Reconnecting Taino/Arawak

[Ricky K]

Hi there, I'm very new here and still learning to navigate the forums and pages.

I was wondering if anyone had advice on where to start in terms of learning about Taino culture, especially if you have any book recommendations? I've been bookmarking all I can find here.

Both of my grandparents on my father's side were Caribbean - my dad just knows that his dad said he was native. I imagine that both of them were probably Afro-Taino, though I can't know the exact tribe for sure. They were from Jamaica (grandfather) and St. Croix (grandmother, raised in Puerto Rico).

Thank you <3

[Miguel Sague Jr]

There are a large number of books that may be of interest to you. Some of them are about Taino pre-colonial history. Others are about more recent history and even current events in the Taino Resurgence movement. There are also a number of special subjects, such as the one that I specialize in, which is Taino spirituality. If you are interested, I am willing to talk on the phone to share what I know and to give you some advise on how to find more info. My phone number isw 412 969 4009

[Silla]

Reading like crazy helps a lot because, as you probably already noticed, people say ALL SORTS of things online. Educating yourself traditionally lets you be able to see better when someone is adding or clarifying information, or a personal/familial/community practice, versus someone straight up sharing misinformation.

The Tainos: Rise & Decline of the People who Greeted Columbus was my first read in the early 2000s. Historically great, but there is some information in it that has since been disproven, or was simply false, and until scientific data challenged it directly, it was widely believed. But I think starting with dated information and working forward to more modern information might help if you're a structured person seeking a starting place. I am a history enthusiast, so for me, that was a natural place to start my journey.

Once I understood the history, I moved on to spirituality and making sense of my family's stories and practices. I do recommend reading The Caney Indigenous Spiritual Circle wordpress blog to expose yourself to terms and spiritual practices. I always recommend remembering that, like any other culture, different communities within a nation/Larger community have different practices. So while I personally enjoy and found it educational, I can tell you not all yukayekes practice everything there, not all of them have the education, willingness, or connection. And some simply have their family beliefs, and they stick by them. But I genuinely think it is such a valuable source of information and deserves to be read.

I saw that  Miguel Sangue Jr commented- it is written by him and members of his community. I think calling him is a fantastic place to start with in-depth things if you are comfortable with talking on the phone.