Comments on: Political scientist rebuts myth of Puerto Rican natives’ extinction

By: Tato Torres

Tato Torres — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 03:05:06 +0000

The Xíbaro Nation
by Tato Torres
☩ ☆ ☠

xíbaro-ximarrón… jíbaro

jíbaro
jíbaro, xíbaro, gíbaro, xívaro, gívaro, jívaro…
xí.ba.ro, jí.ba.ro, gí.ba.ro, etc. n. 1. mountain folk of the island of Puerto Rico; a term used to describe a Puerto Rican peasant; anyone from the countryside. 2.word of indigenous origin; applied originally to one of the numerous groups or nations in which the caribes (Island Caribs) were divided; the Jíbaro nation was characterized by its mountainous habits. (Salvador Brau). 3. Indians (Natives) who escaped into the hills to avoid forced servitude under Spanish colonial rule. (Sued Badillo)  4. (Sp. orthography) jíbaro forest man, i.e. native, term with which Spanish sailors identified the natives, or mountain people in Central and South America. 5. racial classification applied to crosses between Blacks and natives in Spanish Colonial System, (in Brazil) local term of Tupi origin applied to various crosses between Blacks and natives. 6. (in Ecuador & Peru) Jíbaro, Jívaro, Xívaro, Chíwaro: North West Amazonian ethno-linguistic family group (i.e., Shuara, Shuar) with long history of survival and defense against outsiders and a reputation as fierceness warriors in battle, who engage in guerilla tactics and headhunting.

cimarrón
cimarrón, jimarrón, ximarrón
ci.ma.rrón, ji.ma.rrón, xi.ma.rrón, n. 1. maroon: slaves of African origin who escaped seeking freedom away from the dominion of their masters. 2. escaped from domestication.  3. applied to domestic animals, which escape and turn wild. 4. fugitive, escaped, risen, brave.

jímaran
xímaran, jímaran xí.ma.ran, jí.ma.ran, n. 1. word of indigenous origin, arrow fired from the bow.2. escaped from the dominion of man. 3. fugitive, escaped, risen, brave. 4.applied to domestic animals, which escape and turn wild and also to men, first indigenous and later Africans who escaped seeking freedom away from the dominion of the master.

The word jíbaro (modern spelling in Puerto Rico) represents today what is generally understood to be the “true and genuine Puerto Rican.” The Puerto Rican jíbaros were originally the “mountain folk” of Puerto Rico, and the term jíbaro, does still refer to peasants or to anyone from the countryside, The term jíbaro, most probably developed from an indigenous word (xímaran/jímaran) ; meaning, an arrow fired from the bow, which is no longer under the archer’s control, or escaped from the dominion of man and an escaped fugitive. The word jíbaro has been applied to domestic animals, which escape and turn “wild”, and also applied to men, first indigenous and later Africans who escaped seeking freedom away from the dominion of the colonial masters. The term jíbaro is also applied to plants in their wild, natural or undomesticated state, which suggests that jíbaro refers to the act of existing independently and not just to the act of escaping from dominion.

The terms Jíbaro, Jívaro, Xívaro and Chíwaro (in Ecuador & Peru) are applied to a North West Amazonian language family group (i.e.,Shuara, Shuar) with a long history of survival and defense against outsiders and a reputation as fierceness warriors who engage in guerilla tactics and headhunting.

The word jíbaro is a term closely related to maroon, derived from the Spanishcimarrón The word cimarrón also derives from the same indigenous word (xímara/jímaran) and as jíbaro, was first used to identify fugitive “Indians” (natives) who had escaped from the encomiendas, which were grants of land and people given to ensure subordination of the conquered populations and the use of their labor by the Spanish colonizers and as a means to reward Spanish subjects for services rendered to the crown. The word jíbaro was later also used to Black slaves who escaped seeking freedom away from the dominion of their masters. It also means escaped from domestication or undomesticated. By 1530 rural slaves who escaped from plantations towards to the forest were calledcimarrones, but domestic slaves who escaped from one village or another, were called “runaways”. The term cimarrón was not only applied to the slaves that actually escaped, but also to their descendants who inhabited cimarróncommunities. Like the word jíbaro, it was also applied to domestic animals, which escape and turn wild.

