore earrings, nose rings, and
necklaces
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CLOTHING (CONT.)
CUSTOMS
Polygamy was practiced
 Often married within the same clan or family
 Dead were buried with a proper ceremonial
(dance)
 For holidays and celebrations, they danced and
socialized with everybody
 Not many records of customs
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CUISINE
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Staples included vegetables, fruit, meat, and fish
No large animals on islands
Earthworms, lizards, turtles, birds, and other mammals were
eaten.
Crops farmed on conucos (farming mound)
EDUCATION
No formal system of educated; offspring
learned how to farm from elders
 Language and carvings/religion was passed
down to offspring
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TECHNOLOGY
Taino used cotton and palm for fishing nets and
ropes
 Constructed canoes( can usually hold 15-20
people) (larger one could carry up to 200
people)
 Agriculture/Irrigation (minor)
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WORKS CITED
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Photograph. Web. 4 June 2012. <http://talking-feather.com/wpcontent/uploads/2011/08/Taino-Cutlture-1.jpg>.
Photograph. Web. 4 June 2012. <http://kreyolicious.com/wpcontent/uploads/2012/05/tainos.jpg>.
Taino History & Culture - Cultura Taina Y Historia." Taino History & Culture Cultura Taina Y Historia. Web. 04 June 2012.
<http://www.tainoage.com/tainoh.html>.
Photograph. Web. 4 June 2012.
<http://www.powhatanmuseum.com/sitebuilder/images/Caribbean_Map757x554.jpg>.
Caribbean Clime Taino. Web. 4 June 2012. <http://www.geographysite.co.uk/pages/countries/climate/caribbean_climate.html>.
WORKS CITED (CONT.)
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Rainfall Caribbean." Web. 4 June 2012.
<http://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Caribbean/average-annualtemperature-rainfall.php>.
Photograph. Web. 4 June 2012.
<http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2254/2198381912_e82ed16e38.jpg>.
Photograph. Web. 4 June 2012.
<http://pr.kalipedia.com/kalipediamedia/historia/media/200808/01/hisp
uertorico/20080801klphishpr_12_Ies_SCO.jpg>.
Caribbeanedu.com | Caribbean Odyssey." Caribbeanedu.com | Caribbean
Odyssey. Web. 04 June 2012.
<http://www.caribbeanedu.com/odyssey/timeliner/arawaks.asp>.
Taino Music Musica Taina De Los Tainos De Puerto Rico." Taino Music
Musica Taina De Los Tainos De Puerto Rico. Web. 04 June 2012.
<http://www.tainoage.com/taino_music.html>.
WORKS CITED (CONT.)
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Photograph. Web. 4 June 2012.
<http://conciliotainopr.org/pics/ConcilioTaino.DSC00422.JPG>.
Photograph. Web. 4 June 2012.
<http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/taino-musiciansdance--prehistoric-caribbean-taino-indians-cave-painting-ramon-a-chalassoto.jpg>.
Photograph. Web. 4 June 2012.
<http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&um=1&hl=en&client=firefoxa&rls=org.mozilla:enUS:official&biw=1366&bih=664&tbm=isch&tbnid=5sGlmCQHMR5XQM:&i
mgrefurl=http://www.centrelink.org/Dec2002.html&docid=gwbxpyzeF7NIz
M&imgurl=http://www.centrelink.org/fig15suspicious.jpg&w=284&h=261&
ei=wEjNT9OoMs6N6QHP7fTcAg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=215&sig=1064371
33603681451547&page=1&tbnh=147&tbnw=174&start=0&ndsp=18&ve
d=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:78&tx=32&ty=88>.
WORKS CITED (CONT.)
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Web. 4 June 2012. <http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g147288d1724307-Paraiso_Cano_Hondo-Dominican_Republic.html>.