How Taíno Culture Affects Us Today 

Proud to be Boricua 🇵🇷 much love to our brothers 🇩🇴 🇨🇺 🇯🇲 🇭🇹 🇵🇷

Barbacoa=Barbeque? So what your saying is our ancestors invented cookouts? Lol Ayyy!! Let’s Go!!! 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹

¡¿Dónde están mi Puertorriqueños/Boricuas?! 🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷

thats why us - Dominicans are so mixed.. different colors and shapes ❤️❤️ im proud 🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴

I am Jamaican in school they told us all the Tainos were dead! I am so angry right now. How can this be rectified. Idk if kids are still learning this. How is this even possible.

This video made me tear up a bit. As a Boricua, I love learning about my ancestors, and the Taino culture is one I've always been very much interested in researching. Boriken was actually the name the Tainos gave the island before colonizers changed it to Puerto Rico. Which is why people from Boriken are called Boricua. I've always been fascinated by our ancestors culture but found it a bit difficult to learn about them. Since a lot that was documented about them back then was from the perspective of the colonizers who'd mostly write negative things about them and look down on their culture. It does take time to learn about them in a positive/objective way but it's totally worth it. Thank you Pero Like for such a beautiful video. I'm definitely going to check out that group in NYC and this wonderful woman as well. Let's celebrate and learn about our ancestry and be proud of it. ❤

Just as we keep our African and European heritage alive in the Caribbean we need to maintain this one. Soy ascendencia Cubano and i know in Oriente there is research going on to bring more of this culture to the forefront.

I'm Dominican and my great great grandmother was Taina from my mother's side. My mother and grandmother have told me stories about her and how she would talk about seeing our ancestors in the waters. My dad never believed my mom because he thought they had all died long ago. I took a DNA test and actually verified that my great great grandmother was Taina. I feel honored to be a descendant of the surviving Tainos of the Dominican Republic.

christopher culumbus destroyed so many things that would have made today's world a more beautiful place. its a shame all of that had to be destroyed by greed and racism.

Such an important video. The Taino culture is so important to the Caribbean

You guys shouldve mentioned the fact the Garifuna people whom live mainly in Honduras, Belize, and guatemala speak a language called "garifuna" which is the closest existing language to the original arawak/taino language that colonizers encountered. Love the video though💜 Y mis catrachos/as donde estan?🇭🇳🇭🇳💪

i think its beautiful that tainos used to call the dominican republic "Quisqueya" and we still call it that and we've held on to that part of our history and even in our national anthem, the first line says "Quisqueyanos valientes alcemos" or brave quisqueyanos (people of quisqueya), lets rise. i dont know, thats just really beautiful to me.

Really sad to think about the suffering our Taino ancestors went through at the hands of colonizers. But they live on and the culture is still here 😊🇩🇴

Can’t explain how happy this video makes me! Love seeing indigenous cultures thrive

canoa, hamaca, yuca, batata, casabe all words with taino origen, still used today

Not all of the tainos are gone. Some of them did survive.

That’s so weird because last week in my class we were talking about things we wanted to do before 2018 finish and I said to learn about my Taino culture 🇩🇴

¿Dónde están mis latinos y latinas? From Jamaica 🇯🇲

I’m DR and PR my grandma tell me my ancestors were Taino😎✌️🇩🇴🇵🇷🇺🇸

I loved this video so much, proud to be have 15% Taíno heritage in my Dominican blood! ✊🏼🇩🇴🇩🇴 Gracias Señora Irka, usted es un #OrgulloDominicano 💙❤️

I’m Sicilian but I am in love with the Caribbean and I have been studying archaeology and Anthropology of the Americas for years. I think embracing the histories of the indigenous peoples here from North America through South America is so important. People don’t realize the true genocide that occurred here the cultures, religions, languages and people who were literally made extinct here through imperialism. Larger groups live on and it is so crucial to hold onto traditions. Even home in Sicily it has such a distinct culture and history but gets immediately cast aside as just being Italian. Well there’s some 60million Italian speakers and only 5Million Sicilian Speakers. Language is the key to your culture our first connection in this world our first bond is our mothers voice from her womb. If you speak your mothers tongue you keep her and everyone before her alive it binds you to her music her history her memories and they live on through you. We need to embrace our heritage and keep them alive and share them. That’s what I love most about Latin American and Mediterranean American cultures is there’s always that joke you don’t have to ask if someone is Italian they’ll tell you. I say the joke is on them because I see the same vitality of culture in my Latino friends it’s a spark and a love and pride in oneself and the history in their very veins we manifest and I love it so much. This video was so beautiful thank you so much.

This is lovely. She’s doing great work. Proud Jamaican here: proud of our indigenous culture and ancestry and all the cultures that made us who we are. Out of many, one people.