On June 2nd of 1820, the work titled ”Coplas del Jíbaro”, were published in the newspaper El Investigador. In 1835 ”xíbaro” surfaces in French and American documents. In 1849, Dr. Manuel Alonzo, published his book, ”El Gíbaro.” For Puerto Ricans, the word jíbaro, generally refers to mountain folk of the island of Puerto Rico. It is a term used to describe a Puerto Rican peasant or anyone from the countryside. It is also a word, which was apparently originally applied to one of the numerous groups or “nations” in which the Caribes (Caribs) were divided; the Jíbaro nation was supposedly characterized by its mountainous habits (Salvador Brau). It was also applied to Indians who escaped into the hills to avoid forced servitude under Spanish colonial rule (Sued Badillo).

The word jíbaro and its many variations (xíbaro, gíbaro, xívaro, gívaro, jívaro, etc.) can be said to mean “forest man”. It was the term with which Spanish sailors identified the natives, or “mountain people” in Central and South America, those they had not yet conquered. It was also a racial classification applied to crosses between Blacks and Natives in the Spanish colonial system. In Brazil it is still a local term of Tupi origin applied to various crosses between Africans and Natives.

To say jíbaro in Puerto Rico is to refer to the most “native” or “national” identity of the Puerto Rican people, that which is genuinely Puerto Rican. From the late sixteenth century until present times, “native” or “national” culture in Puerto Rico has carried the imprint of, not only the European culture imposed by Spanish and US colonization, but also strong and significant traces of Native and African cultural elements. Most “native” or “national” cultural manifestations of Puerto Ricans have fallen within the wider framework of Criollo or in specific, Jíbaro civilization, without disregarding the influences of the non-Hispanic Caribbean.Up to about the second half of the 19th century, the mountainous central range of the island, known as the Cordillera Central, was an agricultural settlement. Its settlers, pioneers of the indigenous population and a strong and significant presence of numerous imported Africans, along with the those of Mediterranean and Peninsular descent, slowly developed the foundations of what is recognizable today as the distinct culture and folklore of the region. The traits of the “native” population, the Africans, and later that of the European settlers and immigrants during the mid-19th century greatly influenced Puerto Rican customs and traditions to eventually form what can be described as the jíbaro (mountain folk) culture characteristic of the region.

Some of the most important aspects of these people’s way of life were projected directly on the daily lives and the social and cultural expressions of the population of this area. For various circumstances, the inhabitants of this area were until quite recently, subjected to an extreme geographical and social isolation. This allowed for the preservation and development of cultural traditions with respective regional peculiarities. The Puerto Rican Cordillera Central (Central Mountain Range) was once a thick wooded area with few and far between roads. In the past, it was actually easier to travel from one side of the island to the other by boat than to travel across the mountains. This isolated the jíbaros as they developed their distinct identity.

Traditionally a jíbaro was a “mountain folk” (like the American hillbilly), someone from the mountains, el campo (the countryside) or la altura (the hights) in Puerto Rico. A jíbaro was the campesino, with a strong oral tradition of knowledge and wisdom. Some traits traditionally associated with jíbaros are honesty, bravery, hospitality, self-sufficiency, stubbornness, and pride. A jíbaro also knows how to live of the land. A jíbaro, is a jíbaro, regardless of where he is. Whether living in the mountains of Puerto Rico, in Old San Juan or in El Barrio, NYC. The important thing is that he lives in a ”jíbaro”state of mind and existence, uncompromised to that, which is not to his/her community’s best interest. The ”jíbaro” isn’t limited to any of the particular racial or ethnic roots, which make up the Puerto Rican; it is the jíbaro’s beliefs, philosophy and way of life, which make him a true “jíbaro”. Yes, thejíbaros originated or developed as a particular identity generally associated with the central mountain range of the island of Puerto Rico, and you can take the jíbaro out of the monte, but you cannot take the monte out of the jíbaro.

organic
organic, n. 1. characteristic of, pertaining to living organisms. 2. growing and developing in the manner of living organisms.

