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The Tainos: Rise and Decline of the People Who Greeted Columbus
From a noted archeologist/anthropologist, the story of the Tainos—the first people Columbus encountered when he arrived in the Americas—from their earliest days to their rapid decline after European contact
"A model of clarity and lightly worn erudition, and it contains the best and most straightforward description of the four Columbus voyages and their implications for the Amerindians I have seen."—Kenneth Maxwell, New York Times Book Review
Drawing on archeological and ethno-historical evidence, Irving Rouse sketches a picture of the Tainos as they existed during the time of Columbus, contrasting their customs with those of their neighbors. He then moves backward in time to the ancestors of the Tainos—two successive groups who settled the West Indies and who are known to archeologists as the Saladoid peoples and the Ostionoid peoples. By reconstructing the development of these groups and studying their interaction with other groups during the centuries before Columbus, Rouse shows precisely who the Tainos were. He vividly recounts Columbus's four voyages, the events of the European contact, and the early Spanish views of the Tainos, particularly their art and religion. The narration shows that the Tainos did not long survive the advent of Columbus. Weakened by forced labor, malnutrition, and diseases introduced by the foreigners, and dispersed by migration and intermarriage, they ceased to exist as a separate population group.
As Rouse discusses the Tainos' contributions to the Spaniards—from Indian corn, tobacco, and rubber balls to art, artifacts, and new words—we realize that their effect on Western civilization, brief through their contact, was an important and lasting one.
"A model of clarity and lightly worn erudition, and it contains the best and most straightforward description of the four Columbus voyages and their implications for the Amerindians I have seen."—Kenneth Maxwell, New York Times Book Review
Drawing on archeological and ethno-historical evidence, Irving Rouse sketches a picture of the Tainos as they existed during the time of Columbus, contrasting their customs with those of their neighbors. He then moves backward in time to the ancestors of the Tainos—two successive groups who settled the West Indies and who are known to archeologists as the Saladoid peoples and the Ostionoid peoples. By reconstructing the development of these groups and studying their interaction with other groups during the centuries before Columbus, Rouse shows precisely who the Tainos were. He vividly recounts Columbus's four voyages, the events of the European contact, and the early Spanish views of the Tainos, particularly their art and religion. The narration shows that the Tainos did not long survive the advent of Columbus. Weakened by forced labor, malnutrition, and diseases introduced by the foreigners, and dispersed by migration and intermarriage, they ceased to exist as a separate population group.
As Rouse discusses the Tainos' contributions to the Spaniards—from Indian corn, tobacco, and rubber balls to art, artifacts, and new words—we realize that their effect on Western civilization, brief through their contact, was an important and lasting one.
224 pages, Paperback
First published April 22, 1992
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July 14, 2022
So much about pottery. I learned more about pottery than I ever wanted to know. I get it; it’s an intentionally archeology-heavy book.
This book was published in 1992 and relies on research from the 1980s and 1970s, so please do not rely on this for up-to-date knowledge. For example, in the last two years geneticists have proven that Taínos did descend from Arawaks from the Amazon, even though they developed into their own ethnicity and culture over time. And many times the author says “more research is needed” or similar. I’m sure that more research has been done in at least some of the areas mentioned.
I learned a lot about migration patterns and the changing cultures and ethicities that would eventually become the Taínos, a culturally diverse group in itself. That was interesting. And the academic language I learned has helped me to do additional, independent research.
The author did his best for the time to be culturally sensitive but it’s kinda hard to still read about whether white people consider indigenous people “civilized” or “savage” or “mature.”
Also, I get that he defined Spanish West Indian people as a new culture developed from the mixing of Taíno, African, and Europe people, and I appreciate his discussion on Taíno revival, but that is not how all of us see ourselves — as separated from our roots/distinctly different people. It can be a yes/and situation. Yes perhaps we are considered a new ethnicity AND also we are Taíno, AND we are not extinct. This person was not living in a time where mixed race people in the continental U.S. were as abundant and clearly didn’t really understand us outside of this narrow, white washed, academic way of thinking.
When you are mixed race you can identify however you’d like and DNA percentage isn’t what defines you. It’s DEFINITELY not for him or academics to define.