Yassss educate them sis 🗣🗣🗣

I am from Russia, but i'm so impressed your culture, your language and traditions. If i can match in which country I will born, it will be Dominican republic. Sorry for my bad English

Proud of my Taino Culture!! Quisqueya!!! 🇩🇴🌴

Yay 🇭🇹 There’s a lot of Taíno artifacts in Northern Haiti. #Ayiti #Kiskeya #Bohio #Ayibobo

as a puerto rican, i’m so happy i found this video!! i’ve never learned about my taino culture and i’m grateful to finally learn a little bit about it

There’s many more Taíno words that were adopted by Spanish and consequently, other languages!

I’m not Taino unfortunately. But wanted to read up about the original people of Jamaica. I am one of the Nigerian’s that got transported to Jamaica 🇯🇲.

I’m glad that I wasn’t the only one that teared up hearing her sing. I may have never been outside the US but man her song made me feel homesick. I’m so happy to hear that the Taíno culture is getting the attention it deserves!

Im so happy you guys made this beautiful video!!! So beautiful 🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴 nuestra bella cultura no lo quita nadie

I was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico. A town named after a chief Taino. I'm so proud of my roots! Que viva la raza!!!

Thank you so much for this channel. I’ve never felt so seen and heard. Representation is so key. 🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷

I’m a NYRican. My 23andMe results shows I’m 10% Native American (Taino) from Puerto Rico.

This is amazing, it really shows how close we are as Latinos, and how similar our culture intertwines at its roots. So much love and diversity in the Latino community’s. Un beso de Mexico ❤️😘

I'm Egyptian, and I have all the sympathy for the Tainos. Have much respect for your cultures and your humanity. Wishing all the best for the Tainos and all indigenous people

Very happy to be mixed with Taino ancestry and Arawak from the Amazon and Andes I’m from 🇨🇺🇵🇷 Cuban Dad Puert Rican Mom. Hello to my brothers and sisters in 🇩🇴🇯🇲🇭🇹 and all the diaspora The average Puerto Rican has 13% Taino Native American Ancestry I did Ancestry DNA shows I’m 20% Native American Taino Arawak.

The Taíno language lives in languages beyond Spanish. The Haitian word for the our country 'Ayiti'🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹 is the name the Taínos originally gave the whole island of Hispaniola, meaning "land of the high mountains." I loved this video❤❤ Thank you guys so much!

These indigenous civilizations would have flourished even more in the modern world if colonizers had just minded their own business :(

I did my DNA and I have 8% native American from DR. My sister has a higher one though she looks European. My mother often spoke of her grandparents from her father's side being descendants of a tribe from Bani/Duverge very indegiounes areas of DR. I can't wait to have my mother's DNA tested just to see what her percentage will be like. She's always been fascinated by Taino/Arawak culture and wanted to know more about her family.

The tainos called Dominican Republic Quisqueya. And we still call DR Quisqueya la bella ❤❤❤❤❤

Applause for indigenous representation!

Wow, amazing that I use your words over here in Serbia, your words made it into my language too

I'm a Taino from boriquen. Here are some more Taino words= maiz, batata, maraca,papa, yaotia, there's a lot more that I can't think about it at the moment plus I can't find my notes, but you be surprised at how many words are Taino words that we use every day in the Spanish vocabulary. Thank you for making this video. Some of our people are blind to the truth. And to those that are open to learn, continue digging for more information you'll be amazed on what you find in our beautiful culture. Boriken te amo. 🇵🇷 Our brothers and sisters =🇨🇺🇩🇴🇯🇲 And many more flags that I don't have a hand.

Ayiti or Haiti is a Taïno word for land of mountains

estoy enamorada de todas las culturas de Latinoamérica. Las culturas indigenas especialemente :) Gracias por compartir este video. Muy interesante.

¿Donde están mis latinos y latinas? 🇨🇺🇻🇪 I was born n raised in 🇯🇲

There were some Tainos brought to Trinidad and Tobago from Puerto Rico by John Adams, there's lots of Taino culture in T&T 🇹🇹

Proud to have Taino ancestry ❤🇨🇺

Con mucho Amor!! Que viva la Familia!!🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🙏🙏🙏🙏

im so proud to be Haitian. Did you know the name Ayiti (Haiti anglicized) is the original name that the Tainos gave to the island of Hispaniola? 🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹

I'm from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 and when she started singing and my heart raced alot like if I had heard that type of rhythm before that taino music is so beautiful I love it!

That song she was singing was so sacred and beautiful. Taíno culture is so special. Though I am not Taíno, I would love to help reconstruct it 🙂

This is very informative. My husband is Dominican and having to learn more of the culture really amazes me and especially him whenever we're in conversation about history.

I’m taina from te Dominican Republic I’m proudly part of the Marien tribe I started crying when I saw this I’m so happy that our people and our history is being put out in the media thank u

Now do more peoples! I’m a descendant of the Chichimeca and Nahua peoples. Aya!

