Table of Contents

Instructions Page
Format required Page
The Tainos Page
Materials used in construction of their houses Page
Page
Use of sculptures in their religious practices Page
Integration of artforms into their infrastructure and craftmanship Page
Page
Page
References/ Bibliography Page
Instructions:
Utilizing the groups each student was placed in, complete the following activities relating to the
Amerindian subgroup known as the Tainos. This assignment consists of three (3) main parts,
which include:

A. Part A
List four (4) materials used by the Tainos of the Caribbean to construct their homes.
Maximum marks to be awarded: Four (4) marks

B. Part B
Outline three (3) ways in which sculptures were used in the religious practices of the Tainos.
This section should be done in paragraph format and be well organized.
Maximum marks awarded: Nine (9) marks

C. Part C
Describe three (3) ways indigenous art forms were used in the buildings and craftsmanship of the
Tainos.
Maximum marks awarded: Twelve (12) marks
Total number of marks: twenty-five (25)
Due Date: October 3rd, 2022
Format required
References: Your assignment MUST include references (for the websites, books, files, etc.,) used
when gathering and including information.
Legal Font: Times New Roman
Legal Font Size: The legal font size must be 12.
Spacing: There must be a spacing of 1.5 or 2.
 The Tainos

The Tainos
The Tainos were a skillful set of Amerindians, our indigenous people, who mainly dabbled in
agriculture, craft, and hunting. They were a group of Arawakan people who utilized their
environment to conduct shifting agriculture. Shifting agriculture would result in the clearing and
burning of a plot of land. It was used to plant and host livestock until no further cultivation could
be conducted. Another plot of land nearby would then undergo the same process until it was
deemed ‘non-fertile’. They planted crops like peppers, squash, tobacco, peanuts, cassava, and
maize. They often got their food through hunting with spears and bows and arrows. They made
pottery, baskets, clothes, and other items out of wood, straw, clay, animals, and stone. Nose
rings, earrings, necklaces, and other jewelry were often worn daily and for special occasions. The
male Tainos wore loincloths while females wore cotton or palm fiber aprons.
 A. Part A
List four (4) materials used by the Tainos of the Caribbean to construct their homes.

The Tainos were a skillful group of craftsmen who utilized their surroundings and natural
resources to create breathtaking art pieces such as sculptures, jewelry, etc., and infrastructure.
They used a variety of materials to create beautiful pieces. Some of the materials used by this
specific group of people located in the Caribbean to build their homes are:
1. Palm leaves
Palm leaves are used as nutritional feed for animals and may be harvested to make oil or
was. In Amerindian villages, they were used to create traditional crafts such as baskets,
hats, and even houses.

2. Logs
Logs were cut and used to create houses and furniture, carve canoes and bowls,
decoration, and even jewelry.

3. Straw
Logs were cut and used to create houses and furniture, carve canoes and bowls,
decoration, and even jewelry.
4. Straw
Straws are grains of dry, stalky plant residue that make be used for construction, bedding,
or packing. It may also be used for braiding, plaiting, or even weaving.

5. Mud
Mud is a versatile material that can change composition and consistency depending on
external conditions. It is semi-fluid material that is used to adhere to materials, seal, and
coat. It can be hard and rough or soft and sticky with the addition or removal of water.
This was used to construct cutlery and other items.
 B. Part B
Outline three (3) ways in which sculptures were used in the religious practices of the Tainos.
The Taino tribe was very religious and often devoted sculptures and traditional practices to
worship their gods and goddess. Three ways in which sculptures were used in their religious
practices are:

 Point One
The Amerindians heavily emphasized a good, natural death and harmony with nature. They
believed that enduring suffering and respecting others were very important for the survival and
thriving of their societies. As such, they paid respects to both their gods and ancestors frequently.
A zemi or cemi was an ancestral spirit or deity worshiped by the Tainos. They are small figurines
made out of stone, wood, bone, clay, shell, and cotton. The zemi structures were used as an
offering to their deities to showcase respect and loyalty. It was also used as a form of asking for
forgiveness or blessings and protection or honor to a dead

 Point Two
This particular group of Arawakan people made sculptures called zemi and carved three-pointed
rocks using mud, stone, wood, and bones. They also produced elaborate petroglyphs, which is an
art form created by removing a piece of rock by carving, picking, scraping, etc. The Tainos also
created pictographs that could be found on ceramics or as tattoos. These sculptures were used to
reinforce and remind the population of its history and religious beliefs. Zemi structures of
various gods were constructed for various reasons. For example, a zemi of the goddess Atabey
was used to signify and ask for good fertility and fresh water. They also organized dances in the
village courts during special festivals to pay attribute to their deities and seek advice. These
dances were done in public.

