St. Thomas Taino Welcome Registry Collaboration

St. Thomas (UCTP Taino News) – Opia Taino and the United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP) finalized a collaborative agreement linking their respective local and international tribal registries.  An indigenous organization based in St. Thomas, Opia Taino will now commence its registry on the island and other nearby islands such as St. Croix and Tortola.

The St. Thomas Taino registry will connect directly with the UCTP’s Taino Population Census and Inter-Tribal Registry. These programs are independent of State government census or similar programs. Both registries are open to Taino, Carib, and Arawak descendants. UCTP president, R. Mukaro Borrero and Opia Taino president Maekiaphan Phillips finalized the agreement in a meeting last week in New York.

UCTPTN 11.08.2013

IDWIP: St. Thomas

Taino Peoples Continue to Unify in the Caribbean

St. Thomas, USVI (UCTP Taino News)  - Opia Taino of St. Thomas and the United Confederation of Taino People adopted a Declaration of Unity on Sunday, December 2^nd at Magens Bay, St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.  The historic treaty was ratified in a special ceremony by Maekiaphan and Tesroy Phillips and other members of the local Taino and Carib community represented by Opia Taino and Roberto Mukaro Borrero, representing the United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP). 

“This is a significant moment in our collective history” stated Borrero. “We are affirming and honoring our ancestral connections across the region in an effort to promote our ancient Indigenous heritage to our present and future generations.” 

Maekiaphan Phillips  agreed stating, “I personally feel that the signing of this treaty was extremely important and significant, not only by words but by documentation so that we secure not only our past, but protect our future generations, and dismiss the myth that Taino People are extinct.“

She continued, noting that “The signing of the Treaty out at Magens Bay, an actual ancient Amerindian site here in the Virgin Islands, displayed the utmost respect for our ancestors”  

Senator-elect Myron Jackson, Maekiaphan Phillips, Roberto Boreero, Tesory Phillips, Ayesha Morris, and local children take part in the treaty signing in Magens Bay, St. Thomas. 

Also in attendance were Senator-elect, the honorable Myron Jackson, Ayesha Morris of the Virgin Islands Humanities Council, and other prominent members of the local community. The ceremony included a procession around the Magens Bay Arboretum, a conservancy of nearly three quarter of a mile featuring indigenous and exotic plant and tree species. The Arboretum is the site of an ancient indigenous settlement, as well as a colonial-era plantation.  Located on the North (Atlantic) side of the island, Magens Bay features a well-protected, world renowned white sand beach. 

“If we do not display unity, the myth of us being savage will then prove to be true” states Phillips. “I feel it is important for all Taíno People to embrace each other so that our future generations will be honored to not only say we are the descendants of the Taíno, but we are Taíno.” 

UCTPTN 12.12.2012

St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Celebrates Taino Heritage

St. Thomas, USVI (UCTP Taino News) - St. Thomas, Virgin Islands residents recently experienced an exciting,  full day of Taino-related activities organized by local indigenous organization Opia Taíno International, Inc. Activities took place adjacent to the well-known historic building, Fort Christian, and at the nearby Emancipation Garden from 10am – 5pm, Saturday, December 1, 2012. The program featured an impressive list of speakers as well as an interactive, educational exhibition entitled “A Walk in My Moccasins.”  The daylong program was free to the public and supported by the Virgin Islands Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

"We are here to dispel the myth of Taino extinction in the Caribbean" stated Maekiaphan Phillips, President of Opia Taino. 

Some of the interactive features of the program included a Taino-inspired village with a batey (ceremonial plaza), Taíno artifacts and crafts, photographs, native foods, and results from Maekiaphan Phillips’s family genealogical exploration. 

Members of Opia Taino and other special guests were on hand throughout the day to answer questions concerning Taino and Carib heritage. Featured speakers included Phillips, Roberto Mukaro Borrero of the United Confederation of Taino People, and Senator-elect, the honorable Myron Jackson.  Discussion topics ranged from family genealogy to DNA testing; Taino history past and present; the United Confederation of Taino Peoples’ Inter-Tribal Registry; and the importance of honoring the Indigenous legacies of the Virgin Islands.  

UCTPTN 12.12.2012