PR Representative Vassallo urges respect for Taino

Ponce, Boriken (UCTP Taino News) – Representing District 25, Ponce – Jayuya, the Hon. Victor L. Vassallo Anadón this week urged the citizens and government of Puerto Rico and federal agencies to respect the island’s “sacred national patrimony” and the rights of the Taino People. The official statement was presented to the Boriken Liaison Office of the United Confederation of Taino People in the form of a proclamation displaying the seal of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives. The proclamation issued by Vassallo recognizes Taino People as pre-Columbian inhabitants of Puerto Rico whose descendants remain on the island today.

Photo: In Ponce, UCTP Boriken Liaison Roger Guayakan Hernandez looks on as the Hon. Victor L. Vassallo Anadón signs the official proclamation urging respect for Taino People in Puerto Rico.

UCTPTN 06.16.2008

Caribbean Indigenous Leaders Declare Solidarity with Naso Nation

Naniki Reyes Ocasio (Boriken Taino) meets with Naso Nation Grand Chief Valentin Santana and other community members at the 3rd Indigenous Leaders Conference in Panama City.

Panama City, Panama (UCTP Taino News) – During the final session of the 3rd Indigenous Leaders Summit of the Americas on April 15, delegates were unpleasantly surprised to learn about the relocation of the indigenous Naso Nation in Panama. The Naso are currently living without adequate shelter as a result of a police action following their protest of the construction of the Bonyik hydroelectric dam, which is threatening their ancestral homelands.

Traveling from the night before, several dozen weary Naso including elders, women, and children made an impromptu appearance at the summit where indigenous leaders from across the hemisphere were gathered. The Naso requested time to present their case as the summit delegates were finalizing a declaration and plan of action to be lobbied the next day at the 5th Summit of the Americas in Trinidad. Presentations were made by Naso youth and Naso traditional leader Valentin Santana.

According to reports as recently as 30 March 2009; over 100 heavily-armed Panamanian policemen entered Naso territory and destroyed 30 homes. As a result of this action nearly 200 Naso including 65 children were forcibly evicted from their own community on the San San River in the Bocas del Torro area. Eight children were hospitalized for exposure to tear gas. The Naso Tribal Nation is comprised of approximately 3,500 persons living in 11 tribal villages.

Although new reports claim that the police have now been withdrawn, the eviction order against the Naso has not yet been lifted. According to a recent communiqué from Cultural Survival, the original order was issued by local official Aracelys Sanchez. She has now been replaced by Jorge Gamarra who has promised to lift the order. Cultural Survival (a U.S. based NGO) has been supporting the Naso with an international campaign to bring awareness to this issue.

Kalinago Carib Chief Charles Williams of Dominica was enraged to hear of the injustices the Naso have been enduring over five centuries after the arrival of Columbus to the New World. Chief Williams reminded those gathered that "This is why we are here, to raise our voices in solidarity with all our suffering indigenous brothers and sisters".

Following Chief Williams, the President of the United Confederation of Taino People, Roberto Borrero (Taino) expressed the solidarity of Taino and Arawak Peoples to the Naso. He also proposed that a donation from the summit delegates be presented to the Naso. Borrero further suggested that the summit delegates give up one of the light meals prepared for them and provide it instead to the Naso contingent.

Borrero concluded his remarks with a proposal that the situation of the Naso be included in the final documents of the session. His proposals were unanimously accepted by those gathered in the plenary.

Chairing the emotional session was Hector Huertas, a representative of the indigenous Kuna Council of Panama. Huertas assured those gathered that he would follow-up on the situation and inform the wider community as to any developments in this case.

Damon Corrie and Roger Hernandez contributed to this article. (Photos: R. Hernandez)

UCTPTN 04.16.2009

Taino Observe Dia de la Candelaria in Boriken

Hato Rey, Boriken (UCTP Taino News) - February 2nd is half way between winter and summer solstice and it is observed in a pre-hispanic and Catholic fusion celebration known as Dia de la Candelaria.

Melvin Waracatua Anamu Gonzalez, the director of local Taino community group, Esencia Tabonuco marked the occasion with a roaring fire at Barrio Isreal y San Jose for the 3rd annual Taino celebration of Dia de la Candelaria in Hato Rey. Attended by more than 100 neighbors, this event featured community dance presentations by Taino cultural groups Esencia Tabonuco y El Tribu Roca de Amor Taino headed by Xuerix Guaynia Camacho and Familia Itiba. A special song was gifted to the local community by Taino artist Brandon Cutubanama of Grupo Cibuco.

