The Second Discovery of Taino

[Keiahani]

In Puerto Rico the indigenous identity has been a blend of staged historical reenactments and Indian hobbyist. The Nuyorican Movement however had a plethora of information regarding the Native American movements. They also had a vital resource: other natives. It is from these natives that state side Tainos learned about the Indian reality, continuity, affirmation, and nation building. In other words restoring and preserving the culture,the Daca Taino movement, and the process of the restored nation/confederation/intertribal councils. Tainos in the states also took on native issues like poverty in reservations, the incarceration of Leonard Peltier, encroachment onto native land, and violations of treaty. State side Tainos have also fought for repatriation which resulted in the return of ancestral remains back to the indigenous community headed by Don Panchito in La Rancheria en Baracoa, Cuba. State Side Tainos were also able to remove the word extinct when it came to the Taino in the Merriam Webster dictionary.

It is because of our experiences within the states we are able to understand the global Indigenous reality and awareness. The Tainos from the US of A might be deprived of island life but by not being present it has broadened our perspective on what it means to be indigenous. By no means am I blaming the Island Taino for being romantic or stereotyping because I know that they are the by product of a staged culture. In essence their model for indigenous identity is a historical reenactment, which i consider just another part of cultural genocide and globalization. All of these beginnings are pre-genetic study. They happened before the Mitochondrial DNA was even a blink in the Taino's eye. After the Daca Taino movement in the untied states and the DNA studies, the staged culture [historical reenactment] in Puerto Rico began to identify as taino and no longer as indigenous hobbyist.

Now we are in the stages of the second "discovery" based on DNA. It has also brought a new wave of Taino that focuses solely or the majority of their indigenous identity on characteristics and traits. It has also brought a wave of Caribbean students who feel that the taino movement is new and up for them to redefine or reinvent without any cultural contributions of the founding pioneers in taino revival. -Which are the majority of the verifiers of the "authenticity" of the staged culture.

So my question is why do the new comers to the movement spite the same people that pioneered it and refuse to learn from their experiences?

how can people ignore what has been presented to them by the same tainos that gave birth to the taino identity?

if affirmation is one element of resurgence why aren't people ready to learn about the resurgence? or is it even about resurgence at all?

Or is Daca taino now just about DNA? what type of nation will this ideology leave?

[Caracoli]

can you elaborate ?

[Caracoli]

Taino Ti


The 2nd discovery title is a metaphor not to be taken literaly.
Brooke I think there is much more to add and this post can be a informative essay on how Taino Revival is being looked at by current Indigenous Caribbean students.

tainoray

[Caracoli]

Ruben said

"The Colorado Indians of Ecuador, know the Western-Civilizations, they have lawyers, jurists, journalists, and some other skills to fight te oppressor, they have entrepenurs as well."

Now imajine if other residents in Ecuador said that they too have Colorado Indian Blood

Then they start to redefine what Colorado Indian Culture is all about

They start talking about racial characteristics, admixture dna

And not about the work the jurist, journalist, lawyers have done

what future will they have ?

[Caracoli]

Ruben said

"And the key is in the hand of future, native leaders, for resolving the question, and I think those native future leadars are already here, but they are just born children, the future adults"

Many of the original people who started this Resurgence in the 90's

ARE STILL ALIVE

Some lead Taino organizations

Others continue their work of the restoration

They continue to speak with the pueblo

They continue their Art

They participate with other Native peoples

They fight against the desecration of Burial sites

Are the students learning from their example ?

Are they interested in taking on the important work that has to be done ?

[Keiahani]

I really dislike when people avoid or distort the topic I present, I was being sarcastic when I labeled it the second discovery as i do with all my post, please Ruben reread and then read it over, I seriously think that you a being hindered my a language barrier into understanding what people say on this site, its a nuisance at times but i think you are going to have to add initiative and reread till you understand, or maybe convert the text into Spanish, because Spanish is your native tongue and it might develop a better understanding of the concepts for you.

[Keiahani]

agreed

[Ivy]

I think a major part of the problem lies in the fact that our modern society is infatuated with youth. It's all about the youth culture, staying young...if there were more respect for elders as there is in many other cultures there would be much more emphasis on restoring tradition and following the footsteps of those who came before.

[Keiahani]

please stick to the topic, and try to steer away from tangents, i really would like to know everyone's opinion on this issue, maybe possibly try and answer the questions that i have listed

[Caracoli]

Hey Samuel and Ivy

I mean no offense but I have a question

In what ways will people like yourselves and your children carry on this Taino Resurgence after the founding fathers have passed ?

tainoray

[Caracoli]

Read the post, It tells you

[Ivy]

Honestly I know very, very little about the Resurgence and am taking baby steps. I wasn't raised with my Taino culture (or rather, I was raised with certain elements of the culture but was unaware that they were Taino) but I realize the importance of keeping traditions alive and erasing the extinction theory. I have A LOT more to learn before I can say how I'm going to keep the Resurgence alive. But like I said, I'm taking baby steps. I try to educate my children about who we are as a people and how we are being oppressed, and to not be afraid to go against society and be cast as an outsider. There are Taino elements in my spirituality, which I will pass on to my children as well. The more research I do for myself, the more I will be able to pass on to them.

[Caracoli]

I'm still waiting Samuel

How will carry on our Resergence ?