So his way of thinking is outdated. Yes I understand that he says Taínos are extinct because there is no “pure” Taíno person and no Taíno community exists as separate population but that is a very narrow way of thinking about race, ethicity, and culture. And it’s weird that for the entire book he said we’re extinct and then suddenly at the tail end talked about the culture’s revival from Taíno descendants. So which is it?
It’s best to allow the actual people to talk about themselves. I get that he’s used to talking about dead cultures so is not used to getting perspectives from living humans, but this paternalistic old school anthropology is frustrating. Outsiders don’t get to decide who we are. Plus, you can’t revive a dead culture, so obviously we are not dead if we are reviving our own culture.
There was this really annoying part where he talked about the genocide of the people the Taínos displaced and compared it as a parallel to colonial Taíno genocide. No no no.
First of all - no, human colonization and migration is not the same thing as white settler colonialism. The latter is still going on today and is responsible for atrocities to humans, nonhumans, and land that are far far FAR beyond any displacement or warfare among indigenous Americans. And the former is related to finding sustenance, not human mega-greed stemming from capitalism and imperialism.
Second, the Taínos had no conscious connection to that history of displacing people. They believed they emerged from caves in the D.R. So nowhere in their consciousness did they even consider a history of genocide; on the contrary, they were generally peaceful.
Third, I am not clear on why the author referred to it as genocide when there is such little evidence of what happened and when, according to my research, it’s entirely possible that the cultures Taínos displaced naturally assimilated into Taíno culture, but even if they did use violence to displace their predecessors, see points one and two.
I would have liked more information about what these invasions were like. The author keeps mentioning invasions but provides no evidence or information. Where did he get these ideas? We have a right to know. We’re expected to make assumptions, but based on what? I would generally like to better understand how displacement happened, how invasion happened, what that looked like, when was violence used, when was it a pushing out (what that looks like), when was it natural assimilation, etc.
No human group is free of our impulses to do what it takes to survive, which can include territorial violence, and we all have an impact on the land we inhabit. It was sad to read about how some nonhuman animals were hunted to extinction by indigenous groups, for example. But that cannot be compared to the state of the planet in the present day and the willful ignorance (due to extreme greed) around taking steps to improve the health, safety, and well being of living creatures and our natural resources. To do so would be reductive and would be to ignore the history of the enduring and widespread and extreme violence of colonialism. In contrast, many indigenous peoples today have learned from their ancestors who eventually learned how to better protect land, nonhuman animals, and people. One group of humans became increasing more destructive, so much so that our existence is threatened, and that wasn’t the indigenous peoples. So no, apologists who want to discredit Indigenous people as a way to continue to take their rights away and absolve yourself of guilt or responsibility, you cannot accurately use any violence in Indigenous history to compare what colonizers did to Taínos to any violence among ancient indigenous groups.
If you’re interested in Taíno culture, there’s probably better books out there, or read the intro and for some colonial history, read the last chapter. Unless you’re really into archeology you can skim the endless discussion on pottery.
This book was published in 1992 and relies on research from the 1980s and 1970s, so please do not rely on this for up-to-date knowledge. For example, in the last two years geneticists have proven that Taínos did descend from Arawaks from the Amazon, even though they developed into their own ethnicity and culture over time. And many times the author says “more research is needed” or similar. I’m sure that more research has been done in at least some of the areas mentioned.
I learned a lot about migration patterns and the changing cultures and ethicities that would eventually become the Taínos, a culturally diverse group in itself. That was interesting. And the academic language I learned has helped me to do additional, independent research.
The author did his best for the time to be culturally sensitive but it’s kinda hard to still read about whether white people consider indigenous people “civilized” or “savage” or “mature.”
Also, I get that he defined Spanish West Indian people as a new culture developed from the mixing of Taíno, African, and Europe people, and I appreciate his discussion on Taíno revival, but that is not how all of us see ourselves — as separated from our roots/distinctly different people. It can be a yes/and situation. Yes perhaps we are considered a new ethnicity AND also we are Taíno, AND we are not extinct. This person was not living in a time where mixed race people in the continental U.S. were as abundant and clearly didn’t really understand us outside of this narrow, white washed, academic way of thinking.
When you are mixed race you can identify however you’d like and DNA percentage isn’t what defines you. It’s DEFINITELY not for him or academics to define.