collectivism
collectivism, n. 1.
the political principle of centralized social and
economic control, esp. of all means of production. communalismcommunalism, n. 1. a system of government whereby each commune is virtually an independent state. 2. the principles or practices of communal ownership. 3
. strong allegiance to one’s own ethnic group rather than to a society as a whole.

commune
commune, n., v. 1. any community organized for local interests. 2. the government or citizens of a commune. 3. a close knit community of people who share common interests. 4. a place for group living and sharing of work and production. 5. to converse or talk together intimately. 6. interchange of ideas or sentiments. 7. to partake of the Eucharist [back formation from COMMUNION].

One of the crucial problems faced by Puerto Ricans is our ignorance of our own traditional (jíbaro) concepts of life and community. The lack of knowledge about the jíbaro way of life confronts our nation with the inability to act in its own interest since we generally ignore these traditional social patterns and value systems. The imposition of capitalist colonial systems has practically erased from our collective memory our original concepts of identity and community. As described by most old jíbaro folks, an “original” jíbaro community could have been made up of anywhere from 50 up to maybe even 100 or more inhabitants. There was not a single policeman, no jail, no secret agents, and no law enforcement officials. Doors remained unlocked; strangers were always welcome and immediately noticed, and everyone felt responsible towards everybody else in the community. If a community member suffered, the whole community as a whole suffered.

These jíbaro communities were communalistic, i.e., each community self-determined their own social, political, economic and leadership organization. The leadership in these communities was organic; there was a minimum dependence between different community segments and no real private ownership of the land or the means of production. Each local community was relatively independent. The social divisions of the jíbaro community were basically as follows; the immediate family first, then the community, and finally the association of communities, habitually scattered, but uniting or collaborating in case of need. The immediate family was the smallest but most important institution in jíbaro social and organizational structure. It was within the family where basic cultural education was carried out: language, social relationships, general knowledge of the environment, community history and social values in general. These communities were democratically run by a process in which decisions were made collectively by the members of the community. They stood together to defend their community against common threats and any quarrel among them was considered as a community affair. Jíbaro acquired the means of their livelihood collectively. The inhabitants worked together to grow food on land that was used by all but “owned” by none. They worked hand in hand with other members of their community to ensure their own welfare and prosperity. They all worked for one another and piled up the outcomes of their activities. That is to say, each person worked to provide some of the means and made them available for all. Then all individuals gathered the outcome of their activities in proportion with their activity and social status, in accordance with their positions and the extent of their endeavor. All the members of the society got their share of the means and use it to manage their own personal lives. My father often uses a popular saying, which he learned from his father:

“Cumple con tus deberes y disfrutaras de tus derechos”.
‘Comply with your duties, and you will enjoy your privileges’.-Eugenio María de Hostos

A productive community or society is an organization, a structured system, or closely integrated group of human beings living in companionship with each other within a community. This community provides them with protection, continuity, security, and collective identity. It is held together by mutual dependence and exhibits division of tasks. This is the way in which the jíbaro communities functioned up until the 19th century or so.

If you ask any jíbaro elder about the foundation of the jíbaro way of life, they will tell you that it was ”asistencia-mutua” (mutual-assistance/mutual-aid). Mutual-aid is a feature of the greatest importance for the maintenance of life, the preservation of any group, and its further evolution. Mutual aid (which leads to mutual confidence, the first condition for courage) combined with individual initiative (the first condition for intellectual progress) is infinitely more important and productive than mutual struggle.

Throughout history, mutual-aid societies have emerged from humanity’s struggle for survival, but as a social and even biological expression of a universal pattern of organization. These values were reflected in the village society, which was the predominant form ofjíbaro social organization up through the 19th century. Jíbaros where people of common origins or with mutual social bonds, grouped together to provide for they’re collective needs and for their mutual defense, support and justice without imposing on the individual or family. A mutual-aid community or society can be described as a tribe, a clan, a community, a nation, etc., which provides protection, continuity, security, and collective identity to its members. It is held together by mutual dependence and it exhibits delegation of labor or tasks. It is a beneficial association (at least to its members) in which human beings prosper collectively. At the same time it organizes and gives meaning to the life of the each individual member. It is the natural state and highest level of Human interaction. A mutual-aid society is a collective identity, which provides stability, and meaning within the context of a fragmented culture that has lost its sense of community.

community
community. n. 1. a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and have a common cultural and historical heritage.2. a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests. 3. Ecol. a population of organisms occupying a given area. 4. joint possession, enjoyment, liability, etc.: community of property. 5. similar character; agreement: community of interests. 6. the community, the public; society.

