Overview of Student Activities
The students read, write, and examine art objects, legends, creation myths, poems, and historical documents. As active problem-solvers, they research the history and culture of the Taínos, keep journals with Taíno words and questions about the Taínos, and go to several museums. They conduct some of their research on the Internet. With all the information gathered, they do creative writing assignments on different topics assigned by the teacher. Furthermore, they listen to music of Taíno origin, make musical instruments such as maracas, draw Taíno symbols, and cook Taíno foods, such as mashed yucca.
One of the issues they will examine is the present regrouping or formation of Taíno groups in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, New Jersey, and Florida. Another issue is the genocide of a people or a nation, and the inherent racism in the colonizing of the Caribbean. A third issue is an identity issue: Do they acknowledge their Taíno roots as Puerto Ricans? What other roots do they have? (Spanish, African, other) They will write a long poem exploring their identity and tracing their heritage.
Specifically, the objects they will read about, study, examine, and observe are the following: the
dujos
, the
cemís
, the
guanín
or gold medallion worn by the chiefs, the collars worn during the ball games, and the drawings or petroglyphs found in ceremonial parks.Most of these may be found in the Taíno exhibit at El Museo del Barrio. It is highly recommended that students take a field trip to El Museo as part of this unit. Ricardo Alegría includes authentic illustrations in his books as well as interpretive drawings by his wife, Mela. Rafael González Mu–iz has excellent photos of Taíno artifacts, as does Irving Rouse. Teachers are urged to consult the works of José Juan Arrom and Irving Rouse, both of Yale University. Finally, the New York Times recently published an amazing story. In July of this year, Taíno artifacts were discovered at a beach in Cuba. This event was documented in the New York Times, in the July 5,1998 issue. These are some of the possible resources for teachers interested in expanding this unit.
Metaphors for the unit
The metaphors were developed to assist the students in making thematic connections throughout this unit. They may be suggested by the teacher prior to class discussions or readings or viewings of art objects, or may arise from student comments and discussions. At some point, the list of metaphors with illustrations and questions should be prominently displayed in the classroom. A complete list of metaphors includes:
-
•a puzzle or unsolved mystery
-
•the sacred mountains
-
•the sacred waters
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•the number three
The metaphor of the puzzle
One of the metaphors for my unit is the puzzle or the unsolved mystery of the Taínos. Who were they? What was their life like before the
encuentro
or encounter between the Taínos and Columbus? What was their relationship with the Caribe Indians who also populated the islands but were warlike and the enemies of the Taínos? How did they interact with other indigenous groups in their area? What happened to them? How can we find out more about them? Where are they today?
Before starting the unit, the teacher should ask the students what they know and what they want to know about theTaínos. This is the first step in the puzzle. The students make a large wall map of Puerto Rico and superimpose the areas of inquiry as articulated in this preliminary activity. For example, what was their language? Where did they come from? What was their religion? As the unit progresses, the students fill-in the puzzle with their facts gathered. The unsolved mystery of the Taínos is their disappearance: did they really disappear or did they survive in some form? Another activity is to compare the unsolved mystery of the Taínos with the unsolved mysteries of other Native American groups, such as the Mayan or the Aztecs. For example, why did the Mayans abandon their cities?
The metaphor of the sacred mountains
The mountains as a sacred symbol are included because the Taínos believed the gods lived in the mountains. Specifically, they believed that their supreme god, Yucahú, lived in El Yunque, in the rain forest of the Cordillera Central. Students are invited to think of other cultures that have mountains as sacred or religious symbols. Students could include the Greeks and Mount Olympus, the ancient Chinese, and many indigenous groups of the Americas. This concept of the sacred mountain as the dwelling place of the gods is pivotal to the students’ understanding of the poem “
Indio Taíno, ¿dónde estás?”
by Isabel Freire de Matos.
The metaphor of the sacred waters
The metaphor of the sacred waters was included because the Taínos attributed religious and mythical qualities to water. For example, the creator, Atabei, is associated with water. She is the goddess of water. Yocahú, the supreme deity, is also associated with water. Both of these deities are called
Bagua
, which is water, the source of life. In daily life, the Taínos relied on the rivers and seas for fishing. They made musical instruments out of conch shells and used them in religious ceremonies. Finallly, they were at the mercy of water for their farming. Without rain, they would not be able to farm their
conucos
. They prayed to the twin gods of rain and fair weather so that they would be pleased. This image of water as sacred is central to their beliefs.
The literature they will read will include a poem by Isabel Freire de Matos, several legends of the Taínos, including Guanina ,The Drowning of Salcedo, poems by Rafael González Mu–iz, and some creation myths. The primary sources examined will include Bartolomé de las Casas in his exposé of Spanish mistreatment of the Taínos in the Dominican Republic and selected passages by Fray Ramón Pané on the myths and religious beliefs of the Taínos. The history studied will also include the books of noted expert, Ricardo Alegría. The culminating activity will be to write, illustrate, and present a booklet about the Taínos to a class of elementary students in a bilingual program. This booklet will be accompanied by an audiocassette in both English and Spanish.
