Tainos and other Native Caribbean Groups

There are a lot of misrepresentations and assumptions 

Review vocabulary:  (Have students create a glossary in the back of their books)

Geography - the nature and relative arrangement of places and physical features

Indigenous - originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native

Primary Source - A primary source is a document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study. These sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event. Some types of primary sources include:

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS (excerpts or translations acceptable): Diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news film footage, autobiographies, official records

CREATIVE WORKS: Poetry, drama, novels, music, art

RELICS OR ARTIFACTS: Pottery, furniture, clothing, buildings

Secondary Source - A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them. Some types of secondary sources include:

PUBLICATIONS: Textbooks, magazine articles, histories, criticisms, commentaries, encyclopedias

Mini-Lesson: What is a secondary source?

- Discuss the differences between a primary and secondary source

- Discuss how to read and understand a selection from a textbook (Headings, preview questions, identify how a passage is organized, maintain a critical eye as you read- see not on handout)

Reading:

Individually, in groups or as a class, read Glencoe excerpt about Natives of the Caribbean and answer questions.

A few things to highlight during discussions:

- How do we know what we know about the indigenous people of the region?

- Talk about what “less advanced” means.

Textbook Illustration:

Students are asked to illustrate a section of a textbook about the people who lived in the Caribbean region before 1490s. Students should reread their assigned section  and draw an illustration to help to capture the imagery in the text selection. Students will create an appropriate title for their piece. Their goal is to portray what is mentioned in the text to their best ability. Students may have an opportunity to present their work to the class. 

Native Peoples—the “Indians” 

http://www.glencoe.com/sec/socialstudies/btt/columbus/native_peoples.shtml

Directions: The following passage is from a textbook produced by Glenco. As you read, make sure to think critically about point of view (is this description being told from a European or western point of view?) and sources (are the primary sources referenced by the text reliable?)

Tainos, Caribs, and Others

The groups of native people incorrectly labeled “Indians” by Columbus were actually a diverse mix of different tribes which spanned the islands of the Greater and Lesser Antilles. The people Columbus encountered are known as the Tainos. The different groups that lived in the Bahamas at the time of his arrival were the Eastern, Western, and Classic Tainos; the Island-Caribs; and a small group called the Guanahatabeys. According to most recent findings, the natives were spread out among the large and small islands of the Caribbean, with the Tainos dominating the landscape

Culture of the Classic Tainos

The Tainos were an advanced people who relied on agriculture, hunting, and fishing. Of the three groups of Taino people—Classic, Eastern, and Western—anthropologists[1] and historians know most about the lives and social structure of the Classic Tainos. Information about their daily activities has been unearthed in parts of present-day Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the Bahama Islands. The evidence corresponds with the descriptions written by Columbus and other European sailors who ventured to the New World. Through the physical artifacts and written testimony of contemporary individuals, historians are able to piece together the lives and histories of the Classic Taino people.

(1) During his journey, Columbus encountered many large villages along the shores of Cuba, Hispañiola, and Puerto Rico. Each village was governed by a chief who oversaw numerous social and political functions. Both men and women were eligible to become chiefs. A few villages would be grouped together into loosely organized districts. Each district was ruled by one of the village chiefs. These district chiefdoms were then organized into groups of regional chiefdoms, headed by the most prominent district chief. The structure of the Taino government is comparable to the current political system of the United States. The Classic Taino population was split into two social classes, as defined by the class-conscious Europeans who studied them—the nobility (nitaíno) and the commoner (naboria). There was no third class, since slavery and forced labor were not found in the Taino society.

(2) The layout of each village was similar. The chief’s house (called a bohío) was situated in the center of a large plaza, surrounded by all of the houses (caney) belonging to the other members of the community. Homes had thatched roofs and dirt floors, with most people sleeping on hammocks hanging within or just outside of the caney. Food and other goods were stored in baskets hung around the walls of the homes. Chiefs and other high-ranking people sat on throne-like stools, called duho, which had spiritual figures and signs carved on them.

(3) These figures, called zumis, were seen throughout the village. Every person in the group had zumis in their homes and on their bodies. They were used as decoration, praise to the gods, and symbols of luck and good fortune. Classic Tainos decorated their bodies to represent different aspects of their personal lives, their village, or their culture. Most wore little clothing, as is evident through Columbus’s journal entries, although women usually were clothed according to their marital status. Unmarried women wore decorative headbands, while married women wore short skirts called nagua. Belts, necklaces, and headdresses distinguished chiefs, nitaínos, and naborias from one another. Both men and women painted their skin, especially for special events and ceremonies. The most common color used was red, which may explain why “Indians” have been associated with having red skin.