In a true jíbaro community, every elder was your father or mother, every peer was your brother or sister, and every child was your son or daughter. The difference between modern society and others is community or lack there of. Industrialization, globalization and consumerism have utterly destroyed the natural tribal or communal environment and have isolated modern humans. Modern societies have turned away from the effective processes of initiation, from the importance of family, tribe and nation. We are an uprooted population without home, land or fellowship. Without a functional collective identity, our relationships to family and community have become disposable in the pursuit of a materialistic “higher standard of living”. Humans are social beings, it is in our human nature to coexist socially. It is an inherent drive or characteristic of human beings in their natural state of existence. Now, when was the last time you observed humans in their natural state of existence? Could you even if you wanted to? Any organism, which is obligated to exist outside of its natural state, it is in captivity. It is either in a state of bondage, servitude, imprisonment, or incarceration, not a ”jíbaro”. And being in any of these states of existence one certainly cannot experience happiness (welfare and prosperity). These conditions also imply a forced isolation from other organisms. Isolation is not just being alone, it means being separated from others. The more isolated you are, the less power you have, and the more captive you become. As mutual-aid societies, jíbaro communities, promoted unity, they brought and kept individuals together. The modern ideal of individualism serves the opposite function.

As a self perceived jíbaro, I believe in organic collectivism or communalism, I reject the capitalist system for it is disconnected from the most basic necessities of the masses, it dehumanizes material property and lumps the people into uniform masses doomed to desperation. Consumerism and the obsession with money drives people away from all spiritual foundations of life, creating at the same time mayor differences between those who have and those who don’t have. On a national level, Capitalism is a system whereby the work of the majority of the people produces the wealth for a minority of individuals who own the means of production. On an international level, capitalism is a system by which the world’s developing nations provide the work and raw materials for the benefit of the wealthy minority. In other words, the slavery of human by human is the basic foundation of capitalism and the cause of its expansion throughout the world.

I do not believe in a struggle between classes, for it is through mutual-aid and harmonious coexistence that a sovereign family, community, and nation are built. In the same way, I reject the Marxist/Leninist/Maoist concept of Communism, for it establishes a materialistic sense of human existence, which clashes, with a spiritual vision of Humanity. That “Communism” is a system that intends to control the wealth and the land of a nation in the name of the “state,” pretending equality among its citizens. I cannot accept a doctrine, which inherently rejects my deepest spiritual beliefs, such as the principle of individual freedom we are all created with. We should strive instead for higher values, superior to material interests, and create a sense of collaboration with a common mission.

Both Capitalism and Communism are equally imperialistic systems. But “organic collectivism” or “communalism” is a system whereby the material resources of terrestrial life, belong not only to individuals or to the state, but to the essential fundamental community and all of its members, be they poor, rich, scholars or simple, young and old. With all having full access to the material resources of the community. This is a system in which the “leaders” or heads of the community are symbols or representatives of the community and where the true authority belongs to the people of the society entirely. It is not my intention to idealize the jíbaro way of life and portray it as a utopian world. In any society, as in all of life, the activities of individuals are linked with those of others, since everyone wants to benefit from the results of these activities; violence, inconvenience and conflict of interests are inevitable elements of this complex relationship of constant contact and interaction. It is needles to say that material benefits are normally the source of all kinds of differences, animosities, and loss of sincerity and respect.

I am not an Anarchist either, since I believe that in order to maintain harmony among people, a society requires a series of regulations, the observance of which prevents disturbance and chaos. But the effectiveness of these regulations is based on the social, moral and spiritual values they are founded upon. And it is the jíbaro values of self, family and community, which I want to bring to our attention as an alternative to the dysfunctional system of modern materialistic values, which has been imposed on us as a people.