Puerto Rico y mis hermanos latinos ❤️

I just got my Taino tribal tat on my ankle from a yoke from in the Dominican Rep on Thursday, I am in love with it.

I think the Native American that shows up in my DNA is Taino. 23andme hasn't been able to identify a specific country, but considering my grandparents are from then Caribbean, I think it's highly likely 🇯🇲🇬🇾🇧🇧

What an awesome video! Learned so much about this culture. In my Spanish classes, we talked about the Taíno and their history. I’m so glad they are revitalizing. Also, fun fact: Hawaiians (my culture) have the conch shell too! We call it the pū!

Very educating....we learn about the Taínos in Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹 and also have the culture/descendants......that song....I sing it "se vai caiman, se vai caiman, se vamo a Trinidad" 🤗

Muy interesante, la cultura taína me parece riquísima y bella y la mujer tiene la voz de un ángel 😍 Saludos a todos los Taínos y Latinos desde Polonia ❤️

Escuchar estas palabras y esta musica es conectar con nuestro origen y poder llevar nuestra cultura con orgullo. Republica Dominicana hermosa.

This touched my spirit... I'm so proud to be partially of indigenous decent. :)

Wow ! I enjoyed this video. Very informative, I’m Peruvian but learning about indigenous cultures from other Latin countries is awesome. Gracias. Do one about one Incas 😊

I was born in 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico, and I am proud to be puerto rican , and Boriqua 🙂 Puertoriquenos siempre CON mucho Amor ♥

I swear I thank god for being Latino!!! I love my people and our culture! We will run this world with love and passion ❤️

im so happy that my abuela taught me a lot about us taínos and that this history was never forgotten within my family 🇵🇷

OMG, VER UNA TAINA DE MI PAÍS ME HACE TAN FELIZ TTTTTT ORGULLOSA DE MI SANGRE ESPAÑOLA, AFRICANA Y SOBRE TODO TAINA. QUE VIVA RD!!!!🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴

Taino Ancestry right here! I am learning so much about all of my cultural backgrounds and this video was so informative....so proud to have Taino ancestors!!!

Loved this video so much! Proud Haitian here🇭🇹✊🏼 And Queen Anacaona will always be in my heart and those of my people...so much respect to you Queen!

I am half native from Brazil, all the words You said We also use there and most of them has being mixed in the portuguese language spoke today all over the country. (Arawak root)

🇩🇴 🇩🇴 🇩🇴 🇩🇴 🇩🇴 🇩🇴 🇩🇴 🇩🇴 ALL DAY EVERY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TABACO Y RON TABACO TABACOO!!! I love my blood all of my ancestors Afro European Taino with my little middle Eastern jew ❤❤❤❤❤ my blood with Bachata & Merengue proud of all that. That it was born in Dominican Republic. 😍😍😍😍

Love it my people my culture my country 🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴

I am so in love with this video. Thank you do much for making it! Makes my heart steel with so much pride to see our people embrace our gorgeous ancestry. I need to research this glorious, beautiful woman and her work. 🇩🇴

Here is an interesting thought, Native Americans from Alaska to Patagonia and the Caribbean all share the same genetic haplogroup which is Q, in all the other continents they differ. That is why when we take a DNA test they clumb all of the Americans together, this is why if you see Native Americans from any part of the continent you swap their feathers and we all look alike, we share similar cultures, gastronomy, and cosmovision. So from the Native American perspective, we have so much in common at a very deep root level, also giving us a deeper love for our motherland that is turtle island the Americas. Respect and love to our European, African and Asian bloodlines that we carry it bonds us even more with the world as a whole.

I've been learning more and more about the Taino part of my ancestry, being of Ayisien descent (Ayiti is one of the names, Quesquiya is the other... that the Taino themselves.. called the island now shared by "Haiti" and "The Dominican Republic) there is often a great deal of propaganda floating around regarding the presence of Taino culture and descent on the island but it's notable presence in my genes and that of my mother and siblings shows that within me they still live despite the attempts at democide that the Colonizers engaged over them. And not just the genes.... Taino contributions are all over the Kreyol language for example and Taino food practices are still present on the island. A particularly interesting possibility in my lineage is that the triple admixture that we possess with multiple European elements likely demonstrates a Pirate signal as both my parents come from coastal towns to the far North and far South of the island. This is notable as the "Haitian" side of the island harbored much piracy from the Spanish "discovery" well toward the establishment of permanent French presence when they founded St. Domingue colony. The pirate signal can only emerge in places where free peoples of various ethnicity were able to interact and admix and that tended to happen in coastal villages that were pirate friendly and thus did not bias for any given "flag".

Do one on the Kalinagos ("Caribs") in the lesser Antilles!

