Segunda visita al arte taino en el Museo Nacional Del Indio Americano----Second visit to the Taino Art at the National Museum of the American Indian 4/22/2014

[Miguel Sague Jr]

Da Tiao-no (Mis Hermanos y Hermanas) (My Brothers and Sisters)

Por segunda vez nuestra hermana Vanessa Inaru organizo una excursion oficial de Tainos al Museo Nacional del Indio Americano en la ciudad de Washingto DC. el dia Martes 22 de Abril 2014. No habiamos estado alli desde nuestra primera visita en el 2008.

For a second time our sister Vanessa Inaru organized an official excursion of Tainos to the National Museum of the American Indian in the city of Washington DC on Tuesday April 22 2014. We had not been there since our first visit in 2008

Como sucedio en el caso de nuestra visita del 2008, fuimos recibidos y escoltados hacia el area que se encuentra fuera del alcance del publico general, el area donde se guardan objetos ancestrales de nuestros antepasados que normalmente no estan en exposicion publica.

Para mi esta visita se convirtio casi en la conclusion logica de mi peregrinage personal al legado espiritual de mis antepasados que se desenvolvio el mes pasado durante mi visita a mi patria de Cuba, pues aqui en el museo de Washington DC se encuentra uno de los objetos mas importantes de la tradicion taina cubana. Este Martes en compa~ia de mis amigos y amigas tainos tuve la oportunidad de poner mis manos en el famoso CEMI DE LA CUEVA DE LA PATANA, el cemi representativo de Boinayel el de los ojos lagrimosos que el arqueologo Mark Harrington se robo de Cuba en el a~o 1915.

As in the case of the 2008 visit we, as traditional members of a tribal entity were welcomed by the museum staff and officially escorted back to what is normally an out-of-bounds area of storage where the sacred objects of our ancestors are stored and cared for out of the public eye.

For me this visit turned into the logical conclusion of my personal pilgrimage to the spiritual legacy of my ancestors which unfolded last month during my visit to my birthplace, Cuba, because here in this museum in Washingto DC is where one of the most important objects of the Cuban Taino tradition now resides. This Tuesday, in the company of my Taino friends I was given the opportunity of placing my hands on the famous CEMI OF LA PATANA CAVE, the cemi representative of Boinayel, he of the tear-streaked eyes which was stolen from Cuba by the archeologist Mark Harrington in 1915.

Nuestra grata experiencia comenzo en el lobby del edificio especial de almacenamiento de objetos arqueologicos y etnologicos que no se encuentran en exibicion publica, un lugar llamado Suitland. Alli fuimos recibidos por el miembro del cuerpo de direccion de este lugar, un boricua llamado Antonio Curet.

Our beautiful experience began in the lobby of the special storage building where archeological and ethnological objects that are not currently on display are kept, a place called Suitland. Here we were greeted by a member of the staff, a Boricua called Antonio Curet.

Fuimos acompa~ados a las entra~as del cavernoso edicio, a los gigantescos armarios donde se encuentran cuidadosamente guardados en gabetas y cajas acolchonadas los tesoros de nuestro pasado prehistorico. Los empleados del museo que nos acompa~aron tuvieron la amabilidad de extraer de su sitio de almacenamiento y demostrarnos de cerca, uno por uno, todos los objetos que nosotros les pedimos.

We were led into the bowels of the cavernous building, to the gigantic cupboard-like shelves where the treasures of our prehistoric past find themselves carefully stored in specially padded sliding drawers and boxes. The museum staff were kind enough to bring out and show us one by one, every single piece that we requested to be shown.

Como es natural las colecciones mas impresionantes se encontraban en la zona dedicada a los objetos de Boriken (Puerto Rico) y los de la isla compartida por Kiskeya (Republica Dominicana) y Haiti. En estas islas se evoluciono el mas alto nivel de expresion tecnologica del arte taino en las Antillas.

Naturally the most impressive collections are found in the zone dedicated to the objects from Boriken (Puerto Rico) and the those from the island shared by Kiskeya (Dominican Republic) and Haiti. These islands evolved the Taino art that exhibits the highest level of technological expression in all the Caribbean.

A pesar de eso yo logre encontrar joyas cautivadoras del arte taino de mi Cubita preciosa.

