The seafaring people known as Taino were among the Arawak peoples of South America. The language is a member of the Arawakan language family of the northern region of South America. Generally speaking, Taino culture refers to that of the indigenous people of Greater Antilles, Bahamas and northern Lesser Antilles.
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 became extinct when the Spanish colonists began to settle. This was primarily the result of infectious disease that had spread and the absence of immunity. The first outbreak of smallpox recorded in Hispaniola took place in December 1518 or January 1519. This epidemic in 1518 killed nearly 100 percent of natives who were still alive at the time. Enslavement and warfare by colonists also led to many deaths. In 1548, native population had fallen under 500.
There were two distinct classes: nobles or nitainos, and commoners or naborias. The chiefs governed the classes and were giving the title caciques. These individuals could be male or female. They were also advised by priests or healers known as bohiques, which were believed to have special abilities to speak with gods and heal. They were often consulted and offered permission for the society to engage in important tasks.
This culture had a matrillneal system when it came to kinship, inheritance and descent. When the male heir was not around, the succession or inheritance went to the oldest child, be it daughter or son, of the deceased father's sister. In this society, newly married couples lived in the same household as the maternal uncle, who was considered more important in the life of his niece than her biological father. Some in this society practiced polygamy. Men and some women may have had two to three spouses, and some caciques had as many as 30 spouses.
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 became extinct when the Spanish colonists began to settle. This was primarily the result of infectious disease that had spread and the absence of immunity. The first outbreak of smallpox recorded in Hispaniola took place in December 1518 or January 1519. This epidemic in 1518 killed nearly 100 percent of natives who were still alive at the time. Enslavement and warfare by colonists also led to many deaths. In 1548, native population had fallen under 500.
There were two distinct classes: nobles or nitainos, and commoners or naborias. The chiefs governed the classes and were giving the title caciques. These individuals could be male or female. They were also advised by priests or healers known as bohiques, which were believed to have special abilities to speak with gods and heal. They were often consulted and offered permission for the society to engage in important tasks.
This culture had a matrillneal system when it came to kinship, inheritance and descent. When the male heir was not around, the succession or inheritance went to the oldest child, be it daughter or son, of the deceased father's sister. In this society, newly married couples lived in the same household as the maternal uncle, who was considered more important in the life of his niece than her biological father. Some in this society practiced polygamy. Men and some women may have had two to three spouses, and some caciques had as many as 30 spouses.
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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