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Students Name: Renee Gayle

Teacher’s Name: Ms. Johnson

Class: 109

Date: January 29, 2021

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Who are the Tainos and when did the come to Jamaica?

The Taíno were an Arawak people who were the indigenous people of the Caribbean and

Florida. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the principal
inhabitants of most of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti),
and Puerto Rico.

In the Greater Antilles, the northern Lesser Antilles, and the Bahamas, they were known as
the Lucayans and spoke the Taíno language, a derivative of the Arawakan languages.

The ancestors of the Taíno entered the Caribbean from South America. At the time of contact,
the Taíno were divided into three broad groups, known as the Western Taíno (Jamaica, most of
Cuba, and the Bahamas), the Classic Taíno (Hispaniola and Puerto Rico) and the Eastern Taíno
(northern Lesser Antilles). A fourth, lesser known group went on to travel to Florida and divided
into tribes. At present, we know there are four named tribes; the Tequesta, Calusa, Jaega and Ais.
Other tribes are known to have settled in Florida, but their names are not known.
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Jamaica's first inhabitants, the Tainos (also called the Arawaks), were a peaceful people
believed to be from South America. It was the Tainos who met Christopher Columbus
when he arrived on Jamaica's shores in 1494. Spanish settlements flourished until the
1600s, During the 1650s the Spanish lost Jamaica to the British, who established large
and lucrative sugar plantations.

Food and Agriculture

Taíno staples included vegetables, fruit, meat, and fish. There were no large animals native to the
Caribbean, but they captured and ate small animals, such as hutias and other
mammals, earthworms, lizards, turtles, and birds. Manatees were speared and fish were caught in
nets, speared, trapped in weirs, or caught with hook and line. Wild parrots were decoyed with
domesticated birds, and iguanas were taken from trees and other vegetation. The Taíno stored
live animals until they were ready to be consumed: fish and turtles were stored in weirs, hutias
and dogs were stored in corrals.[47]
Because of the lack of large game, the Taíno people became very skilled fishermen. One method
was to hook a remora, also known as a suckerfish, to a line secured to a canoe and wait for the
fish to attach itself to a larger fish or even a sea turtle. Once this happened, some of the Taíno
would dive into the water to assist in retrieving the catch. Another method used by the Taínos
was to shred the stems and roots of poisonous senna plants and throw them into nearby streams
or rivers. Upon eating the bait, the fish were stunned, allowing boys time enough to collect them.
This toxin did not affect the edibility of the fish. The Taíno also collected mussels and oysters in
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shallow waters within the exposed mangrove roots.[48] Some young boys hunted waterfowl from
flocks that "darkened the sun", according to Christopher Columbus.[40]
Taíno groups in the more developed islands, such as Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and Jamaica, relied
more on agriculture (farming and other jobs). Fields for important root crops, such as the
staple yuca, were prepared by heaping up mounds of soil, called conucos. This improved soil
drainage and fertility as well as delaying erosion, allowed for longer storage of crops in the
ground. Less important crops such as corn were raised in simple clearings created by slash and
burn technique. Typically, conucos were three feet high and nine feet in circumference and were
arranged in rows.[49] The primary root crop was yuca or cassava, a woody shrub cultivated for its
edible and starchy tuberous root. It was planted using a coa, a kind of hoe made completely from
wood. Women processed the poisonous variety of cassava by squeezing it to extract the toxic
juices. Then they would grind the roots into flour for baking bread. Batata (sweet potato) was the
next most important root crop.[49]
Contrary to mainland practices, corn was not ground into flour and baked into bread but was
cooked and eaten off the cob. Corn bread becomes moldy faster than cassava bread in the high
humidity of the Caribbean. Corn also was used to make an alcoholic beverage known as chicha.
[50]
 The Taíno grew squash, beans, peppers, peanuts, and pineapples. Tobacco, calabashes (West
Indian pumpkins), and cotton were grown around the houses. Other fruits and vegetables, such
as palm nuts, guavas, and Zamia roots, were collected from the wild.[49]

THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF THE TAINOS

The political structure of the Tainos was a hierarchical one, where the islands were broken up
into groups. Each island was then divided into states and ruled by each own’s chief, which they
called a caciques. Each state was then again divided into districts, which was ruled by a sub-
chief, if you will. Their social structure consisted of three classes, the naborias; the working
class, the nitaínos; sub-chiefs, the bohiques;nobleman, priests, or men of medicine, and the
caciques; the chief. The role of the women generally planted and harvest the fields, prepared the
food, cared for their children, made pottery, and processed cotton and other plants into different
fibers into which they made other products. The women clearly had a very important role for the
Taino economy.
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What has the Tainos contributed to Jamaica?

