Taíno Daka Receives Award at Wisconsin Film Festival

Filmmaker Alez Zacarias; UCTP Liaison Officer, Martha Bahaku Brito; and UCTP President, Roberto Borrero attending the screening of Taíno Daka (I am) at the 2019 Green Bay Film Festival

Green Bay, Wisconsin (UCTP Taíno News) - The 7th annual Green Bay Festival took place January 31-March 3, 2019 at St. Norbert College’s Abbot Pennings Hall of Fine Arts in De Pere, Wisconsin. Among the various selected entries screening at the festival was the documentary “Taíno Daka (I am)” by Emmy award-winning filmmaker Alex “Guaragua’ko” Zacarias. After the film’s screening, a question and answer session was held with Zacarias and Roberto “Múkaro Agüeibaná” Borrero, President of the United Confederation of Taíno People. Borrero was featured in the film. Taíno Daka was awarded 1st Runner Up in the Audience Choice/Wisconsin’s Own category. The film is currently available for download at the VIMEO platform. 

UCTP Taíno News 3.4.2019

Smithsonian Talks Taino Beyond “Extinction”

Dr. Juan Martínez Cruzado, Roberto Mukaro Borrero (Taino), Dr. Juan Manuel Delgado Colon, and Dr. Osvaldo García Goyco in Washington D.C.

Washington DC (UCTP Taino News) - The second workshop focusing on Taíno and Caribbean Indigenous “consciousness” opened today at the Smithsonian’s National Museum on the American Indian in Washington DC. Well-respected scholars and activists from diverse disciplines around the Caribbean and Diaspora will meet though the week to further discuss various Taíno and Caribbean indigenous themes as well as plans for a proposed exhibition in 2016.

Participants include Dr. Joseph Palacio (University of the West Indies), Dr. Juan Martínez Cruzado (University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez), Dr. Rachel Beauvoir-Dominique (Independent Scholar, Haiti), Lesley-Gail Atkinson (Jamaica National Heritage Trust), Alejandro Hartmann (Museo Matachín de Baracoa), Dr. José Barreiro (National Museum of the American Indian), Dr. Lynne Guitar (Independent Scholar, Dominican Republic),  Dr. Juan Manuel Delgado Colon (Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y el Caribe), Jorge Estevez (National Museum of the American Indian), Ariel Boinayel Mota (Filmmaker, Dominican Republic), Clennis Tavarez Maria (Museo del Hombre Dominicano), Dr. Jose Antonio Garcia Molina (Independent Scholar, Cuba), Alejandro Hartmann Matos (Museo de Matachin, Cuba), Dr. Osvaldo García Goyco (Jardín Botánico, Puerto Rico), Alex Zacarias (Filmmaker, Puerto Rico), and Roberto Mukaro Borrero (United Confederation of Taíno People).  

The program is a collaboration between the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Museum of Natural History, and the Smithsonian Latino Center, and will culminate on Friday, July 13 with a free public symposium from 2-5pm.

UCTPTN 07.09.2010

Taíno People Featured at United Nations Indigenous Day

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses UN Headquarters' event in observance of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. At right is Roberto Múkaro Agueibana Borrero, Master of Ceremonies for the event.
(UN Photo/Evan Schneider)

UNITED NATIONS (UCTP Taíno News) - The United Nations celebrated the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples on August 9, reaffirming indigenous rights and presenting several short films produced by indigenous filmmakers. Caribbean Indigenous Peoples, the Taíno in particular, were a featured part of the event commemorated at UN Headquarters.

The program was called to order with the sounding of the guamo (conch shell horn) by Roberto Múkaro Agueibana Borrero (Taíno) who served as the program’s Master of Ceremonies.

A welcoming song by Native American singer Kevin Tarrant and opening statements by UN dignitaries including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon were presented. The participation of the UN Secretary-General highlighted the event’s high-level profile.

Four short films were presented during the event including "Taíno Indians: Counted out of Existence" by Alex Zacarias (Taíno). Zacarias is an Emmy-award winning documentary film maker whose family comes from Bieke (Vieques). His film deals with the Taíno People's struggle for recognition in Borikén (Puerto Rico).

“Film is a great way of communicating people's stories” stated Zacarias.

Sylvia Kaonamahakuio Marrero, a Borikén Taíno who attended the program agreed.

“It was an honor to be part of this important event and share with others; not only our Taíno people but also with other Indigenous Peoples” said Marrero. “The program was very educational.”

UCTPTN 08.10.2010

Indigenous filmmaking to be celebrated on International Day

United Nations (UCTP Taino News) - The International Day of the World’s Indigenous People will be commemorated at United Nations Headquarters and around the world on Monday, 9 August 2010. The observance will focus on indigenous filmmaking, celebrating the contributions of indigenous filmmakers to promoting greater understanding of their communities, cultures and history and the challenges they face today.

In his message for the Day, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon states the work of indigenous filmmakers “connects us to belief systems and philosophies; it captures both the daily life and the spirit of indigenous communities.”

The UN Headquarters event is organized by the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and is presented in collaboration with the NGO Committee on the UN International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Roberto Mukaro Agueibana Borrero (Taíno), will serve as Master of Ceremonies and opening remarks by the Secretary-General and other UN and indigenous representatives will precede the screening of four short films by indigenous filmmakers.

Following the film screenings, a discussion with three indigenous filmmakers - Mr. Per-Josef Idivuoma (Sámi), Mr. Alex Zacarias (Taíno), and Mr. Andrew Okpeaha Maclean (Inupiaq) - will be moderated by Reaghan Tarbell (Mohawk), from the National Museum of the American Indian.

UCTPTN 08.04.2010

Taino Documentary Turns Lens to Boriken

UCTP Liaison Officer Roger Guayakan Hernandez,
Naniki Reyes Ocasio of the Caney Quinto Mundo,
and videographer Ray Ibsen meet in Orocovis, Boriken.
(Photo: A. Zacarias)

Boriken/Puerto Rico (UCTP Taino News) - Emmy Award winning team Alex Zacarias (Producer/Director) and videographer Ray Ibsen traveled to Boriken (Puerto Rico) in August to continue work on their Taino documentary production.

The filmmakers interviewed various members of the island's local Taino community including representatives of the Consejo General de Taino Borincanos, the Caney Quinto Mundo, the United Confederation of Taino People and others. The team also interviewed the Hon.Victor L. Vassallo Anadón of Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives and Dr. Juan Martinez Cruzado, a Geneticist at the University of Puerto Rico.

Zacarias noted that the recent trip to Boriken resulted in the gathering of enough film footage and information to pursue the funding needed to continue production.

UCTPTN 09.05.2009

Documentary Film Maker to Focus on Taino

Documentary Producer Alex Zacarias (at left) meets with members of the Cacibahagua Taino Cultural Society in New York. (Photo: Alex Zacarias)

UCTP Taino News - The Emmy Award winning team of Producer/Director Alex Zacarias and videographer Ray Ibsen took to New York from 17-22 May to begin work on “The Lost Taino Tribe” documentary. While in New York the documentary team met with a number of local Taino community members who shared their ideas, thoughts and beliefs on the subject of contemporary Taino identity.

The team timed their visit and preliminary filming to coincide with activities such as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and a local indigenous festival – Drums Along the Hudson.

“One week was not enough but we were able to get enough film footage and information to continue to pursue the funding needed for the making of this important contemporary documentary” stated Zacarias.

He continued noting that “The truth is much larger than any one person or place. We will be back to New York and will be heading to Puerto Rico and to all the Caribbean Diaspora.”

UCTPTN 06.01.2009