Tainos and Caribs: The Aboriginal Cultures of the Antilles

by Sebastián Robiou Lamarche, L. Antonio Curet (Foreword), Claudia Robiou Ramirez De Arellano (Illustrator)

This book was published originally in Spanish under the title Taínos y caribes, las culturas aborígenes antillanas. Since its publication in 2003, it has been recognized as having contributed to a better understanding among the general public of the history of the Antillean cultures before, during and after the arrival of the Europeans.Over the years, I have received a considerable number of requests from people around the world expressing their desire that the book be made available in English. Tainos and The Aboriginal Cultures of the Antilles was inspired by those demands. I hope that the English edition broadens the reach of knowledge from anthropologists, historians, archeologists, linguists, artists and others about the Tainos and the Caribs, two cultures that have captivated my interest and imagination for over 25 years.The original design of the book was made with great care by my daughter Claudia. This English edition reviews and updates the original text and bibliography. The complete translation from Spanish was carried out meticulously by my daughter Grace, whose great effort and enthusiasm makes this edition possible. I thank both of them for their wholehearted commitment and devotion in the publication and dissemination of this work. Sebastián Robiou Lamarche, Author. "I knew this book would become a classic from the moment I read it in 2004. It has characteristics that distinguish it from other books on the ancient Caribbean. Notably, Robiou recognizes that Taino and Carib societies were not simple. Quite the opposite, he describes them as vibrant and sophisticated. This revision and English edition is well-timed because recent developments reaffirm the composite view of the Caribbean presented in the original publication". L. Antonio Curet, Curator, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, D.C. "Tainos and Caribs marks a milestone in the historiography of the indigenous Caribbean. Based on diverse primary sources (archaeological, linguistic, ethnohistorical), Robiou Lamarche offers a great synthesis and an in-depth analysis of the Taino chiefdoms and the Carib tribes, explored as a whole, pointing elegantly to their interconnections and their specificities. The author has the virtue, in turn, to sharply examine multiple topics that include social structures, religion, rituals and beliefs. It is required reading on the emergence of the indigenous societies of the ancient Caribbean". Francisco Moscoso, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. "The author presents to us sequentially the main cultures that inhabited the Antilles before and during the European impact. For both the Tainos and the Caribs, he explains the main elements of their material and ideal life, highlighting their likeness as well as their differences. A brilliant research work based on archeological and ethnohistorical information". Lourdes Domínguez, Oficina del Historiador de La Habana, Cuba. "The book is a significant contribution to the knowledge of the aboriginal world view in the Antilles. The author analyzes - among other aspects - the intimate correlation that exists between astronomical systems, climatological cycles and magic-religious beliefs, as well as agricultural practices linked to fertility rites. In the same way, his research on the bateyes or ceremonial plazas in the Antilles make plausible the existence of a solar calendar in the process of development and of myth-astronomy in the pre-Columbian islands". Manuel A. García Arevalo, Academia Dominicana de la Historia, Dominican Republic.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Anthropology

330 pages, Paperback

First published December 18, 2003

Reviews

[Téyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

La lecture était pas toujours évidente, et c’était parfois très intense (notamment les chapitres sur la quasi extinction des peuples aborigènes), mais c’était extrêmement intéressant. C’était fascinant de découvrir les premières cultures Caribéennes et de voir quelles traces elles ont laissé dans le monde d’aujourd’hui.

[Fran Zabaleta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estupendo. Claro y completo, permite formarse una buena idea sobre la forma de vida y las creencias de los pueblos que vivían en el Caribe antes de la conquista española. Fundamental como documentación.

[Eneas Núñez]

El autor repite muchos los datos y hace introducciones a temas de una manera que se siente anticuada. Sin embargo todo está bien explicado, muchos elementos descritos de una manera poética que ayuda al entendimiento de culturas y creencias tan distintas a las nuestras. Buena adición a cualquier colección sobre culturas aborígenes.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and thorough. A very good summary of the research that has been done so far into indigenous Antillean culture, including the author's own academic research. For topics where researchers had to rely on a certain amount of conjecture based on a limited archeological or ethnographic record, this book doesn't just pick a pet theory, but presents the various alternative theories from different primary sources and prominent researchers. It helps you understand not just what we know, but how sure we are that we know it in the first place. A very refreshing contrast to many other nonfiction books with their tendency to try to manufacture academic consensus or certainty where none exists.

At the same time, the writing style is not at all "academic"--it's very accessible, clear, concise, and engaging. The book is also full of very helpful illustrations, from diagrams to pictures of utilitarian objects and art, to 17th century European renditions of what they encountered, to contemporary Antillean artists' work inspired by Taino art and mythology. Especially helpful are the star charts and diagrams. The Tainos and Caribs were expert star navigators, but I have never even seen the Milky Way. My understanding of their culture would have definitely been nonexistent without the numerous star charts.

Two minor quibbles with this edition: 1. the translation, while mostly excellent, can be a little rough occasionally, with some of the English words being used very oddly; 2. There is no index. This can be partially replaced by doing a text search in the electronic version, but not completely.

[Juliette Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 | I picked up this book with great interest in learning about the Indigenous people of Haiti, of which I’m a descendent. In this book, Lamarche did a great job, not only speaking on the Taino people of Haiti, but also highlighting their influence across other islands in addition to the Caribs in the Antilles.

Lamarche takes on a scholarly approach, presenting significant evidence on the history of the Tainos and Caribs as well as their art, agriculture, value systems, and beliefs, which inform a lot of what we understand as present day cultures in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Dominica, St. Vincent, Jamaica, and other islands.

I did very much appreciate the focus on the Indigenous people and less on the colonizers, as it helped to humanize, validate, and honor who they were and their influence on many Caribbean cultures to date.

[Susan Rodriguez · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ironically, it was more about Columbus than the Indigenous people of the Caribbean islands. I was disappointed.