Our Consecrated Teacher (El Maestro) , Don Pedro Albizu Campos (yes!, I am indeed a Nationalist) taught us that humans are free by their very nature. Which means we are subject to rights and, as individuals subject to rights, we are free to form families, and with other families develop a society. And that society constitutes a community; a Transpersonal Other or Collective Self. With other communities, we build a free nation, which has its own identity or personality within the world we inhabit. That is the Law of social Nature, the living expression of the Truth! All nations are ultimately the product of not just centuries, but millennia of tradition and evolution, a continuum of the legacy of their ancestors. Many of us have been disconnected from these traditions and societies through the process of enslavement. But the Light continues to shine attracting the lost members of our great family back home.

nation
na,tion, n. 1. a body of people, associated with a particular territory, that is sufficiently conscious of its unity to seek or to process a government peculiarly its own. 2. the territory or country itself. 3. an aggregation of persons of the same ethnic family, often speaking the same language or cognate languages.

The Puerto Rican Nation may be in an “embryonic stage”, in it’s earliest levels of development, but it is none-the-less a nation. As a nation, we are entitled to certain “unalienable rights.” We have the right to a private identity of our own. The right to inhabit our own private physical space that will act as our protective shell, and in which we can remain as an uncompromised and absolute personality. Social orientation and the protection of others are essential in preserving these privileges. Liberty, Fraternity, and Equality are vital attributes of a sovereign nation, and without these, there is no security, no rest, no play, and no reward for one’s efforts in life. A free and sovereign nation is the result of solidarity for the needs of fellow community members, cooperation and mutual support to overcome mutual obstacles, defend against mutual adversaries and create a society in which all who cooperate mutually benefit.

solidarity
sol.i.dar.i.ty, n. union or fellowship arising from common responsibilities and interests, as between members of a group.

Unity is the most important element of a free and sovereign nation. Common history, traditions and regulations are the boundaries, which define a national society. They are the common denominators or the particular culture of a nation, its collective identity or consciousness. The various expressions of these are the indicators by which members of a society are identified. As boundaries and common denominators, they are the bonds that safely hold the society together. Every society has the need for a series of common traditions and regulations, which are at least respected and understood by most of its members. In the history of Humanity, never has a free and sovereign nation evolved without possessing common rites, traditions and regulations.

unity
u.ni.ty, n. 1. the state of being one single being; oneness. 2. the state of being combined with others to form a greater whole. 3. the state of being a complete or harmonious combination of elements. 4. complete accord among persons regarding attitudes, opinions, intentions, etc. 5. harmony among the parts or elements, producing a single major effect.

A nation has an organizing force or energy, which organizes or coordinates its existence based on a common or collective goal, its survival and prosperity so that in this manner it may carry out its mission in this world. By definition, this national organizing force is that of nationalism. One of the key elements of nationalism is fraternity. “Fraternity is great and is capable of much.” The Human drive to come together in groups, which give meaning and purpose to each individual as well as to the group as whole is a socio-biological urge which acts for the preservation of the individual, of the group and of the species.

fraternity
fra.ter.ni.ty, n. 1
. a group of persons associated by or as by fraternal
ties.  2. any group of persons having common purposes, interests, etc.  3. an organization of laymen for religious or charitable purposes.  4. the quality of being brotherly; brotherhood: liberty, equality, and fraternity, brotherly union, as for mutual-aid.  5.
the relation between brothers.

*If two make peace between them in the same house, they will say to the mountain: “move,” and the mountain shall move.

This Human drive to come together in groups expresses itself as an automatic expression to protect the organism. It may be described as current or flow of energy, a subliminal up-rush to emphasize spiritual intent. It creates a sense of individual and collective identity and purpose, which reinforces and protects the social unit against submergence. It is the jíbaro’s urge to survive in Liberty, Happiness and Prosperity. National Identity is a result of this force of Nature.