(4) In addition to hunting birds, fishing, and trapping iguanas, the Classic Tainos ate a wide variety of plants and vegetables. Their principle crop was cassava. The plant, which is poisonous if eaten raw, was used to make bread, soup, juice, stews, and other foods. It was also used in religious rituals and ceremonies. Along with cassava, the Classic Tainos grew sweet potato, corn, squash, peppers, and peanuts. They supplemented these vegetables with meat and fish to make flavorful dishes. Tobacco, smoked in cigar form during religious ceremonies and everyday occasions, was very popular.

Food and religion were often interrelated. One of the two supreme gods depicted in the zumis was Yúcahu, lord of the cassava and the sea (where the Tainos found fish and other sources of food). In order to honor and please Yúcahu, the Tainos would offer food to the zumi. The second major deity was Atabey, Yúcahu’s mother, the goddess of fresh water and fertility.

(5) Sport and recreation also played a large role in the lives of the Taino people. A game called batey was played on large rectangular courts in the central plaza. Batey was played with a rubber ball which the players had to keep in motion, bouncing it from one person to another within the boundaries of the court. The two teams, each consisting of ten to thirty players, stood on opposite ends of the court. They would then serve the ball to the other team, which would try to keep it bouncing without going out of bounds. The participants weren’t allowed to use their hands or feet, making the game a difficult test of athleticism and strategy. Both men and women played batey, but always separately. Bets and wagers were often made between teams, players, and spectators.

Villages and districts often fought one another to avenge murders, resolve disputes, or enforce agreements between chiefs. The greatest victory for the Classic Taino people was not in the murder of their enemies but in the capture of their property. A warrior earned respect and fame from his village if he succeeded in taking the weapons, shields, and other battle gear from his opponents while sparing their lives. This practice ultimately contributed to the destruction of the Tainos. In battle, the Tainos would allow their Spanish and Carib adversaries to live, a courtesy their opponents did not return.

Questions:

1. How do historians today know about the Tainos?

2. What was the social structure of the Classic Taino?

3. What war practice does the reading suggest backfired against the Tainos when they fought Europeans?

Eastern Tainos, Western Tainos, Island-Caribs, and Guanahatabeys

While the Classic Tainos were the most populous group in the Antilles, there were other important groups also living on the islands.

The Eastern and Western Tainos were very similar to their Classic neighbors, but had slightly less advanced societies. The primary difference among the three Taino groups was their level of hostility. The Western Tainos were very peaceful and passive. They welcomed Columbus and his men without caution and were helpful in aiding the Europeans’ recovery from their long voyage. The Classic Tainos were more warlike, but overall were not a very violent society. Eastern Tainos, however, tended to be much more hostile. Their close proximity to the Caribs caused them to be more violent and aggressive. When Columbus encountered them in the Virgin Islands on his second voyage, it is not surprising that they attacked him and his men.

Island-Caribs were thought to be violent, blood-thirsty savages. Tales of cannibalism and torture at the hands of these native peoples traveled throughout the Antilles, reaching Columbus when he arrived on the islands of San Salvador and Cuba. These tales were never substantiated, though the basis for them is well-documented. The Caribs were not cannibals, as the Tainos feared, but they did practice rituals and ceremonies in which they cut off the limbs of their enemies and cooked them. They believed that by doing this they would gain the skill and prowess of the opposing warrior. It was a sign of respect and admiration for their enemy.

The Carib society was less complex than that of the Tainos. They lacked permanent chiefs and were constantly at war with each other and their neighbors. Chiefs were elected for each battle, so no leader lasted longer than the length of any given war. They often invaded their Eastern Taino neighbors to raid their villages for wives. Their violent nature contributed to the horror stories that were spread from one Taino village to another. While the tales were exaggerated, the threat from the Caribs was real.

The final group in the Antilles was a small tribe called the Guanahatabey. They were located on the westernmost end of Cuba and tended not to mix with the other tribes. The Guanahatabey spoke a different language than their Taino neighbors, so different that Columbus’s interpreter could not converse with them. They were far less advanced than any of the other groups in the area. For the most part, the Guanahatabeys lived out in the open or in caves, living off of the sea. Shellfish, fish, and fowl were the main sources of food. They organized themselves into small bands instead of villages, never setting up a complex form of government like the Classic Tainos. Because of their location they were a very peaceful and passive people, similar to their Western Taino neighbors. With little to fear from other tribes, the Guanahatabey were generally free to live in peaceful solitude.

Questions:

1. How were the Island-Caribs different from the Tainos?

2. What was a myth that spread about the Caribs? What was the reality according to the text?

3. According to the text, what does it mean if a group was “less advanced”?

4. What new questions do you have about the ethnic groups living in the Caribbean after reading these passages?

[1] Anthropologists - the study of humankind, in particular; the comparative study of human societies and cultures and their development.