So his way of thinking is outdated. Yes I understand that he says Taínos are extinct because there is no “pure” Taíno person and no Taíno community exists as separate population but that is a very narrow way of thinking about race, ethicity, and culture. And it’s weird that for the entire book he said we’re extinct and then suddenly at the tail end talked about the culture’s revival from Taíno descendants. So which is it?
It’s best to allow the actual people to talk about themselves. I get that he’s used to talking about dead cultures so is not used to getting perspectives from living humans, but this paternalistic old school anthropology is frustrating. Outsiders don’t get to decide who we are. Plus, you can’t revive a dead culture, so obviously we are not dead if we are reviving our own culture.
There was this really annoying part where he talked about the genocide of the people the Taínos displaced and compared it as a parallel to colonial Taíno genocide. No no no.
First of all - no, human colonization and migration is not the same thing as white settler colonialism. The latter is still going on today and is responsible for atrocities to humans, nonhumans, and land that are far far FAR beyond any displacement or warfare among indigenous Americans. And the former is related to finding sustenance, not human mega-greed stemming from capitalism and imperialism.
Second, the Taínos had no conscious connection to that history of displacing people. They believed they emerged from caves in the D.R. So nowhere in their consciousness did they even consider a history of genocide; on the contrary, they were generally peaceful.
Third, I am not clear on why the author referred to it as genocide when there is such little evidence of what happened and when, according to my research, it’s entirely possible that the cultures Taínos displaced naturally assimilated into Taíno culture, but even if they did use violence to displace their predecessors, see points one and two.
I would have liked more information about what these invasions were like. The author keeps mentioning invasions but provides no evidence or information. Where did he get these ideas? We have a right to know. We’re expected to make assumptions, but based on what? I would generally like to better understand how displacement happened, how invasion happened, what that looked like, when was violence used, when was it a pushing out (what that looks like), when was it natural assimilation, etc.
No human group is free of our impulses to do what it takes to survive, which can include territorial violence, and we all have an impact on the land we inhabit. It was sad to read about how some nonhuman animals were hunted to extinction by indigenous groups, for example. But that cannot be compared to the state of the planet in the present day and the willful ignorance (due to extreme greed) around taking steps to improve the health, safety, and well being of living creatures and our natural resources. To do so would be reductive and would be to ignore the history of the enduring and widespread and extreme violence of colonialism. In contrast, many indigenous peoples today have learned from their ancestors who eventually learned how to better protect land, nonhuman animals, and people. One group of humans became increasing more destructive, so much so that our existence is threatened, and that wasn’t the indigenous peoples. So no, apologists who want to discredit Indigenous people as a way to continue to take their rights away and absolve yourself of guilt or responsibility, you cannot accurately use any violence in Indigenous history to compare what colonizers did to Taínos to any violence among ancient indigenous groups.
If you’re interested in Taíno culture, there’s probably better books out there, or read the intro and for some colonial history, read the last chapter. Unless you’re really into archeology you can skim the endless discussion on pottery.
January 6, 2018
Very good reference work on pre-Columbian Caribbean history. Rouse is very thorough and methodical, and frequently explains the reasons behind why or why not he comes to certain conclusions, which is important for reading a history of peoples who left very little behind for us to learn from.
The only reason I rated it three stars instead of higher was because it was so thorough and methodical in terms of archaeological and anthropological research that it was very, very difficult to read. I attribute this not to the book or the writing being of poor quality, but rather to the denseness of the material and my mind's unwillingness to absorb so many details about archaeological methods and endless fragments of pottery being classified. I found Rouse's maps very useful and informative, but couldn't wrap my head around his charts/graphs. What I ended up doing, which I would recommend, is to read the introductions and conclusions thoroughly, and then skim the middle parts if you're not actually a researcher or archaeologist or anthropologist. I believe that Rouse is trustworthy and very transparent and cautious in his methods, so to spare my poor brain, I trusted his pottery analysis and skipped to his conclusions at the end of every chapter.
The book picks up the pace near the end, sadly because that's when the Spaniards arrive and we have the benefit of primary source written documentation. Rouse does a good job of using the sources, but also challenging their credibility when there is little physical evidence to back up Spanish accounts. One good example is where he points out that the Spanish used the word "Carib" willy-nilly to identify people not according to an actual ethnic group (the Island-Caribs), but based on whoever was fierce enough or prepared enough to fight off the Spanish. Therefore, the Spanish claim to have encountered Caribs in the more northern islands is efficiently debunked by actual evidence. The Spanish misidentified Eastern Tainos because they gave a less friendly welcome than the Western Tainos did.