*”What thou shall hear in thy ear proclaim to other ears from your rooftops. For no one kindles a lamp and sets it under a bushel-basket nor puts it in a hidden place, but rather it is placed upon the lamp-stand so that everyone who comes in and goes out will see its light. ”

*  - from The Gospel According to Thomas

Soy Jíbaro Borinqueño
Y le puedo asegurar
que ni aquí ni en ningún lugar
yo tengo ni amo ni dueño
Yo trabajo con empeño
Señores, ese es mi oficio
Ese es mi fín y mi inicio
De nadie yo seré esclavo
pues soy de clavo pasa’o
con Valor y Sacrificio

Luz y Progreso
Amor y Caridad
Paz y Justicia

☩ ☆ ☠

By: Domingo Hernandez

Domingo Hernandez — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 18:25:33 +0000

Harry you wrote that “The word Jibaro did not become common usage until the 1800s”. It would be more correct to say that the written word did not appear until the 1800s. This does not mean that the word was not used. Europeans and their descendants found the Jibaro as not being worthy to even write about much less study. The first book written on the Jibaros was written in the 1830s and the author clearly states about the Jibaros, that their dances and their customs were mostly a blend of the indigenous and european customs.I grew up with Jibaro grandparents and was involved in many of their cultural expressions. As an adult I sought to study my African roots. After years of study with Afro-Cuban elders, I can say that there really is very little of Africa in the Jibaro culture. These Afro-Cubans still spoke a Yoruba dialect as well as bakongo. Even to how one eats at a dinner table was ritual and more refined then I’ve seen before.

By: Jose Delgado

Jose Delgado — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 16:42:12 +0000

One of my learned friends sent me, at my request, the following information concerning the extensive discussion on this site.

Sincerely your Arawak, Taino, jibaro, Boriqua, Puerto (Porto) Rican, JerseyRican, Negrito friend

Jose Delgado

********

Ok long response but it is an interesting issue.

What Taino Revival Groups are Missing

It is not wise to argue that Puerto Rican are Tainos because there is a strong presence of Amerindian DNA on the Puerto Rican’s genetic pool DNA. This is similar to argue that we are just Africans or that- as many Puerto Ricans like to believe- that we are Europeans. DNA itself doesn’t make a people- culture, language, religion and a common history does. Because of this Puerto Ricans can- if they chose to do so- adhere to any of the specific groups’ heritage above mentioned; or to the simplistic notion of the Racial Triad. But the fact remains- and I’m not paying homage to the Racial Triad myth- that what we know as Puerto Ricans nowadays is the result of Amerindian, European, African, and Asian DNA plus the cultural mixing and the exchanging of disease, crops, and animals. And on top of that one has to add the influence of institution in shaping a peoples’ character or national identities (schools, military, etc…)

I don’t know why these are breakings news since it is well known the impact that Amerindian culture had on modern French, Spanish, English and Portuguese language as well as the Americas’ crops that feed European demographic revolution. Moreover it is taken as the norm now that the Conquistadors and colonists had to adapt to the new environments in many ways- and for that they copied agricultural techniques(monton de yucca) and habits (sleeping in hammocks) from the natives of the Americas.

So, especially in the Caribbean what we see is a complex hybridity- genetic , botanical, and cultural- but with the institutions of Europe becoming hegemonic- even if altered to fit new environments.

The DNA Evidence

After the creation of the Commonwealth, public-funded archeological excavations tried to recover the Pre-Columbian past. These efforts have continued and in present day they include DNA testing to find the percentage of native blood in the Island’s population. Dr. Juan Martinez Cruzado, a geneticist from the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez, conducted a DNA survey for this purpose. According to the study funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, 61 percent of all Puerto Ricans have Amerindian mitochondrial DNA, 27 percent have African and 12 percent Caucasian. (Nuclear DNA, or the genetic material present in a gene’s nucleus, is inherited in equal parts from one’s father and mother. Mitochondrial DNA is inherited only from one’s mother and does not change or blend with other materials over time.) According to Martinez Cruzado’s study a majority of Puerto Ricans have native blood. Moreover, there is further evidence that Taínos were not extinguished in the 1600s. After 200 years of absence from official head-counts, a 2,000 people Taíno community appeared living in a north-western mountain region in a military census from the 1790s. See, Martínez Cruzado, Juan C. “The Use of Mitochondrial DNA to Discover Pre-Columbian Migrations to the Caribbean: Results for Puerto Rico and Expectations for the Dominican Republic.” In KACIKE: Journal of Caribbean Amerindian History and Anthropology. Available from http://www.kacike.org/MartinezEnglish.pdf.

