Presenter:
Miss M. Brown
KWL CHART
What you know about
the Tainos
What you want to know
about the Tainos
What you have learnt
about the Tainos
The migratory pattern of the Tainos
 Originally from South America
Territory more than 1,000 miles east to west
Occupied the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, Bahamas,
Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Cuba

Rouse, Irving. 1992. The Tainos. New Haven: Yale University Press. P. 6
Map showing islands where the
Tainos settled
Documentary ON THE TAINOS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcv7-ipKErg
Appearance of the Tainos
 Short, medium height, slightly built, well shaped, flat
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forehead .
Olive brown complexion.
They shaped their skulls up to a peak as this was a mark of
beauty.
They had long, straight, coarse black hair.
They painted their bodies in black and white and other
colours usually red, for ceremonial event, war and to
protect them against insect bits.
They also wore a great deal of ornaments in their ears and
nose.
THE TAINO FAMILY
The Taino Community
 The Tainos lived in very
small villages and their
houses caneye were usually
near the sea.
 The chief of the Tainos was
called the Cacique.
 Outsides the Tainos
(caneye) houses there were
cultivated plots which
consisted of maize, sweet
potatoes, ground nuts and
other crops.
Work done in the community
Describe what is happing in the
pictures in the Tainos community
Taino Recreation
 They chewed tobacco and played a ball game called
batos.
 The Tainos women also engaged in a great deal of
dancing and singing.
 The women and men dance separately, but sometimes
they danced together.
 The Tainos/Arawaks called the tobacco plant cohiba,
and tabaco also referred to the pipe in which the leaves
were smokes
TAINOS DANCING
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCbJZULqdM8
The Cacique
 He was the chief of the tribe
 Usually a male, a civic leader and not a military leader
 Responsible for judicial, cultural, political and religious
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functions.
The position was passed down through the female line of
the family.
The role of cacique was largely ceremonial, although he was
expected to settle disputes.
Cacique was expected to lead and act as spiritual
representative.
Tributes were paid to the cacique i.e. gold and maize.
Cacique lived in a bohio Wore the most elaborate dress and
decorations
THE CACIQUE
Leader of the
Tainos
The cacique
 House (BOHIO)
The cacique (chief) had the largest house in
the community.
 Ceremonial stool (duho)
The Taino House
 Usually, the Tainos house was round and constructed
in the following way: wooden posts were put in the
ground in a circle and canes were woven between them
and tied with creepers.
 Tainos houses were strongly built and sometimes
could withstood hurricanes.
 The Tainos (caneye) houses had few furniture such as
stools, hammocks and a some highly polished clay
pots.
Taino House
Furniture in the Taino House
1.
Hammock
ACTIVITY
 Make a model of the Taino house in groups of four
Materials needed
 Palm wood
 Palm leaves
 Bamboo, straw
 Popsicles stickes
 Glue
RELIGION
 The Tainos/Arawaks were
 The priest was the only one
polytheistic (belief in
many gods).
 They made zemis which
represented the sky god
and an earth goddess.
 They also believed in Life
after death in the coyaba
(heaven).
who could communicate
with the zemis.
 The Role of the Priest He
had the power to
communicate with the
zemis only.
 He used a large amount of
tobacco, which allowed
him to communicate with
the zemis.
The Zemi
The Taino Diet
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The Tainos ate a lot of fruit and vegetables.
They made an intoxicating drink from cassava and maize.
The Tainos cooked with a lot of pepper and salt.
They also ate the cassava.
They would squeeze out the poisonous juice from the
cassava before making flour.
 They also enjoyed the agouti and iguana meat.
 They ate a large amount of fish from which they obtained
protein since they were good hunters and fishermen.
 Most of their foods were stewed, roasted or baked. The
Tainos women were the main ones who were engaged in
the farming activities
Identify each of the Taino Food
Activity #1
 Create a TAINO post card. Create a concept map on
the card to show
a) The religious, social and political organization of the
Tainos
b) Draw and label five foods that the Tainos ate
Assignment: Outline five privileges of the Cacique
The End
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Thank You !!!!!!