I'm going to be a giant nerd and give a little book report on what I learned, partly because I don't want to forget, and also because for those who may find the book too dry, the information is still interesting and valuable.
--When Columbus arrived in 1492, the basic distribution of peoples was Guanahatabey in Western Cuba, Taino in Eastern Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and the islands close to Puerto Rico, and the Island-Caribs in the islands to the south. Guanahatabeys are descended from people already there when the ancestors of the Tainos expanded into the Caribbean. Eastern Tainos and Island-Caribs frequently clashed; the Island-Caribs carried out frequent raids
--The first humans to populate the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico) were the "Casimiroids" and "Ortoiroids"
--The ancestors of the Tainos (because the specific Taino culture developed onsite later), were the "Saladoid" people, who appear to have migrated north from the Orinoco River delta region and pushed out or killed previous inhabitants in the Caribbean, apart from the Guanahatabey
--Saladoids then developed into the Ostinoids, who developed into Tainos.
--Taino inhabitants of the Bahamas were "Lucayan Taino", and the entire archipelago (Bahamas and Turks and Caicos) is called the Lucayan Archipelago
--Rouse is wary of coming to any conclusion that is not supported by "consilience", that is, separate methods (linguistic, archaeological, ethnohistorical, etc) work separately to come to separate conclusions, and then you put them together to see if the separate sources/methods seem to concur. If they don't, it's unreliable to assume one over the other, and it is also unreliable to hopscotch between the methods to make a conclusion, because nothing has been independently tested or independently verified. More importantly, like scientific experiments, no one's conclusion has really been independently re-tested to prove it holds up
--I learned that Columbus' time in the Caribbean was actually quite brief, unsuccessful, and marked more by embarrassing incompetence than the wanton cruelty today associated with his name. His successor, Nicolas de Ovando, was really the one with all the massacres to his name. Columbus was a skilled navigator, but was always searching for gold and never really finding much, moved too slowly for the Crown, and never was able to produce profits anywhere near the amount the Crown wanted. He was a terribly inefficient administrator and couldn't keep consistent control over his own men, and lost many ships. He was at one point marooned for quite a while, at one point imprisoned and forbidden by the Spanish to return to the Caribbean, and ended up dying in 1506
--The Spanish administration in Spain emphasized their desire to simply Christianize the native population, however did little to prevent colonists who saw it as far more profitable to essentially work the Taino to death. There didn't end up being much gold, so the Spanish enslaved them for other products. They had the idea that they would work the Tainos part of the year, and then allow them to return to their villages for a portion of the year to do their own thing and that would be fine. Which is cruel and stupid, because they obviously produced much less food, suffered hunger, famine, and disease
--There were different rebellions, but the Taino caciques weren't, of course, necessarily united. Some attempted to use Spanish alliances to their own benefit, but, as is frequent in the course of European-Native contact in the New World, most alliances were eventually disregarded and the Spanish had the unfortunate habit of gathering large meetings and then burning or stabbing everyone.
--Aguëybana II was a famous Puerto Rican Taino cacique who led a rebellion that was ultimately put down by Juan Ponce de Leon
All in all, this book was very dry, but ultimately very good. It was clearly well and cautiously researched, and it also left me with a lot of questions, which I like. I will pursue those questions with other books.
The only reason I rated it three stars instead of higher was because it was so thorough and methodical in terms of archaeological and anthropological research that it was very, very difficult to read. I attribute this not to the book or the writing being of poor quality, but rather to the denseness of the material and my mind's unwillingness to absorb so many details about archaeological methods and endless fragments of pottery being classified. I found Rouse's maps very useful and informative, but couldn't wrap my head around his charts/graphs. What I ended up doing, which I would recommend, is to read the introductions and conclusions thoroughly, and then skim the middle parts if you're not actually a researcher or archaeologist or anthropologist. I believe that Rouse is trustworthy and very transparent and cautious in his methods, so to spare my poor brain, I trusted his pottery analysis and skipped to his conclusions at the end of every chapter.
