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Anacaona, (date of birth unknown - died about 1504, Hispaniola), also called the Golden Flower, was a Taíno queen, sister of Behechio and wife of Caonabo, two of the five highest caciques who possessed the island of Hispaniola when the Spaniards settled there in 1492. She was celebrated as a composer of ballads and narrative poems, called areytos.

During Bartolomé Colón's visit to the cacicazgo of Jaragua in late 1496, Anacaona and her brother Behechio appeared as equal negotiators. On that occasion, described by Bartolomé de las Casas in Historia de las Indias, Colón successfully negotiated for tribute consisting of food and cotton for the struggling Spanish settlers under his command. The visit is described as having taken place in a friendly atmosphere. Several months later, Colón arrived with a caravel to collect a part of the tribute. Anacaona and Behechio had sailed briefly aboard the caravel, near today's Port-au-Prince in the Gulf of Gonâve.

Anacaona's high status was probably strengthened by elements of matrilineal descent in the Taíno society, as described by Peter Martyr d'Anghiera. Taíno caciques usually passed inheritance to the eldest children of their sisters. When there were no children of their sisters, they chose amongst those of their brothers, and failing these, they fell back upon their own.

Anacaona became queen of Xaragua after her brother's death. Her husband Caonabo, suspected of having organised the attack on La Navidad (northern Haiti), was captured by Alonso de Ojeda and shipped to Spain, dying in a shipwreck during the journey. The Taínos , being ill-treated by the conquerors, revolted, and made a long war against them. During a feast organized by eight regional chieftains to honor the queen of Jaragua, who was friendly to the Spaniards, Spanish Governor Nicolás de Ovando ordered the meeting house set on fire. He arrested Anacaona and her Taíno noblemen, all of whom, being accused of conspiracy, were executed. While others were shot, Anacaona was instead hanged at the age of 29.

Anacaona is revered in in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with nationalists on both sides claiming her as a primordial founder of their country.

References

Bartolomé de las Casas: A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies.
Peter Martyr d'Anghiera: De Orbe Novo.
Samuel M. Wilson: Hispaniola - Caribbean Chiefdoms in the Age of Columbus. The University of Alabama Press, 1990. ISBN 0817304622.

External links

The Louverture Project: Anacaona

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 '''Anacaona''', (date of birth unknown - died about [[1504]], [[Hispaniola]]), also called the Golden Flower, was a [[Taíno]] queen, sister of Behechio and wife of Caonabo, two of the five highest [[cacique]]s who possessed the island of Hispaniola when the [[Spaniard]]s settled there in 1492. She was celebrated as a composer of ballads and narrative poems, called ''areytos''.
-During [[Bartolomé Colón]]'s visit to the cacicazgo of [[Xaragua]] in late 1496, Anacaona and her brother Behechio appeared as equal negotiators. On that occasion, described by [[Bartolomé de las Casas]] in ''[[Historia de las Indias]]'', Colón successfully negotiated for [[tribute]] consisting of food and cotton for the struggling Spanish settlers under his command. The visit is described as having taken place in a friendly atmosphere. Several months later, Colón arrived with a caravel to collect a part of the tribute. Anacaona and Behechio had sailed briefly aboard the caravel, near today's [[Port-au-Prince]] in the [[Gulf of Gonâve]].
+During [[Bartolomé Colón]]'s visit to the cacicazgo of [[Jaragua]] in late 1496, Anacaona and her brother Behechio appeared as equal negotiators. On that occasion, described by [[Bartolomé de las Casas]] in ''[[Historia de las Indias]]'', Colón successfully negotiated for [[tribute]] consisting of food and cotton for the struggling Spanish settlers under his command. The visit is described as having taken place in a friendly atmosphere. Several months later, Colón arrived with a caravel to collect a part of the tribute. Anacaona and Behechio had sailed briefly aboard the caravel, near today's [[Port-au-Prince]] in the [[Gulf of Gonâve]].
 Anacaona's high status was probably strengthened by elements of [[matrilineal]] descent in the Taíno society, as described by [[Peter Martyr d'Anghiera]]. Taíno caciques usually passed inheritance to the eldest children of their sisters. When there were no children of their sisters, they chose amongst those of their brothers, and failing these, they fell back upon their own.
-Anacaona became queen of Xaragua after her brother's death. Her husband Caonabo, suspected of having organised the attack on [[La Navidad]] (northern Haiti), was captured by [[Alonso de Ojeda]] and shipped to Spain, dying in a shipwreck during the journey. The Taínos , being ill-treated by the conquerors, revolted, and made a long war against them; and during a feast organized to honor the queen of Xaragua, who was friendly to the Spaniards, Governor [[Nicolás de Ovando]] ordered the arrest of Anacaona and her Taíno noblemen, all of whom, being accused of conspiracy, were executed. While others were shot, Anacaona was instead hanged at the age of 29 because of her status as queen of Xaragua.
+Anacaona became queen of Xaragua after her brother's death. Her husband Caonabo, suspected of having organised the attack on [[La Navidad]] (northern Haiti), was captured by [[Alonso de Ojeda]] and shipped to Spain, dying in a shipwreck during the journey. The Taínos , being ill-treated by the conquerors, revolted, and made a long war against them. During a feast organized by eight regional chieftains to honor the queen of [[Jaragua]], who was friendly to the Spaniards, Spanish Governor [[Nicolás de Ovando]] ordered the meeting house set on fire. He arrested Anacaona and her Taíno noblemen, all of whom, being accused of conspiracy, were executed. While others were shot, Anacaona was instead hanged at the age of 29.
 Anacaona is revered in in both [[Haiti]] and the [[Dominican Republic]], with nationalists on both sides claiming her as a primordial founder of their country.