Guaikano

DID YOU KNOW: The term guaikano (guaicano) is a Taino word for the remorafish (scientific name Echeneidae). Sometimes called a suckerfish, the guaikano (remora) is best known for its distinctive dorsal fin, which takes the form of an oval, sucker-like organ allowing them to take a firm hold against the skin of larger marine animals and even boats. Usually found in tropical or temperate waters, guaikano are known to grow between 1-3 ft long (30–90 cm). Among the Taino, the guaikano was once used by fisherman, specifically, because of its abilities to attach on to larger animals such as turtles and sharks. A cord or “kabuia (cabuya)” would be tied to the guaikano’s tail, and once the fish attached, a Taino fisherman could simply haul in both the guaikano and its host. - UCTP Taino News © 2011

Illustration: Modesto Garcia 

The Taíno and the 13 Moon Calendar

DID YOU KNOW: The ancient Taíno observed the solar and lunar cycles in calendar fashion. Many of the ancient ceremonial grounds and ball courts (batei/batey) are aligned with equinoxes and solstices. Elders note that life was based on these cycles and in particular to a 28 day moon calendar that is in alignment with the female menstrual cycle. Even into contemporary times the importance of the lunar cycle is observed by traditional agricultural workers, medicinal plant specialists, and fishermen, etc. Some elders state that the 28 day observance translated into a 13 moon calendar, which was actually a ‘solar-lunar’ calendar harmoniously following the Earth’s journey around the sun. A few Taíno words for moon are karaia (caraya), nonum and kati. Among the Sibonei (Siboney) Taíno in Kuba, the human-like personification of the moon was a long-haired female being called Maroia (Maroya) who came down from the sky during the new moon to bathe in certain lagoons. In the Taino and related languages the word for moon was usually the same word for month. – UCTP Taino News © 2011

Hatuei...

DID YOU KNOW: Hatuei (Hatuey) was a Taíno kasike (chief) from the island of Kiskeia (Hispaniola), who lived in the early sixteenth century. Hatuei fled Kiskeia with about 400 followers to warn the Taino of Kuba about the Spaniards. Bartolomé de Las Casas later attributed the following speech to Hatuei while he was showing a basket of gold to the Sibonei Taíno community of Kaobana. Hatuei declared “Here is the God the Spaniards worship. For these they fight and kill; for these they persecute us and that is why we have to throw them into the sea... They tell us, these tyrants, that they adore a God of peace and equality, and yet they usurp our land and make us their slaves. They speak to us of an immortal soul and of their eternal rewards and punishments, and yet they rob our belongings, seduce our women, violate our daughters. Incapable of matching us in valor, these cowards cover themselves with iron that our weapons cannot break...” As a result of Hatuei’s guerrilla tactics against the Spaniards, he was able to confine them to their fort at Baracoa for a time. He was finally captured and before he was burnt alive at the stake, a priest asked him if he would accept Jesus and go to heaven. Hatuei asked the priest “if Christians went to heaven.” The priest answered “yes” to which Hatuei is said to have replied “I do not want to go there, but to hell so I will not be anywhere where they are and where I would not see such cruel people”. Hatuei was executed by the Spaniards on February 2, 1512. He is celebrated as "Cuba's First National Hero." – UCTP Taino News © 2011

The West Indian Boa: MAHA

Did You Know: West Indian boas (Epicrates) snakes that are found throughout the Caribbean islands. In the Major Antilles, some species are still known by their Taino name MAHA (Maja). These snakes range in size and coloration. Maha are primarily ground-dwellers, although they may also climb trees. On several Caribbean islands Maha gather at cave entrances at night, snatching bats out of the air as they exit or enter the cave. As in other boas, the Maha young feed on small animals such as lizards, whereas the large adults tend to feed on larger mammals and birds. Generally speaking, each island has a single, unique species. The exception is the island of Kiskeia (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), which has three species. The Cuba Boa is one of the largest of the boa group or genus and it is the primary predator of the hutia (Capromys Pilorides), an indigenous island rodent. Like many Maha, they are endangered today not only by natural phenomenum like hurricanes but also from deforestation. Maha also also endanger from local island residents who kill these snakes thinking they are a threat to poultry. The Maha can be seen depicted in ancient Taino art forms from stone work to wood and clay. For the ancient Taino, the Maha was not seen as an ill omen but part of the nature world with its own unique lessons to share. - - UCTP Taino News © 2009

Cuba: Hanabanilla

Did You Know - Hanabanilla is a forest reserve located in the central part of Cuba, and it is named after the daughter of a local Taino chief. According to local oral tradition, Hanabanilla means “small basket of gold” in the Cuban Taino dialect. Oral tradition also relates that the young “princess” Hanabanilla was the daughter of a well-respected Kasike (chief) named Arimao and she used the waters of the river that also bears her name as a mirror. The Hanabanilla reserve is located in the Escambray Mountains and is also well-known for its beautiful vegetation, river, water fall, and endemic species such as the Sapo de Hanabanilla. – UCTP Taino News © 2008

Baseball

Did You Know - Baseball as sport has its origins in the Taino batu game played in Cuba and throughout the Caribbean. Spanish chroniclers who traveled to the islands during the conquest and colonization periods provide evidence of this activity. The batu game was played at the batei/batey (ball field/court/ceremonial ground) and players used a ball made of resin and shaped leaves. As recorded in Cuba, in some cases, this ball was hit with an instrument similar to an oar or spade. According to Cuban linguists there is a relation in the origin of the words bate (bat) and batear (hit) with the corresponding words batey and batu used by the Tainos. – UCTP Taino News © 2007

See also:

http://www.cubaheadlines.com/2007/07/02/4218/history_of_baseball_in_cuba.html

Guayaba is Taino

Did You Know - Guayaba or Guaiaba is the Taino word for the guava fruit and it is native to the Caribbean, Central and South America. The fruit is edible, having a sweet soft interior with a thin delicate rind. The rind varies in color from green to light green or yellow in its mature or "ready to eat" state. When eating guava fruit two things you will notice is that it has small hard seeds as you bite into it as well as a distinctive aroma. Guava is said to be a good source of Vitamins A, B, and C and is a common flavor of juices and desserts in the Caribbean. Guayaba leaves have been used as remedy for diarrhea and the leaves are considered to have antimicrobial properties. The same anti-diarrheal substances which are useful in "folk medicine" may also cause constipation in the case of consumption of large amounts of guava fruit. In Cuba guava leaves are also used in barbecues providing a smoked flavor and scent to the meat. According to Taino oral tradition, the chief or guardian of Coaibei, the Taino spirit world, is named Maketarie Guayaba. Among the Taino it is also said that ancestral spirits or huipia leave Coaibei in the evening, sometimes taking the form of bats who feed on the Guayaba fruit. - UCTP Taino News (c) 2007