 Point Three
These small figurines or statues were used to communicate with the psychic world and as
a physical representation of their deities. This communication was only done by caciques
and shamans. The Tainos often communicated with the non-living world to explain the
chaos and pandemonium of life through healing rituals, fertility rituals, divination rituals,
and ancestorial cults. This communication was often achieved through the use of
hallucinogenic drugs or cohoba and was only done for religious purposes. All citizens or
members of the tribe were required to have a zemi but only the caciques and behiques
were allowed to have ones of a higher power.
 C. Part C
Describe three (3) ways indigenous art forms were used in the buildings and craftsmanship of
the Tainos.
There were several different kinds of Taino tribal art made by the Taino people. You could
say that they added an artistic touch to the majority of their everyday objects. Without the use
of metal tools, they achieved an impressive production of ceremonial and ornamental objects
with well-defined characteristics. Three ways in which indigenous art forms were used in the
buildings and the craftsmanship of the Tainos are:

 Point One
Decoration and Furniture
The Tainos utilized various types of art forms such as zemis, petroglyphs, and pictographs to
decorate their buildings, craft, and other infrastructure. Zemis can be defined as sculptures
created about spirits, gods, or ancestors. Petroglyphs are images created by carving into rocks,
while pictographs are symbols or images that represent an idea or event. They would use crafts
such as carved chairs, as known as a duho, that would be used for special occasions such as
festivals. On these special occasions, they would sniff a powder called cohoba which they
believe connects you to the spiritual world, the powder would be kept in a zemi sculpture and
only the cacique and ritual specialists would inhale it. They made hammocks for sleeping,
pottery out of abode clay for cooking and storing, and baskets known as matoutou for holding
items that were created using intricate designs and processes. Despite having very limited
furniture in their homes or huts, they had small pieces used for decoration and sleeping.

 Point Two
For farming
Largely agricultural, the Tainos farmed crops such as yams, corn, cassava, and squash. They
were also excellent hunters and fishermen and often traveled amid the islands for this purpose. It
is estimated that they cultivated or managed more than 80 different plants that provided food,
medicine for their ailments, and fibers for nets, rope, and hammocks. The first groups of Tainos
that arrived at the island of La Hispaniola were carvers of silex or flint, from which they made
various artifacts such as pointed tips for handles or weapons, knives, scrapers, hammers, burins,
drills, chisels, and chopping blocks. They used tools like chisels made of stone and shell. They
were especially used to cut stone, wood, bone, and shell as well as for finishing touches. The
coastal natives relied heavily on fishing and tended to eat their fish either raw or only partially
cooked. Since they did grow cotton on the island, they also had fishing nets, clothes, and other
objects made of cotton.
  Point Three
Religious Purposes
The Tainos were a polytheistic civilization, that worshiped a wide variety of important ancestors,
spirits, and gods known as ‘zemi’. As a result, they often included carvings and statues of their
beliefs in agricultural fields, furniture, community facilities, and the cacique’s house. The
Cacique or Toshao’s home, also known as a Caney, was larger than the other citizen’s homes or
Bohios as many ceremonial occasions were observed there. Only ritual specialists and caciques
conducted and participated in ceremonial rituals that involved communication with the spiritual
world for blessings, curing, and protection. They believed in two main gods, Yucahu, the god of
the sea and cassava, and Atabey the goddess of fertility and fresh water and mother of Yucahu.
Many other gods and goddesses of lesser status associated with natural resources and forces were
also worshiped. Such examples include Maketaori Guayaba, the god of the dead, and
Guabancex, the goddess of hurricanes. The Tainos used a physical representation of the gods and
goddesses known as ‘zemi’ which were icons with abstract human or animal features carved
from wood, stone, or bone. These artifacts were also pictographs and petroglyphs carved into
rocks and pottery and were often included in ceremonial rituals and located in the Caney. Zemi
figures emphasized the head which was believed to be the location of spiritual power and was
used as personal adornment, stands, and relics. Secondly, Three-pointed stones were similar to
Zemi statutes and often included human or animalistic features. They were often buried in
cassava fields or conucos for a good harvest and other agricultural fertility. It may have also been
used to encourage human reproduction. Last but not least, ceremonial axe blades, known as celts,
are smooth, lobe-shaped objects in the shape of flower petals that were used as offerings to
deities.
 References
Pictures
 https://m.indiamart.com/proddetail/pine-wood-logs-6309123048.html
 https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photos-straws-texture-image2889243
 https://www.jamaicaglobalonline.com/pre-history-the-tainos-of-jamaica/
 https://www.freepik.com/premium-photo/background-dried-palm-leaves-is

superimposed_24346111.htm

 https://lostandtaken.com/downloads/brown-mud-nature-texture/

Information
 Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, May 8). Taino. Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Taino
 https://study.com/academy/lesson/taino-artifacts-art-petroglyphs-symbols.html
 https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-americas/early-cultures/xf20f462f:taino/a/
introduction-to-taino-art
 https://study.com/academy/lesson/taino-artifacts-art-petroglyphs-symbols.html
 https://artsandculture.google.com/usergallery/the-sculptures-of-religion/
WgIyM3g7EM5gLw
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zemi