Federal Recognition for Taino People

[Anita Pagan]

What are your thoughts on federal recognition for the Taino people?

Why is this important or unimportant? What do you expect it to add to the Taino Nation as a whole?

[Miguel Sague Jr]

Xochi. It is true that I have never seen much sense in the idea of hoping for federal indian recognition for Tainos but I find your comments here in this discussion thread a little curious. "Funny"? I'm not sure I see what's funny about any part of this discussion. You recently sent me a greeting comment posted on my comment wall and I would be happy to chat with you.

[Ayesart]

Hola, Taino Ti, Nanu:

The question you ask about the importance or unimportance of being recognized by the Federal government is a super charged one.

First off, we as an Indigenous people are survivors.

Secondly, Our stories, Areytos are to be respected by everyone on this planet. According to the United Nations charter, verbal history is just as valid as paper trail documentation.

Thirdly: mtDNA testing and its results are proof that many of us who are within Haplogroup C, A, D, and X have maternal ancestral roots to our Indigenous ancestors. Albeit, mtDNA reflects only 16 % of the information within our human genome, that mtDNA reflects that which is within that genome which is comparitively much larger in percentage.

Fourthly: Puerto Rican DNA is pretty complex. Scientists will never admit that they can find that elusive Indigenous ancestor who fathered our antecedants. They tell us that the yDNA has been overwritten by the introduction of yDNA of the Europeans who invaded the land. But what they will not admit is that beneath all that genetic overwriting lies hidden and waiting to be discovered our Indigenous first father. The science is quite young yet, but genetic scientists rather bend over backwards to find more illustrious DNA than to dedicate themselves to sorting out the genetic sequences of Indigenous peoples.

When I say bend over backwards one case in point is revealed in genetic science work in discovering the DNA derived from Neanderthal fossils. They then pursued the genetic thing to see if any of those Neanderthals had descendants who are living. They did find a lot of them. Then why can they not find who our first father was?

As for the Federal Government...Does the sun need our permission to rise and set? Does it crave our acknowledgement for giving us life? No. So why should we strive to seek permission to be who we are?

Respectfully,

Ayesart 

[Miguel Sague Jr]

My brother Gerardo I can understand your passion and the motivation for your opinion but there are some important facts about the process of federal recognition of an Indian tribe in the United states that have to be taken into consideration to understand our status as Tainos. The original laws that govern federal recognition of Indian tribes were created to apply only to Indigenous people living in the 50 states of North America. They were never meant to be applied to Native people of any other part of the United States (which is the reason why Hawaiian Natives are not recognized as a federally recognized Indian tribe). Even though it is now clear that there are people that can be legitimately called Taino Indians in the United States this tribe can not received federal recognition because its original home region is not part of the original geographic area that was taken into consideration when the first federal recognition laws went into effect. That is why I don't believe Tainos will ever be officially accepted as a United States federally recognized tribe.

[Guamiguajiba]

Greetings miguel....what about U.N. recognition?

[Miguel Sague Jr]

Greetings Guamiguajiba

This is a very good point you are raising. In fact the Taino people have received full recognition as a legitimate Indigenous community by the United Nations, largely as a result of the efforts of rthe UNITED CONFEDERATION OF TAINO PEOPLE and particularly through the untiring labor of the UCTP president Roberto Mukaro Borrero.

Kasike Mukaro has represented the interests of Tainos in the United Nations for almost fifteen years.

Please click the two links below to access information on the participation of Taino people in the United nations via the work of the UCTP

1. LINK

2. LINK

[Veronica]

This topic needs to be brought up again since National Geographic did a piece on Taino Indians still being alive.

I moved to Oklahoma, and a lot of facilities need for you to have a native I.d card in order to be seen. This has been quite difficult for me recently trying to seek medical attention.

[Michelle Inarú Ropará]

Taino ti

I realize that this is a very old post, but it's still relevant.  I will think of a more detailed response another time, but I absolutely think recognition is important to educate people on our very existence and to stop the paper genocide more than anything else.

I also recognize that it might be very difficult, as the Taino peoples were traditionally scattered throughout what are today 5 different nations (6 if you include the Lucayo in the Bahamas).

[Dolores]

I think federal recognition would really help with rights such as rights to artifacts and sacred places which are currently locked away by the gov. and museums. It would also allow people to bring back traditional ways with legal recognition as an official religion. Taino artists could also officially sell their work and have some legal legitimacy.