Spanish university students set to explore Dominican Taino legacy

Tahina-Can Bancaja Expedition begins today

Santo Domingo.- 60 university students from Spain will arrive today Friday in the Dominican Republic to participate in the 3rd Tahina-Can Bancaja Expedition, for an 18 day tour of this Caribbean country, itinerary that includes adventure, cooperation and journalism.

The Tahina-Can Expedition is a project organized by the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Bancaja Foundation, consisting in traveling to study in a Latin America country, where students of all disciplines and Spanish universities take part.

Within the trip’s framework, students receive conferences and workshops on the visited country and conduct different journalistic works. Each student receives 400 euros from Bancaja to finance his trip.

Under the title "Across the Land of the Tainos: The door to the new world," the Tahina-Can Expedition will tour the Dominican Republic, so the expeditionaries know the legacy of the Taino culture, study Columbus’ first voyages and experience this Caribbean country’s history.

*Source: Fundacion Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE). Iban Campo.

**Photo of Petroglyphs from Las Caritas, Lago Enriquillo, Dominican Republic

Manatee Seen as a Good Sign to Taino People

New York, NY (UCTP Taino News) - A recent sighting of a massive manatee traveling up New York’s Hudson River is seen as an important event by Taino Indians in New York. A representative of the United Confederation of Taino People, Roberto Mucaro Borrero noted that “for some of our community this rare occurrence is seen as a positive prophetic sign.”

The Taino were the first Indigenous Peoples in the Western Hemisphere to encounter Columbus and manatee is a Taino word. Manatees are commonly associated with the warm waters of Florida and the Caribbean.

“We relate this sighting to another that took place some years ago in Boriken (Puerto Rico). Both of these occurrences are seen as an opportunity for a renewed relationship with the natural world and responsible action” continued Borrero.

The Taino traditionally view the manatee in a manner similar to the way North American Plains Indians view the buffalo.

Borrero also observed that “this manatee comes to New York at a perfect time as we will commemorate the 12^th International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples at United Nations headquarters tomorrow on August 9^th and we will certainly bring the spirit of this sacred sea-going relative to the United Nations.”

While a rare sight it is not unprecedented for manatees to travel this far north a few have been sighted along the shores of Long Island and even as far north as Rhode Island.

The manatee has been spotted at 23rd Street near Chelsea Piers, West 125th Street, and later in Westchester County. It appeared to be healthy.

UCTP Taino News 08.08.2006

Caribs observe 103rd Anniversary

The Carib people are, this month, celebrating the 103rd Anniversary of the founding of the territory, established in 1903. Chief Charles Williams said, efforts are being made to have a network in place highlighting the significance of the event in the lives of the Kalinago people. Speaking to our North Correspondent, the Chief declared, "Today we observe the 103rd Anniversary since the declaration of the then Carib Reserve; as we name it today, 'Kalinago people'. It is believed that the Kalinago people have been living on the island for well over 3000 years BC, and today our brethren can be traced in every country in the Caribbean and for that reason we are proud of this reality, which we are all happy to celebrate."

The Carib Council has drawn up an interesting programme to celebrate the event, described by Chief Williams as a bold move to heighten greater awareness among the people. Among the activities will be a visit by the Kalinago people of the territory to all the communities where Caribs still live. The aim, said Williams, is to foster and maintain the solid relationship that exists among the Kalinago people living in different parts of the island. "So during the course of this month we'll be paying courtesy calls on our brothers and sisters in Petite Soufriere and surrounding hamlets: then to Petite Savanne, Fond St. Jean, Point Carib and Bagatelle, along to Vieille Case, Penville and Capuchin, where this exercise will end," said the Chief.

The history of the Carib Territory and the way forward for its future development will be the subject of discussion at a symposium facilitated by local historian, Dr. Lennox Honychurch, later this month. Young people are particularly exhorted to attend this event.

Source: http://www.news-dominica.com/chronstory.cfm?Id=4128

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: A DIALOGUE ON ENVIRONMENTALLY BALANCED ECONOMICS

Indigenous Leaders and Wharton Business School Students Gather at the UN

NEW YORK (May 17, 2005)—For the first time, indigenous leaders from across the globe have come together with Wharton Business School's Net Impact Club to discuss future models for business partnerships. The conference, which marked the opening of a new chapter in trade relations with indigenous communities, focused on a balance between cultural, environmental and financial standards and served as the first step of a dialogue between the larger business community and those who are in the daily business of living in balance with and protecting our planet....

