Hi, I'm descended from a full blooded Arawak great grandmother. Everywhere I've researched tells the same story,

The Arawak Peoples are gone. I beg to differ, I am 1/16th and now have two grandchildren who are 1/32nd.

Other peoples can claim to be of their races with just one drop, so I'm taking advantage and doing the same, though I can do so for several other races/ethnicity's as well.

'm a true mutt 

If there are ANY other Arawak descendants out there, contact…

Takaji My Relatives

I was honored this last weekend August 31st to Sept 3rd  2013 by being invited to return for a second time to offer Taino ceremony, and workshops on aspects of Taino spirituality at this year's celebration of the…

Nuestra creencia espiritual…

Takaji My Relatives

It was such a blessing this past weekend August 10 and 11  2013, to participate in the ninth annual celebration of the JORNADA TAINA sponsored by CATTA COOP artisan collective in Jayuya Puerto Rico.

I arrived in Boriken early on Saturday morning on a flight into Aguadilla along with our Taino sister Tai Pelli who travelled…

Takaji My Relatives

For some time now there has been a small but obnoxiously vocal element in the Taino Resurgence movement that has taken exception to the use of the word "Taino" based on the fact that there is a town in the country of Italy that bears a name with the exact same spelling and probably the exact same pronunciation.…

Takaji My Relatives

On the weekend of July 19, 20 and 21 of the year  2013 a group of our Taino people along with friends and relatives from other nations, gathered along a beautiful creek in the Pocono mountains of north-eastern Pennsylvania in order to observe three straight days of non-stop full day and full night fasting, praying, drumming and dancing in behalf of…

Takaji My Relatives

It was my honor to officiate the June FULL MOON CEREMONY on the 23rd of the month 2013 at the Verona/PennHills, Pennsylvania Teaching Lodge of the CANEY INDIGENOUS SPIRITUAL CIRCLE.

We gathered on the day after our Youngstown, Ohio Summer Solstice ceremony and therefore some of the participants of this gathering were the same as the ones who had joined us at the earlier event, especially several members of the family of our Ohio…

Exciting news! We just received a $1000 donation from an anonymous donor! Thank you whoever you are! We now have over $5000 counting both the online donations and the checks sent in to CID. We still need your help!  Help us reach the $6000 mark. Show your support here!

This Saturday, August 3, the Yurumein director Andrea Leland and…

It is with great Joy that I am able to report that on Saturday June 22 2013 we gathered to celebrate the ceremony of SUMMER SOLSTICE  on the grounds of the Youngstown Ohio Teaching Lodge of the CANEY INDIGENOUS SPIRITUAL CIRCLE, a sacred place guided by Dr Rosa Ana'O Quinones, Caney Circle behike and UCTP representative for the Ohio region.…

The paradox of Impromptu ceremonies

Or Creating rituals on the fly

Can there be an impromptu Ceremony? Hold up isn't a ceremony a traditional observance and the handing down of statements, beliefs, customs, from generation to generation a sacred…

Yurumein director/producer Andrea Leland will be discussing YURUMEIN tonight, June 20, on WHPK Chicago at 5pm Central Time. DJ Marta Nicolas will play some of the music from the YURUMEIN soundtrack and interview director/producer Andrea Leland. Music highlights include songs from Andy Palacio’s album WATINA, and Rhodel “Rhodee” Castillo’s album IN EXILE. You…

Award-winning filmmaker Andrea Leland (director of THE GARIFUNA JOURNEY) has just launched a crowdfunding campaign for her upcoming film YURUMEIN -- a documentary about the revival of Garifuna culture on the island of St. Vincent. Forced into hiding and exile by British colonial forces, Garifuna culture had been all but lost on the island of St. Vincent for the last two hundred years. While…

This is a form I use with my Beikes-in training ( IKENS) ,helping to understand what and why

Taino Ritual Worksheet

Type of Ritual:…

I was greatly honored by our Taino brother Rodney Guatushina Rivera, member of Yukayeke  Guainia and  the UNITED CONFEDERATION OF TAINO PEOPLE to be allowed to officiate the Crossing…

Takaji My Relatives

On Sunday Morning June 2 2013 I travelled to a community near the eastern end of Long Island, the home of our Taino spiritual sister Lisa Nacancuyu, a member of the Yukayeke Ma'Oconuco of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

We all share her sorrow currently as she mourns the loss, not only of her son but also more recently of her…

Takaji Relatives

On Sunday May 26 a small group of us gathered on the grounds of the CANEY INDIGENOUS SPIRITUAL CIRCLE Verona-Penn Hills, Pennsylvania Teaching Lodge to celebrate our traditional Full Moon Ceremony. We were thrilled to again find ourselves accompanied by a number of our dear friends from the Peaceburgh Community.  

Our spiritual sister the Caney Circle beikeTenanche played a particularly important role in this month's moon ceremony by contributing a new tobacco…

Takaji My Relatives

It was a solemn honor for me to travel to New Jersey on Sunday May 19 so that I could officiate a sacred CROSSING-OVER ceremony for the hupia (soul) of Don Ramon, the father of my Taino spiritual brother Tomas Baibramael.

My friendly relations with this brother and his…

It was a pleasure to share our Taino Equinox tradition on Saturday March 23 2012 with a  group of my dear friends from the Peaceburgh community here at the CANEY INDIGENOUS SPIRITUAL CIRCLE Verona Pennsylvania Healing and…

Takaji My Relatives

It was a distinct honor for us here at the Verona, Pennsylvania Healing and Teaching Lodge of theCANEY INDIGENOUS SPIRITUAL CIRCLE to welcome Mechica (Aztec) holy woman Ana Cihuacoatl to our ceremonial center on…

LA HAMACA DE MADERA

THE WOODEN HAMMOCK

Un analisis de la forma typica de los…