Puerto Rican Indians at Carlyle Indian Industrial school?

Under the motto “Kill the Indian save the Man” Captain Richard Henry Pratt opened the first Indian Industrial School in Carlisle Pennsylvania Indian School in 1879. Schools following this model multiplied throughout the United States until the early 1910s. Imagined as a social experiment its main purpose was to assimilate and acculturate young Native Americans. In essence, by distancing them from their communities, the program sought to uproot the students’ “Indianess” and create a new man out of the Indian.

After the United States took over Puerto Rico in 1898, natives of the Island were sent to these schools. The “Porto Rican Indians”, a group of sixty-plus Puerto Rican youngsters were sent to Carlisle Indian industrial boarding school. A small group of men were the architects of the idea to send Puerto Rican children to the Carlisle, Tuskegee and Hampton Industrial Schools. Richard Henry Pratt, John Eaton, and Nelson Miles knew each other well. They had in common their service in the Civil War and Indian Wars, and were in charge of Indian Scout Units, as well as Buffalo Soldier Units. Pratt convinced leaders of the U.S. government of the worthiness of his social experiment with the children of Indian chiefs. Eaton became the first Secretary of Education of Puerto Rico and was intellectually responsible for the plan to Americanize the Puerto Ricans using Pratt’s approach.

The way the idea was sold to the Puerto Rican families who agreed to send their children to the school made them believed that Carlisle was a type of university. In fact those sent to Carlisle belonged to educated elite. Ill-treated even while in route to the schools, the students wrote letter complaining that they were being treated as “Indians despite [them]selves”. Those who could, sent their children to other schools, and Pratt himself sent some of the students to regular schools. However, though maltreated the majority of the “Porto Rican Indians” sent to Carlisle stayed in the school and finish their courses.

See, Sonia M. Rosa-Vélez, ¿Qué pasó con los becados? La saga de los estudiantes puertorriqueños en la Escuela Industrial para Indios de Carlisle (Innedited Essay) Author’s Library; and, Sonia M. Rosa-Vélez, The Puerto Ricans at Carlisle Indian School: An Experiment in Americanization Through Education. (Inedited Essay) Author’s Library; and, Sonia M. Rosa-Vélez, Acquiring the American Spirit: Americanization Through Education and the Puerto Ricans in the U.S. Government Minority Boarding Schools, 1899-1930, (Inedited Essay) Author’s Library

(Hint hint, they were not Indians but were threated as such since the US Army- in charge of these schools and of Pureto Rico- only knew how to deal with Indians)

The jíbaro and Boricua question

The word jíbaro did not become common usage until the 18OOs. And at that point was more associated with the Puerto Rican peasantry. Here you have to be careful because many of the writings come from newly arrived Europeans who disdained the racial mixing that occurred in the island in the previous 2 centuries. That mixing included freed and escaped slaves, Euroepans and of course natives. Much later (20th century) jíbaro came to refer to the “White” peasantry due mostly to Nationalist writings- and later on as part of early works from the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena. (Remmeber ever seing a jibaro portrayed as Black?- well, many were mostly Black.)

And Boricua? Yes, it may refer to the people who met Columbus in 1943- who were not the original inhabitants of the island. But it is a bad stretch to assume that because Boricua has reached its apotheosis in Puerto Rican culture and national discourse and iconography that that makes Tainos of Puerto Ricans. Boricua also mutate to Borinqueno and even to Borinqueneer. Deciding to use any of these labels doesn’t make you so (in the sense of making you a Taino) and to use that as proof of the continuous existence of Tainos a sa social entity is a miss reading of history.