The book picks up the pace near the end, sadly because that's when the Spaniards arrive and we have the benefit of primary source written documentation. Rouse does a good job of using the sources, but also challenging their credibility when there is little physical evidence to back up Spanish accounts. One good example is where he points out that the Spanish used the word "Carib" willy-nilly to identify people not according to an actual ethnic group (the Island-Caribs), but based on whoever was fierce enough or prepared enough to fight off the Spanish. Therefore, the Spanish claim to have encountered Caribs in the more northern islands is efficiently debunked by actual evidence. The Spanish misidentified Eastern Tainos because they gave a less friendly welcome than the Western Tainos did.
I'm going to be a giant nerd and give a little book report on what I learned, partly because I don't want to forget, and also because for those who may find the book too dry, the information is still interesting and valuable.
--When Columbus arrived in 1492, the basic distribution of peoples was Guanahatabey in Western Cuba, Taino in Eastern Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and the islands close to Puerto Rico, and the Island-Caribs in the islands to the south. Guanahatabeys are descended from people already there when the ancestors of the Tainos expanded into the Caribbean. Eastern Tainos and Island-Caribs frequently clashed; the Island-Caribs carried out frequent raids
--The first humans to populate the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico) were the "Casimiroids" and "Ortoiroids"
--The ancestors of the Tainos (because the specific Taino culture developed onsite later), were the "Saladoid" people, who appear to have migrated north from the Orinoco River delta region and pushed out or killed previous inhabitants in the Caribbean, apart from the Guanahatabey
--Saladoids then developed into the Ostinoids, who developed into Tainos.
--Taino inhabitants of the Bahamas were "Lucayan Taino", and the entire archipelago (Bahamas and Turks and Caicos) is called the Lucayan Archipelago
--Rouse is wary of coming to any conclusion that is not supported by "consilience", that is, separate methods (linguistic, archaeological, ethnohistorical, etc) work separately to come to separate conclusions, and then you put them together to see if the separate sources/methods seem to concur. If they don't, it's unreliable to assume one over the other, and it is also unreliable to hopscotch between the methods to make a conclusion, because nothing has been independently tested or independently verified. More importantly, like scientific experiments, no one's conclusion has really been independently re-tested to prove it holds up
--I learned that Columbus' time in the Caribbean was actually quite brief, unsuccessful, and marked more by embarrassing incompetence than the wanton cruelty today associated with his name. His successor, Nicolas de Ovando, was really the one with all the massacres to his name. Columbus was a skilled navigator, but was always searching for gold and never really finding much, moved too slowly for the Crown, and never was able to produce profits anywhere near the amount the Crown wanted. He was a terribly inefficient administrator and couldn't keep consistent control over his own men, and lost many ships. He was at one point marooned for quite a while, at one point imprisoned and forbidden by the Spanish to return to the Caribbean, and ended up dying in 1506
--The Spanish administration in Spain emphasized their desire to simply Christianize the native population, however did little to prevent colonists who saw it as far more profitable to essentially work the Taino to death. There didn't end up being much gold, so the Spanish enslaved them for other products. They had the idea that they would work the Tainos part of the year, and then allow them to return to their villages for a portion of the year to do their own thing and that would be fine. Which is cruel and stupid, because they obviously produced much less food, suffered hunger, famine, and disease
--There were different rebellions, but the Taino caciques weren't, of course, necessarily united. Some attempted to use Spanish alliances to their own benefit, but, as is frequent in the course of European-Native contact in the New World, most alliances were eventually disregarded and the Spanish had the unfortunate habit of gathering large meetings and then burning or stabbing everyone.
--Aguëybana II was a famous Puerto Rican Taino cacique who led a rebellion that was ultimately put down by Juan Ponce de Leon
All in all, this book was very dry, but ultimately very good. It was clearly well and cautiously researched, and it also left me with a lot of questions, which I like. I will pursue those questions with other books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2016
This book is one of those which was written in order to capitalize on the attention surrounding the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' first voyage to the New World [1], although this is not the sort of book that would appear to immediately appeal to a mass reading audience. This is not a fault of the book, which is an excellent book as a work on the archaeology of the Taino culture and a study of its origins as can be determined by linguistics and material remains. The book is an immensely dry one, although there are a lot of lessons in this book worth reflecting on, both when it comes to the distinction between the Spanish West Indies and the English, French, and Dutch West Indies as well as concerning the tragic irony of the Tainos facing genocide when they in fact inflicted it upon a previous people in the Caribbean. This book does not in any way minimize the horrors of the Island Caribs or the Spanish in their behavior, but it points out that the Tainos, as noble as they may have considered themselves, were certainly no angels either when it came to their own dealings with others, given their slow and steady extirpation of the aboriginal people of the Greater Antilles.
