Members of Esencia Tabonuco present Taino culture in Hato Rey Boriken (Puerto Rico)
Hato Rey, Boriken (UCTP Taino News) - Celebrating “la Semana Puertorriqueña” in Hato Rey last Sunday, the Taino cultural group Esencia Tabonuco gave a special educational presentation at Iglesia San Jose en Barrio Isreal.
In his statment to those gathered, Melvin J. Gonzales Acosta, the group’s director emphasized the community participation in these presentations. Gonzalez Acosta linked public education and traditional areyto (social ceremonial celebrations) practices as a way to connect families and neighbors inter-generationally.
Featuring indigenous Taino traditions within the island wide heritage celebrations this month has gained prominence as the history of Caribbean colonization becomes more important to the younger generations of the so-called “New World”.
Professor Jalil Sued Badillo addresses those gathered to honor Taino leader Agueybana II in Ponce, Boriken (Puerto Rico)
Ponce, Boriken (UCTP Taino News) – Local Taino gathered in Ponce, Boriken on November 19, 2009 to pay respect to Kasike (Chief) Agueybana II, a 16th century warrior considered by many to be the island’s first hero to stand against colonialism.
Organized by the United Confederation of Taino People’s Liaison Office in Boriken, the special event took place at the monument to the great Taino leader who led confederated indigenous communities against Spanish conquistadors at the battle of Yahueca in 1511. The program was enthusiastically attended by members of the local community, scholars, government officials, and school children.
Among the presentations featured was a historical biography of "Agueybana el bravo” by Professor Jalil Sued Badillo, a musical tribute by elder and artist Miguel Anel Guzman, and a Taino cultural presentation by members of Esencia Tabonuco.
The program received additional support from the office of the honorable Victor Vassallo Anadon, the congressional representative for Ponce and Jayuya. Vassallo issued a proclamation for the occasion designating Nov. 19 as Kasike Agueybana Day.
Traditional Native People Question Motivation of New Age Movement
A Native American sweat lodge ritual is a conscious spiritual journey that should never involve the exchange of money, as this degrades the energy of the ceremony.
Three people died and dozens were hospitalized October 8, 2009, after collapsing from the intense, prolonged heat of a sweat lodge conducted by spiritual guru James A. Ray.
The sweat ritual was part of a five-day, almost $10,000 "Spiritual Warrior" retreat near Sedona, Arizona, designed to "accelerate the releasing of your limitations and push yourself past your self-imposed and conditioned borders," according to the retreat's advertisements.
Many Native Americans are distressed about not only the injuries and deaths that occurred because of the sweat lodge, but also about the use of this sacred Native tradition as a money-making tool.
"Our spirituality, our traditional ways, should not be for sale," said Monika Ponton-Arrington in an interview with Suite101's Lori Nash. Monika is a Taino Native, from Puerto Rico, but now resides in Ellijay, Georgia.
"The Inipi Ceremony – which is what it is called by the Lakota people – has been passed down for generations by our ancestors. It is a sacred, spiritual quest that you have to really prepare for, and you have to go in for the right reasons, and with the right intentions," Monika said.
A Native American sweat lodge ritual is a conscious spiritual journey that should never involve the exchange of money, as this degrades the energy of the ceremony.
Three people died and dozens were hospitalized October 8, 2009, after collapsing from the intense, prolonged heat of a sweat lodge conducted by spiritual guru James A. Ray.
The sweat ritual was part of a five-day, almost $10,000 "Spiritual Warrior" retreat near Sedona, Arizona, designed to "accelerate the releasing of your limitations and push yourself past your self-imposed and conditioned borders," according to the retreat's advertisements.
Many Native Americans are distressed about not only the injuries and deaths that occurred because of the sweat lodge, but also about the use of this sacred Native tradition as a money-making tool.
"Our spirituality, our traditional ways, should not be for sale," said Monika Ponton-Arrington in an interview with Suite101's Lori Nash. Monika is a Taino Native, from Puerto Rico, but now resides in Ellijay, Georgia.