saludos,

Harry

By: Carmen

Carmen — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 20:15:00 +0000

This is Awesome!!!! I for one love all this and am interested in learning MORE!!! I believe that Taino is in my blood!!! My grandfather to me looks Indian himself but that is neither here nor there.. I want more info on Taino’s someone please direct me… I want to know if Taino’s were the foundation of my Puerto Rican heritage than i want to know about them :) Thank You in advance Mi Gente :)

By: Maria Lourdes Soto Torres

Maria Lourdes Soto Torres — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 19:14:14 +0000

Hola Kidys Medina, quiero decirte que estoy muy de acuerdo contigo. Yo naci y fui criada en Puerto Rico, y he vivido aqui toda mi vida (todavia sigo viviendo en la isla). Originalmente soy de las montañas de Cayey, y me crie en el campo, osea, soy Jibara, pero hace poco me mude al area metro de San Juan para poder estudiar en la Universidad de Puerto Rico de Rio piedras. Yo, que se lo que es ser “Jibaro” puedo decir que ese termino no esta ligado a ser “Taino” o “Indio”. Entiendo perfectamente que la cultura Taina esta muy presente en las personas de nuestra isla y en nuestra sangre, al igual que la africana y la española…pero no se puede decir que los “Jibaros” viven un estilo de vida “Taino”. Ambos estilos de vida son muy diferentes.

Los Tainos eran politeístas, y los Jibaros son mayormente catolicos, y algunos creen en la santeria y en el espiritismo que son creencias desarrolladas por los Africanos. Tambien, los Tainos vivian en comunidades en donde un Cacique dirigia a la tribu. Tambien la mayoria de los Tainos siempre estaban completamente desnudos, con escepcion de las mujeres casadas que tenian “la nagua” que era una falda que las cubria. Los Jibaros no estan desnudos con sus partes privadas expuestas brincandoles por todos lados. Los Jibaros viven como cualquier otra familia…la unica diferencia es que viven una vida mas rustica y simple. En mi niñez, yo iba con mi Familia a “Wall mart” a hacer compra, e iba a K mart para comprar ropa o otros productos de necesidad. No ibamos tan seguido como otras familias “modernizadas” que vivian en la ciudad, pero aun asi mi familia y yo conociamos estos lugares. Por favor, les pido a todos que antes de hablar, investiguen bien por que si no se puede caer en ignorancia….

By: Jorge A Rivera

Jorge A Rivera — Wed, 23 May 2012 20:51:40 +0000

The big push from the Alegria group on behave of the Taino culture was in the 70′s to the point that they had a bid program during the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan. It was something new even for Puertorricans.

By: Aldo Torres

Aldo Torres — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:36:40 +0000

Tomas…Taino resurgence of 1998? There was no Taino resurgence in 1998. Perhaps you got your dates mixed up since the Taino movement was resurging back in the 70s with the Taino Jatibonicu tribes resurgence work.

By: Berto

Berto — Tue, 22 May 2012 21:20:16 +0000

someone that is less than 1/8 of a race is most likely not to have any dna of that race! Being that most Puerto Ricans are of multi-racial descent their offspring could come out a variety of ways!

By: Berto

Berto — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:54:20 +0000

Jorge I agree Id say at least 1/4 but this cant really be judged by dna either because dna collects in a person at the time from both parents and if they are different races it could go either way could be small percent of one and large percent of a the other. But in general it usualy comes out to be close to half each maybe waying a little heavy one way or the other.

I have learned a lot from you and others here thanks for they history! One Love!

By: Jorge A Rivera

Jorge A Rivera — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:09:45 +0000

Now, that is very interesting. Two 50% Taino blood can produce a 100% Taino kid. Like they used to say in Puerto Rico . . . “Encabuya y vuenve y tira” . . . what happens to the “other” 50%? I just disappear by magic?

Listen, I believe that in addition to “blood” you need the CULTURE to be anything. Yes you can have some blood and your ancestors were Taino BUT the so call culture of the Tainos has not been there in CENTURIES. What we know of the Taino culture is what was written by historians of the times and interpreted by other historians. So very very slim.

Today we ridicule a lady for calling herself American Indian when she has 1/32 Am Indian blood. I ask HOW MUCH % of blood should you have to call yourself Am Indian or Taino, or anything???