In terms of its organization and structure, this book is organized in a way that is both chronological and thematic. Its heavy use of archaeological jargon is somewhat counterbalanced by the fact that the book at least defines its terms in a lengthy glossary just before its lengthy endnotes. The book's main contents, somewhat less than 200 pages in length, consist of seven six chapters and an epilogue. The first chapter introduces the setting of the West Indies, defined as the area between the Bahamas and Trinidad, as well as the Tainos themselves and their neighboring ethnic groups, one of which was markedly inferior in level of civilization and the other of which was immensely aggressive and militaristic. The second chapter examines the cultural, linguistic, and biological ancestry of the Tainos, going back to clues about the development of various pottery styles, the origin of certain religious beliefs, including the creepy demon worship and idolatry of the Tainos, and their linguistic origin as part of the Arawakan family, whose origins spring from the Amazon. The third chapter looks at the peopling of the West Indies, looking at the Casimiroid peoples, the somewhat backwards aboriginal people who apparently descended from the isthmus of Central America, as well as the even more backwards Arawakan Ortoiroid peoples who were stopped at the boundary between Puerto Rico and Hispanola for several centuries. The fourth chapter looks at the first repeopling, where the Saladoid peoples and their Ostionoid descendents overwhelmed the original Ortoiroid and most of the Casimiroid inhabitants and eventually controlled most of the West Indies, as can be seen from the historical record as well as the material one. The fifth chapter looks at the emergence of the Tainos among the Ostenoid peoples, showing how cultural boundaries witnessed by Columbus match with the boundaries of various pottery styles. The sixth chapter examines the voyages of Columbus, the Spanish conquest, and the eventual disappearance of the independent Taino and Island Carib chiefdoms. The short epilogue looks at the Tainos' role in the Colombian exchange in biological, linguistic, and cultural traits, marking a difference between those areas where the Tainos formed part of the substratum of colonial society and those areas where they were extirpated altogether.
Although this book is dry reading, heavy with jargon, it is worthwhile on a variety of levels. For one, it points out that the importance of the Tainos in a practical sense depends in great deal on whether a population has any sort of connection with them or not. Additionally, the book is full of personal correspondence being referred to, reminding the reader that the world of Caribbean archaeology is a small one, were personal connections matter for a great deal when it comes to being able to cite research that has yet to be published. On top of this, the book reminds its readers that for far too long there has been a desire to pass the buck or to ignore certain questions or areas of exploration when it came to the origins of the Taino and how those can be determined, as well as the interaction between biology, society, and material culture. This is a book filled with information, with discussion of pottery and weapons, with a reminder of the human nature of the Tainos, with the artifacts of their idol-saturated worship, and with questions as to what happens when cultures collide, and what remains when the past is seemingly subsumed with barely a trace, where centuries go by before people start wondering what had happened beforehand.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
In terms of its organization and structure, this book is organized in a way that is both chronological and thematic. Its heavy use of archaeological jargon is somewhat counterbalanced by the fact that the book at least defines its terms in a lengthy glossary just before its lengthy endnotes. The book's main contents, somewhat less than 200 pages in length, consist of seven six chapters and an epilogue. The first chapter introduces the setting of the West Indies, defined as the area between the Bahamas and Trinidad, as well as the Tainos themselves and their neighboring ethnic groups, one of which was markedly inferior in level of civilization and the other of which was immensely aggressive and militaristic. The second chapter examines the cultural, linguistic, and biological ancestry of the Tainos, going back to clues about the development of various pottery styles, the origin of certain religious beliefs, including the creepy demon worship and idolatry of the Tainos, and their linguistic origin as part of the Arawakan family, whose origins spring from the Amazon. The third chapter looks at the peopling of the West Indies, looking at the Casimiroid peoples, the somewhat backwards aboriginal people who apparently descended from the isthmus of Central America, as well as the even more backwards Arawakan Ortoiroid peoples who were stopped at the boundary between Puerto Rico and Hispanola for several centuries. The fourth chapter looks at the first repeopling, where the Saladoid peoples and their Ostionoid descendents overwhelmed the original Ortoiroid and most of the Casimiroid inhabitants and eventually controlled most of the West Indies, as can be seen from the historical record as well as the material one. The fifth chapter looks at the emergence of the Tainos among the Ostenoid peoples, showing how cultural boundaries witnessed by Columbus match with the boundaries of various pottery styles. The sixth chapter examines the voyages of Columbus, the Spanish conquest, and the eventual disappearance of the independent Taino and Island Carib chiefdoms. The short epilogue looks at the Tainos' role in the Colombian exchange in biological, linguistic, and cultural traits, marking a difference between those areas where the Tainos formed part of the substratum of colonial society and those areas where they were extirpated altogether.