I'm Mexican and I use all the taino words mentioned, I feel so happy to know that I keep ancestors alive through language and through foods, soy mexicana y yo uso todas las palabras tainas mencionadas y me da tanto gusto saber que mantengo vivo a los ancestros mediante el idioma y la comida, QUE VIVAN SIEMPRE LOS PUEBLOS INDIGENAS NATIVOS DE ESTA TIERRA ✊🔥✊🔥✊ NUNCA DEJEMOS QUE NUESTRAS RAICES MUERAN 🌞

I’m from DR so thanks I have wondered who were my natives

This brings so much inner peace. Knowing my roots. Love my country and my brother and sisters in all if the Caribbean 🇩🇴❤

I'm so happy I cried, I thought I was the only one who tried to learn and preserve the culture of my ancestors

I remember learning about the Taino (and other Arawak people) in school in Jamaica and feeling so bad about the things they had to go through even though they were so peaceful but it is inspiring how they have persevered and preserved their culture despite it all. We have so many great things including delicious food thanks to them

Where my Latinos & latinas at ? And also Americans 💞 Comment where ur from💕 (I'm Cuban)

Yesss I’m Puerto Rican and couldn’t be more proud to be a part of the Taínos! My beautiful island of Borinquén

I totally remember studying the Taino tribe in secondary school this was amazing #muchlovefromthecaribbean

Thank you for sharing a part of our Caribbean Taino culture. Very interesting. We are not to forget who we are and where we come from. Boricua!!!

Soy quechua y la verdad RESPETO MUCHO A LOS VERDADEROS TAÍNOS 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽MERECEN TODO EL RESPETO Y DESARROLLO SUS TIERRAS 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

What a charismatic woman! I would love to hear more from her; I bet she is an amazing story teller!

This is soooo important!! Everyone should learn the history of their culture from Latin America, being Mexican-American and taking a Chicanx class, I'm learning about the history of the Aztecs and the nahuatl language, so it was also nice to learn how the language of the Taino people has crossed into Spanish today as well!!

I'm from the U.S. Virgin Islands and my great aunt is Taino. She keeps the culture alive through her family and in the community by participating in parades and other local events in St. Thomas. I am still unsure about that side of my heritage but I think some of it traces back to Puerto Rico (according to my great-grandmother). It is so awesome to learn the history about that side of me❤🇻🇮

También muchos nombres de pueblos en República Dominicana llevaN los nombre nativo por los taínos por ejemplo; primero nombre del la isla , QUISQUEYA, SEIBO, IGUEY, NAGUA, JACAGUA, GUANANICO, BAHORUCO y muchos más como en las hermanas islas también. También en República Dominicana se usa la palabra “CHIN en taíno” que es poquito. Muchos nombre de alimentos hasta ahora lo llamamos por su nativo nombre como, mabi, mani, yuca y muchos más. En Mi Pueblo en RD hay un rio que se llama, “ CAONABO”, quien fue un cacique , que es un jefe . y también otros guerreros más como ENRIQUILLO, cual lo españoles le llamaron porque lo quieren bajo su mando y lo usaba como traductor y luego el se rebeló y armó un grupo y ganó una batalla contra los españoles. Es un Herue en RD Y TAMBIÉN “HATUEY” quien fue a cuba avisarle a los hermanos taínos la barbaridades que los españolas estaban cometiendo en QUISQUEYA...luego los españoles fueron a CUBA y quemaron a HATUEY Y AHORA TAMBIE ES Bien querido en cuba también. Que vivan mis ancestros...ARIBA TAÍNO QUE SIGNIFICA GENTES BUENAS. Gracias por su video y información y en verdad parece una taína. Se ves muy bien con esos colores y esa cultura taína. :) Me encanta esta historia y siempre la mención desde Niño...porque crecí en una aria en RD , el CIBAO que también es otro nombre de taíno. Y en esa aria que me crié se hablabas mucho de los taínos los abuelos mío .....puedo escribir un libro....jejeje Paz en el mundo y en mi bella QUISQUEYA LA BELLA!!! Regino

Proud to be Boricua even if it’s only half ❤️ thank you for sharing apart of the history that we share ❤️🇵🇷🇵🇷

🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴 my people!

I grew up in Puerto Rico calling my back yard batey, my mother's family always called it that. I believe that is also a Taíno word.

Cubana and proud 🇨🇺❤️

I am in awe of this video, I was actually shocked coming across it because I just found her website and spoke with her recently. Her rituals are amazing and bring a very warm close feeling to our wonderful ancestors.

So many cultures of the caribbean lost in time; arawaks, macorix, ciguayos, caribs, igneris, siboney. I would do anything to know a little bit more of those peoples

theres a charrúa group in uruguay trying to do the same as this lady and they still try to live traditionally too. id love to see buzzfeed give them attention since you guys talk mostly about mexico and pr and dominican