"The Inipi Ceremony – which is what it is called by the Lakota people – has been passed down for generations by our ancestors. It is a sacred, spiritual quest that you have to really prepare for, and you have to go in for the right reasons, and with the right intentions," Monika said.
Three people died and dozens were hospitalized October 8, 2009, after collapsing from the intense, prolonged heat of a sweat lodge conducted by spiritual guru James A. Ray.
The sweat ritual was part of a five-day, almost $10,000 "Spiritual Warrior" retreat near Sedona, Arizona, designed to "accelerate the releasing of your limitations and push yourself past your self-imposed and conditioned borders," according to the retreat's advertisements.
Many Native Americans are distressed about not only the injuries and deaths that occurred because of the sweat lodge, but also about the use of this sacred Native tradition as a money-making tool.
"Our spirituality, our traditional ways, should not be for sale," said Monika Ponton-Arrington in an interview with Suite101's Lori Nash. Monika is a Taino Native, from Puerto Rico, but now resides in Ellijay, Georgia.
"The Inipi Ceremony – which is what it is called by the Lakota people – has been passed down for generations by our ancestors. It is a sacred, spiritual quest that you have to really prepare for, and you have to go in for the right reasons, and with the right intentions," Monika said.
"Plus, it does not cost money. In fact, it should never involve an exchange of money, because money takes away the purity of the energy for the ceremony," she said.
The Right Intentions Bring Healing Energy
Native Americans use the sweat ritual as a way to cleanse and heal their spirits, Monika said. Typically, the ceremony focuses on one person, and the others there come to support him or her. Often it is only family members who are taking part in the ceremony together.
"It's important that everyone know each other, so you know what kind of issues are being brought in," she said. "When I go to a sweat ceremony, and I don't know who all is in there, I stay outside and sing to support them, but I'm not going to go in there; it just wouldn't be right."
"In that New Age sweat where people died, they were all strangers and they were there for their own reasons, all different," Monika said. "They all had their inner issues, their problems, their demons," she said. "The Pourer – even if he did know what he was doing – he could not be spiritually connected to everyone, all 60 people, who were there."
A proper sweat ceremony is also not about "pushing your limits," Monika said. "It's supposed to be about connecting – connecting to Mother Earth, connecting to spirituality, connecting to our ancestors – and through this connection comes healing," she said.
The Traditional Native Sweat Ceremony Must Follow Proper Protocol
As practiced for hundreds of years by Native Americans, the sweat lodge ceremony involves a chosen individual – the Pourer – to pour the "water of life" on the super-heated rocks, producing steam. The Pourer has to earn the right to do this by preparing for years; it is believed that the Pourer takes care of the lives of those participating in the sweat ceremony by purifying them.
The heated rocks are believed by the Natives to be "Grandfathers" or "Stone People" – spiritual ancestors who deliver messages during a sweat ritual. It is then the Pourer's responsibility to call in the helper spirits and deliver their messages to those in the sweat through prayer and singing.
"During a sweat, you are in the womb of Mother Earth, and you are witnessing the expressions of the spirits and angels of the ancestors to come and help you," Monika said.
"Spiritual Precautions" Must Be Taken
Monika contends that many mistakes were made in the Sedona sweat lodge during the "Spiritual Warrior" retreat, and that these mistakes could have produced an "energy" that contributed to the tragic outcome.
"First of all, there should be no more than 10-15 people; I heard there were 60 people in there. That's just dangerous, because no one knew each other. It would be confusing for the spirits," she said.
Monika added that as the temperature rises in the sweat lodge, the doors are opened to cool it down and to "reconnect with the outside world." A sweat ritual might last from dusk until dawn, she said, but the participants are not expected to suffer with the heat, as it was reported that some did in the Sedona sweat lodge.
"Plus, you never mix men and women in a sweat, unless it is only close relations or you know the people very, very well," she said. "
"The energies of men and women are different, and that would add to the spiritual chaos that must have occurred" that day in Sedona, she said.
"I have brothers and sisters who are Lakota, Commanchee, Cheyenne, Apache, and I have seen many good and beautiful things – miracles – come from a sweat ceremony," Monika said. "But it has to be done right, with the right preparation, and it must be respected."