1. Plants and crops

Many of the delectable fruits and vegetables that we enjoy today was also once enjoyed
by the Taino people. They practiced subsistence living, hence they had no food in
surplus.

As such, farming and cultivating crops was a part of the Tainos daily life. In fact, it was
common practice for Taino homes to have gardens to plant crops.

Here are some of the crops that the Tainos cultivated that can be found today:
o Mammee Apple
o Pineapple
o Star Apples
o Naseberries
o Guavas
o Cashews
o Maize
o Cassava
o Sweet Potatoes
o Ground Nuts
o Peanuts

2. Culinary Skills

The Tainos were also skillful and creative in their cooking methods as well. Many of our
delectable dishes that people have come to know, and love are inspired by our Taino
ancestors.

Here’s a few:

o Bammy - The cassava root was a primary root crop that was cultivated by the
Tainos and baked into a flat cassava bread. The dish was prepared by first cutting
the cassava into small pieces, after which they would squeeze out the poisonous
juice from the cassava pieces.
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When this is done, they would shape the juiced cassava thrash into slab-like bread and bake
them.

Today, these cassava bread are known as “bammy” and it has become a popular Jamaican dish. It
is usually coupled with Esctovich fish (a cuisine from the Spaniards).

o Pepper Pot Soup - Another delicacy that we inherited from the Tainos is Pepper
Pot Soup!

This dish, which is a mixture of meat and vegetable, is described as being rich and
savoury. Although some additions have been included in the recipe, Pepper Pot
remains an important delicacy on the dining table of many Jamaican homes.

o Jerk – Whether you prefer Jerk Chicken, Jerk Pork or Jerk Rabbit we can’t deny
that jerk is a staple Jamaica culinary skill.

3. Tobacco Smoking

When the Spaniards first came in contact with the Tainos, they thought that they had
small firebrands in their mouths. However, it was really tobacco leaves rolled together.

The Tainos enjoyed smoking tobacco. But it was not only used for recreation, it also held
a special place in religious ceremonies, feasts and celebrations.

4. Carvings, artistry and other craftsmanship

Many of the artifacts found are a testament to the fine craftsmanship of the Taino people.
They were skilled in various areas such as woodworking, pottery, weaving cotton &
carving wood and stone.

The Tainos also made their gods, called zemis, out of wood, bone, clay and stone for
religious purposes. They also made clay cups, bowls and other vessels.

Today, when I visit the local craft market and see wooden figurines and beautiful
Jamaican inspired carving, I am reminded of the Tainos contribution through
craftsmanship.
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5. Fishing

Fish and other sea creatures, like the sea turtles and manatee, were some of the Tainos
source of protein. As a result, the Tainos had very skilled fisherman and used unique
fishing methods.

For instance, they would tie one end of the line to a remora (suckerfish) and the other on
their canoe. They would let the remora swim away from the canoe until it attaches itself
to larger fish or a turtle.

Once the remora is attached, they would pull it in and capture their prey. Today, although
more efficient methods are being used, fishing remains an important part of our culture.

6. Hammock Making

The Tainos used the cotton they cultivated and wove them into hammocks and used them
to sleep in.

7. Canoe Making

The advancement of technology over the years has allowed us to travel around the world
at a fast pace. But we often see some of our ancestors’ mode of transportation being
replicated. One such mode of transportation was canoes.

The Tainos island hopped from one country to the next by travelling in canoes which
they built out of tree trunks.

As you see the legacy of the Taino still beats strong in the island of Jamaica. And the
beautiful thing is that you can still find a few remnants of taino (Arawak) life in many
of our museums today. I noticed a few in the National Museum West at the Montego
Cultural Center recently.
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