Although this book is dry reading, heavy with jargon, it is worthwhile on a variety of levels. For one, it points out that the importance of the Tainos in a practical sense depends in great deal on whether a population has any sort of connection with them or not. Additionally, the book is full of personal correspondence being referred to, reminding the reader that the world of Caribbean archaeology is a small one, were personal connections matter for a great deal when it comes to being able to cite research that has yet to be published. On top of this, the book reminds its readers that for far too long there has been a desire to pass the buck or to ignore certain questions or areas of exploration when it came to the origins of the Taino and how those can be determined, as well as the interaction between biology, society, and material culture. This is a book filled with information, with discussion of pottery and weapons, with a reminder of the human nature of the Tainos, with the artifacts of their idol-saturated worship, and with questions as to what happens when cultures collide, and what remains when the past is seemingly subsumed with barely a trace, where centuries go by before people start wondering what had happened beforehand.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
May 5, 2021
This book is quite dry and reporting on a terribly under-researched people. I found the book useful in understanding the Caribbean from an anthropological perspective.
November 1, 2021
I saw this book at the library. THE TAINOS. I remembered that the Tainos were the natives in Cuba, Dominican Republic, etc. They were there when Columbus showed up. When we've been to the DR there was artwork that was supposed to be similar to what Tainos created.
The book is an anthropoloical study of where the Tainos came from. It is scientific and that's why I did not finish it. More like taking a class and then some.
Too scientific for me.
The book is an anthropoloical study of where the Tainos came from. It is scientific and that's why I did not finish it. More like taking a class and then some.
Too scientific for me.
June 10, 2008
Very good history book to have.
September 2, 2022
Who were the Taino people, where did they come from, how did they live, and why did they decline? These are the principle questions anthropologist and author Irving Rouse set out to answer in this book. Rouse does a thorough job using cultural anthropology and archeology to answer most of the above questions, detailing how the Tainos developed from earlier Native ancestors who had migrated from South America to displace other Indieginous groups in the West Indie islands of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and parts of Cuba. Rouse details how these various Islands were peopled, re-peopled, and re-peopled again, all the way through to the time of Columbus. In doing so, Rouse tells the story of migrations, colonization, and genocide. Rouse concludes with the observation that while the Taino people are essentially "extinct", specific aspects of their culture live on, not to mention, their biological markers can be found in modern day "Mestizos" who occupy the aforementioned islands.
While this book provides a solid introduction and account of what is known about the Taino people, it suffers from outdated terminology and characterizations about race and society. Particularly, Rouse repetaedly refers to the Taino people in general, and the Eastern Taino people specifically, as "uncivilized" compared to other Native Americans, and especially, to their European conquerors. Nevertheless, this book is reasonably informative, especially its sections on the systematic fall of the Taino people.
While this book provides a solid introduction and account of what is known about the Taino people, it suffers from outdated terminology and characterizations about race and society. Particularly, Rouse repetaedly refers to the Taino people in general, and the Eastern Taino people specifically, as "uncivilized" compared to other Native Americans, and especially, to their European conquerors. Nevertheless, this book is reasonably informative, especially its sections on the systematic fall of the Taino people.
December 3, 2024
Summary: Read the first and last chapter for the best written and most important parts of the book. The rest is for those interested in the archaeology and pre Taino history of the archipelago. There is endless discussion about material culture mainly pottery which even I found to be very tedious, give it a try but don't feel bad for skipping it. It's very well written and strong efforts are made by the writer to make this accessible to laymen. I think Rouse is also extremely culturally sensitive, and I barely disagree with anything he said. This book despite being three decades old is still very valuable and exudes true passion on the subject.