In spite of this fact I managed to discover enchanting jewels of Taino art from my precious Cuba.

Tambien nos topamos de nuevo con la evidencia de que existen algunos estudiosos que concurren con el criterio del Circulo Espiritual Caney acerca del uso de los aros de piedra comunmente llamados "collares liticos". Nosotros entendemos que en tiempos pasados estos aros de forma ovoide representaban la imagen del utero materno de la madre del universo, AtaBey, y que nuestros antepasados de vez en cuando amarraban cemies que representaban al espiritu macho de la Vida, su hijo, Yoka Hu a estos aros simbolizando de esa manera el tiempo de gestacion durante el cual el embrion de ese espiritu se mantiene enlazado al utero de la madre cosmica. Uno de los aros liticos de la coleccion llevaba un cemi atado con sogas.

We also again bumped with the clear evidence that there are some scholars who share the view of our Caney Indigenous Spiritual Circle that in regards to the ancient use of the stone hoops commonly called "stone collars". We understand that in ancient times these ovoid-shaped hoops represented the uterus of the mother of the universe, AtaBey, andthat our ancestors from time to time tied the cemis that represented the male spirit of Life, her son, Yoka Hu to these hoops symbolizing in this way the gestation period during which the embryo ofthat spirit maintains itself attached to the usterus of the cosmic mother. One of the stone hoops in the collection had a three-point cemi attached to it with twine.

Nosotros en el Circulo Espiritual Caney continuamos esta tradicion con el amarre anual del cemi YokaHu a nuestro aro litico llamado la Coa Utero que se lleva a cabo durante la ceremonia del Solsticio de Invierno.

We in the Caney Circle continue that ancient tradition with the annual tying of the three-point cemi image of YokaHu to our own stone hoop which we call the Uterine Coa which takes placeduring the Winter Solstice Ceremony.

Nuestra aventura en el museo se concluyo con una ceremonia sagrada. Esta ceremonia se llevo a cabo en una camara especial donde normalment se permiten solamente Indigenas. El museo tiene una politica de permitirle acceso especial a los indigenas con los objetos que son de sus antepasados en esta camara especial. Aqui se nos trajo un numero de artefactos que nosotros escojimos. Se cerro la puerta de la camara y tuvimos la oportunidad de ofrecerle oraciones, cantos y bailes a los ancestros en total privacidad.

Our adventure concluded with a sacred ceremony. This ceremony was carried out in a special room where only Indigenous people normally have access. The museum has a policy of permitting access for the Indigenous people to the objects of their ancestors in this special chamber. Here a number of artifacts that we had previously chosen was brought to us. The door of the room was closed and we were given the opportunity to offer prayers, chants and dances to our ancestors in total privacy.  

Quiero ofrecerle un sentido JAJOM (agradecimiento) a Yaya la esencia sagrada y unidad maxima del Universo y a todos los seres humanos que contribuyeron al triunfo de esta expedicion.

 I want to offer my most heart-felt JAJOM (gratitude) to Yaya the sacred essence and highest unity of the Universe, and to the humans who contributed to making this expedition a success.

SENEKO KAKONA

Taino Ti

Miguel

[Miguel Sague Jr]

My dear brother Frank I am always humbled and grateful for your expressions of faith in the work that i do and I pray that I remain worthy of that praise. I am encoursged by your renewed activity here in our network and I continue praying for your full recovery so that you can continue to progress in your efforts to become one of our behikes. I noticed you met Erlinda Mother Crow here on the network. I suggest you continue interacting with her. Her deducation and energy is inspiring and she is a good friend to have. I look forward to granting her a beike necklace relativily soon at the pace she is going.

[AkuTurey]

Seneko Kkkakona,

I want to thank  Beike Miguel Sague for all of his massive efforts,in all areas of Taino culture,past and present-How humble he is,that here in these pictures we see proof of the use of the stone hoops ,with the Cemi tied to it,just as he teaches!-and he's not saying,"!see,I was RIGHT!!",in everyone's face! -yet,he has the right to do so,but true to the way I've always known him,he remains humble.These are incredibly beautiful pictures of our ancestor's work,I was moved seeing them. Thank you, Frank AkuTurey