"Arvol Looking Horse said it best," Monika said. "He said that all nations and people on Earth should please respect the sacred ceremonial way of life and not exploit our traditions for money."
The copyright of the article A Native American Response to Sweat Lodge Deaths in New Age is owned by . Permission to republish A Native American Response to Sweat Lodge Deaths in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Washington, DC (UCTP Taino News) — After being pushed to near extinction caused by pesticides, hunters, and the loss of habitat the brown pelican was removed from the endangered species list on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009.
"We can all celebrate this victory for our sacred relative.” stated Roger Guayacan Hernandez, a Liaison Officer for the United Confederation of Taino People in Boriken (Puerto Rico).
“Our ancestors saw the Aruna (the brown pelican) and many other water birds as spiritually significant” continued Hernandez. “In many ways, the Aruna is a symbol for the conservation of the region’s wildlife as it took real dedication and partnership between government, conservation organizations, and concerned individuals to archive this success.”
Aruna is the ancient Arawak word for the brown pelican.
According to reports the Aruna population is now back up to more than 650,000 of the birds across Florida, in the coastal regions of the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific Ocean, and in the Caribbean and Latin America.
The Aruna still faces threats including habitat loss from Global Warming. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service will continue to monitor its progress working with agencies and organizations in Mexico, Boriken, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
PAKARAIMA MOUNTAINS, GUYANA - Word has leaked out to a select few local, regional and International media sources that Barbados born Damon Gerard Corrie (of paternal Trinidadian and maternal Guyanese Amerindian descent) - well known to Barbadians as "the Snake Man'', may soon be well known throughout the Caribbean as 'Barbadiana Jones'' - he's been able to watermark and copyright the pictures of the "discovery of his lifetime" and can now be fully revealed.
He became the first person to identify and compile physical and photographic evidence of an ancient Amerindian culture of skilled stonemasons formerly inhabiting an estimated 200 sq. mile mountainous area of Guyana. Since the culture area covers 200 sq miles (known so far) in the Pakaraima mountains of Guyana - He decided to name the long lost ancient culture that inhabited this region and left a treasure trove of unique artifacts - the 'Pakaraimans'. Corrie says he has been searching this area over the past decade at his own expenses - purely to satisfy his own curiosity initially; but realizes now that what he has discovered is too important to keep to himself any longer. Never far from controversy, Corrie says he was careful to amass as much evidence as possible as he is convinced that "unscrupulous individuals in academic and political circles will not waste any time in launching petty and vitriolic attacks and attempted character assassination upon him" in order to caste doubt on the veracity of his discoveries. This solo effort on 36 year old Corrie's part may prove to be an invaluable contribution to the science of Anthropology, and a vital missing chapter to the pre-Colombian history of Guyana.
President Barack Obama signed a memorandum on tribal consultation at the White House Tribal Nations Conference, which took place at the Interior Department in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, November 5.
The memo directs all federal agencies to submit a "detailed" tribal consultation plan in the next 90 days. A progress report will be due in 270 days.
"History has shown that failure to include the voices of tribal officials in formulating policy affecting their communities has all too often led to undesirable and, at times, devastating and tragic results," Obama stated. "By contrast, meaningful dialogue between Federal officials and tribal officials has greatly improved Federal policy toward Indian tribes."
The memo also directs the White House Office of Management and Budget to submit a report on the implementation of the tribal consultation policies by the agencies. The report is due in one year.
The UCTP flag represents a Unified Taino Nation reaching out in solidarity across the waters in all the sacred directions to our relations on other islands, lands, and beyond. The flag symbol was oringinally created for the UCTP by artist Marie Nanamaguey Crooke. To purchase a high-quality 3ft x 5ft UCTP flag, please click on the flag image above and scroll down the page to the letter "U" for UCTP. Hahom (Thank you)
Taino Beaded Cemi Figure from Kiskeya (Dominican Republic)
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Members of Esencia Tabonuco present Taino culture in Hato Rey Boriken (Puerto Rico)
