St. Kitts

The truth about the original inhabitants of the Caribbean. An excerpt from: About The Caribbean edited by Trinidad born historianDr. Roi Kwabena

The truth about the original inhabitants of the Caribbean. An excerpt from: About The Caribbean edited by Trinidad born historianDr. Roi Kwabena

Taino is an Arawakan language of the Caribbean, originally spoken in what is now Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. Today there are two Taino languages: the original Taino tongue--which, though not spoken as a first language today, is being taught to Taino children in an active language revival program--and a unique Spanish-Taino creole, spoken by many Taino people, using Spanish grammar but with half of its vocabulary words being Taino in origin.

Arawak Taínos in Puerto Rico, 1800s

The Taino names of the Caribbean islands based on Jalil Sued-Badillo (ed.), ‘General History of the Caribbean, vol. 1: Autochthonous Societies’ (Paris: UNESCO Publishing/London: Macmillan 2003) Plate 8.

Atabey is the Supreme Goddess of the Taínos (Native peoples of the Caribbean during the pre-Columbian era) and is one of two supreme deities in their religion. She was worshipped as the goddess of fresh water and fertility. This deity was one of the most important for the native tribes that inhabited the Caribbean islands of the Antilles, mostly in Puerto Rico (Borikén), "La Hispaniola" aka 2/3 Dominican Republic / 1/3 Haiti (Kiskeya), and Cuba (Cubanacan).

Early paintings of the Caribbeans (Taino & Arawak) were shown as darker and with curly hair. Over time this changed.

ARAWAK INDIANS , from Venezuela,masters of fine art of ceramics brought a new culture to Les Saintes ,enriching the creole population.

The Jamaican coat of arms holds the Jamaican motto "Out Of Many One People". This is our code and our lifestyle.

Photograf : Ti Kriss Modele :Nancy Maquilleuz : Tifanny Graphisme: Avid Direction Artistik : Ness' Stylisme: Tatie Bernadette Gwoka

First People of Trinidad and Tobago

Photographic Print: Maroon Negroes, Jamaica Poster by Harry Hamilton Johnston : 24x18in

The Arawak people include the Taíno, who occupied the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas (where they were known as Lucayan); the Nepoya and Suppoya of Trinidad;[1][2] the Lokono of Guyana; the Igneri, who preceded the Carib in the Lesser Antilles; together with related groups (including the Lucayan) who lived along the northeastern coast of South America, as far south as what is now Brazil. The Lucayan (Arawak) were the natives whom Christopher Columbus encountered in 1492 when he first…