The Caribbean Indians were known as the Taino. These natives were the indigenous people of the Bahamas, Haiti/Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Bimini, Jamaica and other Caribbean Islands. The Taino were a seafearing community of peoples based on the land environment and ability to fish and grow crops on the lush land.

The name Taino means “men of good. The Taino are a subgroup of the Arawakan Indians. Christopher Columbus expressed and observed their beauty and amiable living as his voyage seeking the New World led him to the Caribbean Islands. As he observed the Taino populations and planed to colonize them their ethnicity shifted to be now interwoven with European and African influences and peoples.   

Their original language Arawak and was communicated through the Caribbean and South America. The United States Government insists that the Taino, or Arawak speaking people are extinct, but it is thought that most likely they are simply categorized as Latinas or Spanish speaking people.   

A visit to the Caribbean certainly gives one an idea of the beautiful islands, sun, ocean, climate, and lush greenery with some mountainous ranges that the Taino enjoyed and likewise drew in the other influences that eventually led to their colonization and exploitation in many instances. We today can reflect on their goodness and join in with them as part of our Black Red Roots culture.  

Article by CherokeeCloud 

Written October 14, 2006