The UCTP Boriken Liaison Office was represented by Eva Tona Lazu, Chamaco Lazu and Roger Guayakan Hernandez complimented by Movijibo alliance members - Huana Naboli, Ghuatibili, and Yumac Baez. The event also commemorated the birthday of UCTP rep. Roger Guyacan with cake and ice cream served as desert for the local Taino delicacies offered by friends and family.

In an unfortunate turn of events, a social dance around the community fire was shockingly interrupted by a local fire department official who proceeded without respect to extinguish the center of this activity. Caught on video by local Univision television news crew covering this momentous celebration, the fire department representative was offered an on-camera orientation on the prehispanic observance of Dia de la Candelaria and the Taino cultural practice of lighting a large fire from which community members offer their tributes of thanks and practice a purification dance for the upcoming season.

The 11pm newscast was well edited and anchor desk commentary followed recognizing a growing resurgence of Taino cultural identity and ceremonial restoration projects throughout the island of Boriken.

UCTPTN 02.03.2009

Yahoo recognizes Taino News and Information Group

UCTP Taino News – The United Confederation of Taino People’s Taino News and Information Email List Server has been recognized as a “Yahoo!Groups Power User” with the Yahoo Groups network. The distinction recognizes the Confederation’s dedication to building its ever-increasing subscription base and allows access to Yahoo’s Power User Program. The Taino News list on Yahoo currently serves over 2,600 subscribers.

The Groups Power User Program is a pilot program focusing on the owners and moderators of the top 2% of Yahoo Groups. Top percentile users were determined after a review of a several factors including the number of members in a group, group activity, and how long the group has been in existence. As one of the few list serves in the program, the UCTP can now take advantage of new services such as 24-hour online chat support.

One of the UCTP’s online moderators, Roger Guayakan Hernandez welcomed the news. “It is nice to see a company like Yahoo recognize the hard work we have put into our Taino News group resource.”

Hernandez, who is based in Puerto Rico, noted that Yahoo Groups is a free service that has been instrumental in “increasing the visibility of Taino and other Caribbean Indigenous Peoples within and out of the region.”

“We continue to see our Taino News digest and individual articles forwarded on other networks all around the world” he said.

An extension of the Confederation’s news distribution network, the Taino News and Information Email List is located on the internet at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Taino_News/ on the Yahoo network.

UCTPTN 10.21.2008

After 10 Years Columbus Gets A New Home in Boriken

Borikén (UCTP Taíno News) – Ten years ago the United Confederation of Taíno People and its member organizations in Borikén (Puerto Rico) – Consejo General de Tainos Borincanos and the Caney Quinto Mundo – launched a protest campaign against the Mayor of Cataño and his plan to erect a giant monument to Columbus in the town. Defiant in the face of a barrage of letters and phone calls demanding an end to the project, the Mayor vowed to find to see the project to completion. The project failed after the town could not raise the funds to erect the statue. A decade later it seems the project may finally see completion and give the 310 ft. Columbus a new home on the island.

After years of sitting in pieces in a Cataño park the 2.4 million dollar statue is said to be moving to Mayaguez where it will be installed at a port run by management company, the Holland Group. According to the Mayor of Cataño, the company plans to install the bronze and steel statue in time for the city’s hosting of the Central American and Caribbean Games in July 2010.

Local Taíno community members were dismayed by the announcement.

Roger Guayakan Hernandez, a representative of the United Confederation of Taíno People (UCTP) in Borikén notes “this is just another example of the misinformation that continues to be promoted concerning Columbus and his presence in the Caribbean. Columbus is no hero. This is an insult to indigenous peoples everywhere”.

Hernandez reports that calls to the company to discuss local community objections to the proposal have not been returned. The UCTP plans to work with local groups and individuals in a follow-up to the 1998 campaign to call for an end to the project.

