Taíno Struggle for Tribal Recognition

1990-Present

The Taíno have thousands of years of history caring for Borikén, or Puerto Rico, and other islands in the Caribbean. The Taíno Resurgence Movement went public in 1992, it was a pivotal step in asserting Taíno existence and creating a platform to establish legitimate claims to Taíno ethnicity and gain official recognition by municipal, state, tribal and federal governments. From the 1990s on, additional platforms, like the United Confederation of Taíno People, have been created to show solidarity amongst self-identifying Taíno and to sustain a stable presence to unite with other Native Nations. In the past, the Taíno have engaged in warfare, practiced forms of refusal and everyday forms of resistance. In more recent years, the Taíno have established international alliances and organized collectives to resist settler colonialism and advocate for tribal recognition. 

Image credit: Taino Self-determination | United Confederation of Taino People (uctp.org)