When Puerto Rico was discovered it was inhabited by the Taino and Carib Indian
tribes
. The Tainos were peaceful people, but the Caribs were warlike
cannibals
who had originally came from the
jungles
of South America.
The Tainos were short and muscular with straight black hair and copper-colored skin. The men wore
loin cloths
and married women wore a
nagu
, which was like a skirt. They painted their bodies with designs in bright colors. Their paints were made from plants and soils. They wore necklaces and bracelets made from seashells, clay stones, gold and animal teeth.
They lived in small villages near the coast and around the river banks, in order to have fresh water for drinking, bathing and cooking. The Tainos built round thatch huts, called
bohios
. They were made from bamboo and tree branches tied together; grass was woven into them and they were packed with mud. There was one great house where the chief
(Cacique)
lived called the
caney
. This house stood at one end of the village and the other houses were around the outer edge. In the center of the village was a large open space called a
plaza
, which was used for games, dances and religious ceremonies.
The Tainos slept and rested on cotton nets from the ceiling called
hamacas
, which today we call
hammocks
. The Tainos lived in different tribes. Each tribe had its own chief or
Cacique
. The men who ruled over all the tribes was the Supreme Cacique.
In the village each tribe had men who carved stones and wood in the shapes of men, women, animals, birds, flowers and geometric shapes. These objects were called
Cemis
. They had faces carved on them and sometimes were decorated with gold. The Tainos believed the cemis were like gods, able to help the crops grow or protect them from evil.
There was also a priest called a
buhiti
in the village. He remembered the Taino history and told stories of famous Cacique and warriors and of important historical events. It was his duty to make peace with Gods such as the Supreme Being
Yuquiyu
and the evil
Junacan
. The buhiti was the priest, doctor and teacher of the village.
Hunting, fishing and farming provided the Taino with food. The Taino built their own homes and made their own tools and furniture. Everyone in a Taino family had work to do. Work was important to the Tainos, but they found time to play. They also enjoyed music. Their
drums
were hollowed tree trunks that they hit with sticks. They made another kind of sound by shaking hollow gourds called
maracas
.
The guiro was another Taino rhythm instrument made from the marimbo gourd. Musicians around the world still use these instruments.
The Tainos emphasized dance and music in celebration of the major events in their lives (marriage, birth, death, harvest, storms, etc). Although music and games were important to the Taino, little is known about the actual nature of the music due to the lack of written language and musical notation.
The Taino Indians liked gold for its beauty, but they only used it to make jewelry. To the Spaniards gold was very valuable, and the Tainos helped Ponce de Leon and his men search for the gold they wanted.
Later Ponce de Leon went back to Hispaniola. He returned to San Juan in 1509, bringing more settlers and their families. He was named governor by the King of Spain. The Spaniards decided to take over the island because of the gold in its rivers and mines. They did ask permission of the Tainos, nor did they treat them as people who had been kind to them; instead they treated the Tainos as slaves. The Tainos, once free, now they were forced to work for the Spaniards whether they liked it or not.
Activities
1.
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Introduce new vocabulary.
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1.
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cannibals
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7. cacique
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13. Yuguiyu
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2.
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tribes
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8. caney
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14. Junacan
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3.
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jungles
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9. hamacas
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15. gourds
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4.
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Loin cloths
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10. hammocks
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16. maracas
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5.
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nagua
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11. cemis
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17. guiro
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6.
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bohios
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12. buhiti
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2.
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Locate on a map of Puerto Rico the settlements of the Taino Indians.
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3.
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Discuss the contributions to Puerto Rican culture made by the Taino Indians.
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4.
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Invite parents or community members to visit classes to discuss the influence of Indians on Puerto Rican culture.
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5.
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Have students design a Taino Village.
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6.
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Have students draw pictures of Taino Indians.
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7.
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Have students make a design jewelry similar to that worn by the Taino Indians.
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8.
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Research and Study
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a.
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Have students read more about Taino and Carib Indians. Compare the Taino and Carib Indians.
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b.
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Discuss the carvings of the Taino Indians called Cemis. Have students read more about the Cemis. Students may draw or use clay to make models.
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c.
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The Indians were polytheistic. Discuss and write about the beliefs of many gods. Their main two gods were Yukiyu, symbol of goodness, and Juracan, the god of evil. They also believed in minor gods who protected their homes, whom they called Cemies.
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d.
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Learn more about hurricanes. Discuss why we give hurricanes women’s names, whereas in Puerto Rico hurricanes are named for the saint’s days on which they fall.
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e.
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Discuss words that have been incorporated into the Spanish language and character traits from the Indians, such as bohios (Indian House), hamaca (hammock) and words related to the tropical flora (flowers) and fauna (animals).
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f.
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Discuss the Areyto, or tribal meetings which was one of the main events in Indian life.
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