We celebrated Winter Solstice in Pittsburgh and Miami

[Miguel Sague Jr]

Tau My Relatives

The Caney Indigenous Spiritual Circle celebrated its annual Winter Solstice Ceremony in two separate locations this month. On Saturday Dec 20 we participated in the traditional Solstice rituals at the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On the following Saturday, December 27 we celebrated the same Return To The Divine Womb ceremony at Women's Park in Miami, Florida.

Both ceremonies were powerful statements of our on-going commitment to maintain our sacred connection with our ancestors and the spirits of our Taino Tradition.

On Dec 20 at the Pittsburgh Indian Center We were joined by BoricuaTaino beike of the Caney Spiritual Circle Chris Siba Boinael of the Western New Jersey/Philadelphia region. He honored us by performing the role of Yoka Hu during both the Shark Dance and Return to the Divine Womb Ceremony. We want to give a sincere Bo Matun to our brother Chris for travelling all the way accross the state and his participation in this celebration. I also want to express my gratitude to our sister Stephany CrowHawk Simmons, a Pittsburgh-based beike of the Caney Circle, for the invaluable contributions that she and her daughter, Areya offered to the celebration that day. We are all particularly grateful for the deliscious chili and other great food that was shared by the participants there. Ultimately my sincere thanks also go to all the wonderful people who joined us at the Indian Center on that cold afternoon. Bo Matun to all of my brothers and sisters, both Taino and non-Taino who participated.

On Dec 27 at Women's Park in Miami we were honored by the presence of United Confederation of Taino People's representative, Grandmother Karaira.

She honored us even further by performing the sacred role of Ata Bey during the ceremony. I was proud of the great job done by my son Miguel Bano Manigua Sague on the Mayohuakan drum. He kept the sacred rhythm throughout all of our songs
The ceremony this year was again blessed by the participation of our dear brother, the Boricua Taino Edgar Konuk Ceiba Rodriguez, Caney Circle beike since 1992.

Mark, a young Kubanakan Taino friend of beike Konuk rendered the honor of performing the sacred role of Yoka Hu during the ceremony.

We were joined by almost 40 celebrants from all over the Florida area including Tainos from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Boriken. I also had the satisfaction of hosting my own relatives, My father, my sisters and many of my nieces and their husbands and boyfriends, and of course, my grand-nephew Stryder.

It was a glorious afternoon of tradition, song and prayer which was culminated by a grand participation in the guaitiao dance, led by Beike Edgar Konuk and first introduced to the Caney Circle in 1991 by Caney Circle beike, Domingo Turey Hernandez.

A heart-felt Bo Matun to all of those who participated in this beautiful celebration of LIFE.

Taino Ti

Miguel Sobaoko Koromo Sague

[Juan Almonte]

Hey brother. My bad. I assumed that he was from my island. I saw that you said that there were tainos from boriken, cuba, hait and dominican rep. So I thought he was from DR.

It funny cause, cause now I see how much you guys look like eachother. The funny thing too that I went to his page and saw that I actually posted a comment on one of his pictures. He got one labeled "Trefalger Falls, Dominica" just beatuiful. I god is welling I will one day go see it in person.

Anyways happy new year to you and all the members here.

[Miguel Sague Jr]

Tau Brother Juan
The young man in the grey shirt is actually my own son Miguel BanoManigua Sague. Of course, because his father is Kubanakan Taino (Ciboney from Cuba) and his mother is half Kubanakan Taina and half Boriken Taina, taht makes him three fourhs Kubanakan and one fourth Boriken Taino.

He has a profile page in this network http://indigenouscaribbean.ning.com/profile/MulatoCubano
Taino Ti
Miguel Sobaoko Koromo Sague

[Juan Almonte]

Marks that man using a bow and arrow. A whiled back I found a a archery shooting range not to far from my house. They use compound bows. A friend and I were going to join together but we never followed threw. Once my financial situation clears up I will follow up.

[Juan Almonte]

Brother you got some guns there. I need to get my ass in the gym too.

You mentioned haitian tainos. A while back Jorge mentioned them to me. I would love to meet some of them. I read a while back that in haiti taino are only 5% of the population. I wonder if there are any updates on that.


Question the guy on the bottom two pictures, he is wearing a grey shirt. Is he a taino from kiskeya.? He has very strong amerdian looks to me. I know there are alot of cubans in florida but I know there are dominicans there too. I got family living there too.