Confederation Commended for Census Campaign

Photo: Victor Vassallo, Roger Guayakan Hernandez, and Virginia Pastrana.

Ponce, Boriken/Puerto Rico (UCTP Taino News) – Last week Victor Vassallo, a representative of Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives, commended the Boriken Liaison Office of the United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP) for their work promoting the 2010 U.S. Census. In an official partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, the Confederation organized events, produced literature, and developed an online campaign to promote Taino participation in the 2010 Census.

The United States conducts an official census every 10 years. While the UCTP was an official partner with the U.S. Census Bureau for its campaign in 2000, this year’s activities included a major event at the Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center in Ponce. The activity featured local Taino cultural presenters Wakia Arawaka Taina and was attended by the general public as well as U.S. Census Bureau officials from Washington D.C. and Boston, Massachusetts.

Vassallo not only praised the Confederation’s work increasing the visibility of Taino descendants but its work promoting the protection of indigenous sacred sites in Boriken. In particular, Vassalllo thanked the UCTP for bringing the issue of the Jacanas ceremonial site to his attention. Vassallo has since introduced formal legislation to protect the Jacanas cultural area.

Expecting more than 15,000 households to identify themselves as Taino in the Census, UCTP Boriken Liaison Director Roger Guayakan Hernandez stated "The U.S. Census is a mechanism for Boriken’s indigenous families to be recognized officially.”

He continued stating that in his opinion "Tainos must be responsible to make themselves count because nobody else will."

The UCTP also administers an alternate Taino Census Registry not affiliated with the U.S. Census Bureau.

UCTPTN 10.28.2010

Census 2010 Celebrates Taino Heritage in Ponce

UCTP Photo: Some of the participants of the 2010 Census Taino heritage celebration at the Tibes Ceremonial Center in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Ponce, Boriken (UCTP Taino News) – The 2010 Census Road Tour celebrated Taino heritage at the Tibes Ceremonial Center in Ponce, Boriken (Puerto Rico) on March 4, 2010. The event included participation from local elected officials, Census Bureau representatives, Taino community members, and the general public. The program was an official collaboration between the U.S. Census Bureau, the honorable Dr. María Meléndez Altieri, Mayor of Ponce, and the Boriken Liaison Office of the United Confederation of Taino People.

The event opened with a prayer in the Taino language presented by Lizzy Sarobey, Director of the cultural group Wakia Arawaka Taina. Opening remarks were presented by representatives of the Mayor’s Office, the Census Bureau, and UCTP representative Roger Guayacan Hernandez.

“The indigenous category was taken off the census in Boriken (Puerto Rico) in the year 1800” stated Roger Guayacan. “We now have the opportunity to write ourselves back into history.”

The UCTP Liaison Office also distributed specific information on how local Taino community members could identify themselves in the census questionnaire. The Confederation is urging local Taino to fill out the census questionnaire by choosing American Indian for Race at question 9 and writing in Taino as ‘principle tribe’. Individuals can also choose ‘Puerto Rican’ as Ethnicity at question 8.

“Some people have been confused by the questionnaire” said Roger Guayacan. “They think that the American Indian identification only applies to U.S. mainland tribes but that is not the case.” He continued stating “The Census Bureau defines American Indian as individuals of indigenous origin from throughout the Americas.”

2010 Census Questionnaires are expected arrive to households in Puerto Rico and the U.S. around mid-March.

UCTPTN 03.10.2010