Guainía Taíno Tribe
| Formation | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Type | 501(c)(3) organization |
| 354273 (Puerto Rico); TN0120928 (USVI) | |
| Headquarters | Puerto Rico, United States Virgin Islands |
| Location |
|
Official language | English, Spanish |
| Website | www |
The Guainía Taíno Tribe (Taíno: iukaieke Guainía) are an Indigenous Caribbean community, recognised as a tribe by US Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr.[1] Although they do not have federal recognition as a tribe, they claim the right to self-determination as descendants of the broader Taíno people in Borikén (Puerto Rico).[2][3][4]
Etymology
[edit]The name Guainía comes from the name of the largest Taíno territory on Borikén (Puerto Rico). It covered the southern coastal area of Puerto Rico and into the interior of the island prior to the arrival of Columbus. The word iukaieke means village.[5]
Culture
[edit]The leader (kasike) of the Guainía territory was an important Indigenous leader on the island and a skillful orator in the pre-Columbian era.[5]
As of 2022, the kasike of the tribe is Maekiaphan Phillips.[6]
According to the Guainía Taíno Tribe, Guainía was the historic Arawakan language of the Guainía Taíno which extended across the Caribbean islands and into South America.[5][citation needed]
Legal status
[edit]The organization is registered as a domestic non-profit corporation in Puerto Rico under the name Guainia Taino Tribe, Inc.[7] In the United States Virgin Islands, the organization is registered under the name Guainia Taino Tribe of the Virgin Islands and is listed as a domestic partnership with headquarters in Charlotte Amalie.[8]
The tribe was recognized by Governor Albert Bryan of the US Virgin Islands as an "indigenous American Indian Tribe of the Virgin Islands" on 28 June 2021.[9][1]
In 2022, the tribe was contacted for consultation by the National Park Service of the US Department of the Interior on a project involving the exchange of land.[10]
In August 2022, the tribe cooperated with the Virgin Islands Children's Museum to create a replica Taíno bohío (house) in the museum to "bolster cultural survival and educate visitors about ancestral Taíno life."[6]
Affiliation
[edit]Tribal affiliation is open to "Taíno Tribal Nation" members and persons of Arawak and Island Carib (Kalinago) ancestry.[5]
The tribe is a member of the United Confederation of Taíno People.[5]
Membership
[edit]According to Phillips, the first step of the process for tribal enrollment into the organization is to "have your DNA tested" but that "percentage of Taino DNA" is not relevant as "some people only have oral stories."[9]
See also
[edit]- Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean
- List of organizations that self-identify as Native American tribes
References
[edit]- ^ a b Jr, Albert Bryan (4 September 2022). "Virigin Islands Observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day" (PDF).
- ^ Haurholm-Larsen, Steffen (2016). A Grammar of Garifuna. University of Bern. pp. 7, 8, 9.
- ^ "Iukaieke Guainia: Guainia Taino Tribe". guainia-taino-tribe. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
- ^ "Taino | History & Culture | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
- ^ a b c d e "History / Historia | Guainia Taino Tribe". guainia-taino-tribe. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
- ^ a b "New Exhibit At The Virgin Islands Museum Exploring History And Culture Of Indigenous People In Territory". viconsortium.com. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
- ^ "Registry of Corporations". Government of Puerto Rico. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
- ^ "GUAINIA TAINO TRIBE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS (TN0120928)". Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
- ^ a b "USVI Taino Chief Seeks Members". St. Thomas Source. 2022-04-06. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
- ^ National Park Service (August 2022). "Virgin Islands National Park Potential Land Exchange with the Government of the Virgin Islands for Public Education Environmental Assessment". Retrieved 14 May 2023.