UCTPTN 08.20.2008

In the Footsteps of our Ancestors

Artisan and teacher Alice Chéverez with student Luis “Kacián” Calderón creating pottery in Morovis, Boriken (photo: Roger Guayakan Hernandez)
By Luis “Kacián” Calderón
In my personal journey toward reaffirmation of my Taíno heritage, I have often wondered what our ancestors would have been doing if they lived right now and in today’s Boriken (Puerto Rico) in the 21st century. The answer doesn’t need a lot of speculation because they would be doing the same thing our native brothers and sisters in the southwest of the United States have been doing. That is that if you are an indigenous artisan, you would be doing artisan work just as your ancestors or family had been doing, most likely that’s what you also would be doing, especially if it would be a means of attaining economic independence. We as Taíno’s of today need to reclaim our arts, music, language, mythology, spirituality and philosophy as a continuing people. For me, I have decided to restore my people's heritage in the art of ceramics and working with clay. Our ancestors were Neolithic people. This means that they developed their culture through agriculture. People, who reach this level of development, also develop the use of clay and form functional clay pottery.

Living here in Boriken has allowed me the privilege of studying under a great teacher and artisan. Her name is Alice Chéverez. Alice is the youngest daughter of Don Pablo y Doña Varin. In the mountains of Morovis, Alice practices the ceramic arts of our Taíno ancestors, from acquiring clay here in Boriken to preparation and forming the piece fundamentally using the coil system. The drying and final firing of the pot is done in an open fire. Alice uses the same exact traditional method that our ancestors used to create pottery 500 years ago. She specializes in functional and ceremonial Taíno pottery and museums reproductions and uses traditional tools as higüera scrappers and wooden sticks to form the Taíno designs in the pottery. Alice doesn’t work with industrialized clay that can be bought in conventional ceramic stores, where is prepared and processed. She also does not work with the pottery wheel, which origins are from the Middle East and Europe. When firing the piece, she does not use an electric kiln oven, gas or wood kilns. Alice fires her pieces in an open fire using wood.

Alice learned the Taíno form of pottery from her mother while helping her create Taíno pottery. She has more than twenty years of learning this craft. Her mother learned from the Taíno artisan Daniel Silva, who today lives in the island of Vieques and continues the tradition, but using a new medium, higüera instead of clay.

Alice has sold her Taíno pieces in all the artisan fairs on the island, and in the past has traveled to the United States to exhibit her work. Due to the birth of her son, she hasn’t had the chance to travel around the island. Also due to her mother’s health, Alice has been given the responsibility of continuing the Taíno tradition of pottery making. Though her mother is in good health and spirit, she has decided to retire from pottery and giving the privilege to Alice as master potter.

As an educator, I would like to take the time to inform the Taíno community through the forum of the internet that Alice Chéverez of Taller Cabachuela is taking on new students. She would like to have serious students who can make a commitment to the serious study of learning our Taíno ancestors’ traditional way of creating pottery. The price is economical and all you need is your time and dedication. Alice is very serious about her work. Though her studio is very humble, what counts is the knowledge she will pass on. In today’s modern world, we have all suffered economically the recession that has been going on for the past few years. Many feel forced to go back to the university to study a profession that will give them the means economically to better themselves. Why not become an artisan promoting your ancestors’ tradition? At the same time, you will be helping yourself toward economic independence. I can attest that there is no satisfaction like creating a Taíno piece with your own hands and seeing it finally fired in an open fire. Alice Chévere as a teacher is excellent; she never makes fun of the student or his piece and is more than willing to help. She is open minded to all questions about the craft. If you live on the island or are visiting the island and would like to take a few classes, you can contact Alice at:

Alice Chéverez
Taller Cabachuela
Torrecillas, Buzón 5986
Morovis, PR 00687
(787) 321-8768

You can also write an e-mail to frets20@hotmail.com, call me at (787)260-7248 or (787)813-9379 for any questions regarding to Alice Chévere and Taíno pottery.

Author's note: I would like to thank the photographer and fellow student Roger “Guayakan” Hernández (see photo above) and Roberto “Múkaro” Borrero for the space offered in the UCTP website for this article.About the author: Luis “Kacián” Calderón has been an active member within the taíno community since the late 80’s., in New York City and has been living in Boriken from 1996 to the present. He received a B.A. in secondary education in history and a minor in music from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in San Germán. Kacián has studied taíno pottery with Alice Chéverre for the past two years an also studied contemporary ceramics at Centro Sor Isolina Ferrer. He also studied the pottery wheel with his teacher Eduardo Martínez. The author lives with his wife Ana and boxer dog Chaco in Juana Díaz, Boriken (Puerto Rico).