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| The Alvarez family returns to Boriken to reconnect with their roots. |
Ponce, Boriken/Puerto
Rico (UCTP Taino News) - The
Alvarez Family returned to their old stomping grounds in Utuado, Boriken after
half a century away. During their recent family reunion trip, they visited
indigenous ceremonial sites on the island to further connect to, and reaffirm
their roots. The trip was organized by Susan Alvarez, who contacted the
United Confederation of Taino People for assistance. Alvarez is enrolled with
the Confederation.
The
family delegation included Susan Alvarez, along with her two children, Kathleen
and Charles, and her sisters Judith and Carmen Pagano, and Carmen’s two
daughters Hyacinth and Heather. They started their journey on a Friday morning, visiting ceremonial
centers between Ponce and Utuado crossing thru “Las Indierras” and the Cordillera
Central mountain range. “The mountains always call me, I never felt more at home as
when I was passing our beautiful, majestic mountains” said Carmen (Mita), the
family matriarch.
With trip itinerary prepared by “Mountain
Tours”, proprietor Roger Guayakan Hernandez was the official guide for the
family. Hernandez is also a Liaison Officer for the United Confederation of
Taíno People on the island. Their first stop was to Ponce's Tibes Ceremonial
Center. At the Center’s museum, the many
artifacts and informative dioramas complimented the orientation presented by Taíno
community member Luis Santiago of Wakia Arawaka. This Center features a
film explaining what researcher call the Igneri (Saladoid) culture to the so-called
Pre-Taino who settled the site along the “Valley of Tibes” from around 300AD to
1000. The grounds feature seven "batei” and two large ceremonial
"plazas".
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| Kathleen, Susan, and Charles Alvarez at Caguana |
“This educational tour
was so interesting and it explained a great deal” stated Judith.
After a tasty roast “pernil”, pollo and “costillas “luncheon at Adjuntas family
restaurant - "El Boriqua", the tour proceeded to Utuado's Caguana
Indigenous Ceremonial Center thru the winding mountain road along the
Adjuntas/Dos Bocas River Valley. The Caguana Ceremonial Center features
22 large stone petroglyphs lining the numerous, and large “batu (ballgame)”
courts along the Tanama Valley hillside facing the spectacular “Semi” mountain
peak. This Taino site has been occupied since 900AD indicative thru “Ostiones”
artifacts found along with Capa style highly decorated ceramics (1280AD-
1500AD).
The renowned petroglyph
known as "mujer de Caguana" shows her elaborate “crown” with large
ear rings representing an advanced age woman of a respected social position. Her
eyes are closed and her bony thorax with her lower extremities similar to a frog's
legs are said to denote vitality. The circular figure on her abdomen with a dot
in the middle represents her navel and her evident reproductive organ
implies her as a fertility figure giving birth to many children. Her
squatting position is a sign of power and commands respect.
Commenting on the
petroglyph Carmen stated “How wonderful we as women were treated with the
highest of respect and honor. My grandparents were so loving and respectful to
each other so we as Taino-Boricua women had a great base as how we should be
treated.”
After passing thru the half century improvements (since the family’s time in
the Diaspora) made to the Utuado area, the tour returned thru the old Camino
Reale (King's Road Route 123), which is awaiting the last stage of the $20
million dollar connection between Adjuntas and Utuado to complete a new
expressway Route 10 between Ponce and Arecibo. The 3,000 ft elevated
rural central mountain range has kept this region relatively isolated. This continues
as it has for the past 500 years holding the ancestral secrets of the many
villagers who have settled along the many rivers and tributaries for the past few
thousand years.
“WOW!” exclaimed Carmen. “The trip thru the mountains
was hair-raising in many ways, from the winding roads to
the majestic views. We all knew we were home”. She continued stating “It feels
so good to be home. We will be
back. We will continue to study and
learn about our people’s ways. We will
teach our children. I was so happy my
daughters, sisters, nephew and niece were here to experience this wonderful
beautiful experience.”
With great pride she added “We came home to the land
of enchantment, we Taino came home to the beauty of Boriken.”
Santa Fe, New Mexico (UCTP Taino News) - Jamie
Figueroa (Taino), a recent valedictorian graduate from the Institute ofAmerican Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico will be one of the featured
interviews on ‘Dateline NBC’ Friday, June 1, 2012. A part of the program, will
showcase various colleges and graduates from around the United States. The segment, airing at 9pm est. (8pm central),
will include a Tribal College, IAIA, for the first time. The Institute of American Indian
and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development (IAIA), is one of 36 tribal
colleges located in the United States.