This year's summit actively addressed the needs raised by this assessment: to create an economically viable business model for trading natural resources responsibly, and with respect to the rights of indigenous people. Opening the conference was Roberto Mucaro Borrero, a native Taino of Puerto Rico, and Chair of the NGO Committee on the United Nations International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples. Additional speakers included Marcos Terena, of the Terena community in Mato Groso do Sul, Brazil, and Leon Secatero, a Spiritual Elder of the I'Inebeho (Navajo) community of Canoncito.

See full story at http://aveda.aveda.com/about/press/wharton_conference.asp

Land titles fight continues

The first Amerindian lawyer of Guyana David James (left),
along with his associate, Martin Cheong, programme assistant,
legal services unit, APA recently took a tour of Dominica,
St Vincent and Barbados.

by Tracy Moore

GUYANA'S FIRST Amerindian lawyer, David James, is making his mark in his homeland and the Caribbean.

He recently became the legal advisor to the Amerindian Peoples Association of Guyana (APA), a non-governmental organisation, with objectives to promote the social, economic, political and cultural improvement of the Indigenous communities and to promote and defend their civil rights.

In other words, he has his work cut out for him.

James, along with his associate, Martin Cheong, programme assistant, Legal Services Unit, APA recently took a tour to Dominica, St. Vincent and Barbados lecturing about the plight of the Amerindians in Guyana.

"One of the purposes is to create awareness and we are also looking for solidarity from other indigenous people and non-indigenous people. I think there is still a thinking that indigenous people either not exists or that there are so few in numbers that nobody pays much attention to them.

"In Guyana, we number some ten per cent of the population which approximates to about 70 000," said the attorney-at-law.

He said that there were two main areas that the indigenous people and their organisation were concerned about.

"One has to be with the protection of our rights to lands, territories and resources which we have traditionally owned, occupied and used going back all the way to our ancestors.

"We are concerned that the present law – the new law – does not adequately equip us. For indigenous people, the land is the source for everything for us. It is the source for which our culture flows, our way of life depends on that and if we do not have legal security to that land in the form of title, then it means that we will face an uncertain future.

"At the moment, the law does not state that right and therefore it does not protect that right as far as I am concerned.

"All it does is say that power is in the hands of the relevant minister to determine whether indigenous communities are able to obtain title to their land or not, or extensions to titles," he explained.

Cheong added that the issues were deep-rooted from the days of Guyana's independence in 1966, when one of the conditions of independence were to resolve land rights issues pertaining to the Amerindian peoples.

"The next year, the government commissioned an Amerindian Lands Commission which went out to over 100 communities to listen to the concerns of the people. In 1969, a report was published," he cited.

He said the commission recommended that "some 24 000 square miles of Guyana should be titled as indigenous title land, but that the government did nothing until 1976."

"Seventy communities obtained titles, but that only amounted to 4 500 (square miles). During their visit of the commission, the indigenous leaders themselves and communities had said that some 43 000 square miles was their land – just a little over half of the country."The commission disagreed and said 24 000. Finally, what did we get? 4 500," he recalled.

"The struggle is with the law" said James, who added that it was based on a "philosophy of paternalism".

He explained that the law was steeped in "colonial ideology" which assumed "indigenous people basically couldn't think for themselves and therefore had to rely on the state to protect their interest".

"So under the law, we were seen as wards of the state. Basically, like children, and therefore the state had a lot of power over us in determining what was best for us," he said.

James and Cheong both acknowledged there had been a few improvements to the law recently, but not enough to meet their full approval.

"So although we have a new law now, we are not happy with some of the provisions. In 1991, the government issued a few more titles and then in 2004 at least two other titles were granted. Today, it stands at about 10 000 square miles" said Cheong.

With a total land mass of 83 000 square miles, a diverse population of three-quarters-of-a-million people – which the single largest population in the hinterlands are indigenous people – James and Cheong recognise that they have a battle ahead of them, but insist they will continue their struggle for their people.