Personal rant: This doesn't come close to being a favourite of mine, but it's probably one of if not the most important books I've read so far. Being Puerto Rican, my ancestors are Taino. So reading this book elicits feelings of fascination and wonder to learn about the complex culture, history, language, and practices of my ancestors and where they came from. Boredom at the necessary but tedious pottery explanations. And deep sadness at the true horror of the decline of the Tainos. While reading I felt so happy and grateful to learn so much about my ancestors I thought no-one knew. After reading this I feel very depressed that their traits did not persist as strongly and that I'm so distant from them. But I am also filled with hope and excitement that the revival of Taino culture in the Spanish speaking Carribbean islands is strong and growing.
Personal rant: This doesn't come close to being a favourite of mine, but it's probably one of if not the most important books I've read so far. Being Puerto Rican, my ancestors are Taino. So reading this book elicits feelings of fascination and wonder to learn about the complex culture, history, language, and practices of my ancestors and where they came from. Boredom at the necessary but tedious pottery explanations. And deep sadness at the true horror of the decline of the Tainos. While reading I felt so happy and grateful to learn so much about my ancestors I thought no-one knew. After reading this I feel very depressed that their traits did not persist as strongly and that I'm so distant from them. But I am also filled with hope and excitement that the revival of Taino culture in the Spanish speaking Carribbean islands is strong and growing.
February 11, 2024
Incredibly informative, very well researched and at times a little overwhelming.
As much as I loved the information provided and the way Rouse explained his conclusions and findings, there was just one theory of his I can’t really get past.
In his explaining the different peopling (as he calls it) that took place in the West Indies he comes to the conclusion that they were all much or less the same. Just a fluctuating of different cultures crashing and one inevitably becoming the predominant one. The problem with this is that the cultures who did this, based on his own explanations did conquer but either became somewhat assimilated into the existing cultures, or assimilated the exiting ones into their own, in a very organic way.
But when we look at what happened after Columbus’s arrival is completely different. Rouse even explains how the first few years the Spaniards came with no women and so they took indigenous wives. I think it is pretty safe to assume these were not willful marriages or unions.
I think it was either a mistake to make them seem comparable, or a perfect example of the ethnocentric behavior he explained some people have.
All of that being said, I still think this is a great book worth reading and using as a reference for the Taino culture.
As much as I loved the information provided and the way Rouse explained his conclusions and findings, there was just one theory of his I can’t really get past.
In his explaining the different peopling (as he calls it) that took place in the West Indies he comes to the conclusion that they were all much or less the same. Just a fluctuating of different cultures crashing and one inevitably becoming the predominant one. The problem with this is that the cultures who did this, based on his own explanations did conquer but either became somewhat assimilated into the existing cultures, or assimilated the exiting ones into their own, in a very organic way.
But when we look at what happened after Columbus’s arrival is completely different. Rouse even explains how the first few years the Spaniards came with no women and so they took indigenous wives. I think it is pretty safe to assume these were not willful marriages or unions.
I think it was either a mistake to make them seem comparable, or a perfect example of the ethnocentric behavior he explained some people have.
All of that being said, I still think this is a great book worth reading and using as a reference for the Taino culture.
December 11, 2020
An dem Buch lese ich schon länger und da es wirklich einen geschichtswissenschaftliches archäologisches Buch ist ist es ziemlich weit weg von dem was ich sonst lese. Ich liebe die Detailverliebtheit und muss sagen: Wenn ihr euch mit den First Nations beschäftigen wollt die in Mittelamerika zur Zeit von Kolumbus an der Macht waren ist dieses Buch wirklich mit Abstand das Beste was ich bisher gefunden habe. Dieses Buch hat für mich,klar gemacht dass die Taino eine total komplizierte ethnische Gruppe waren und jetzt endlich selbst dieses Zusammenfassende Wort Taino total gut dazu dient sich auf sehr einfache zu identifizieren ohne groß darüber nachzudenken dass diese auch keine idealen Menschen waren sondern schlichtweg Menschen. Extrem große Leseempfehlungen allein schon für die großartigen Bilder, karten und detaillierten Überlieferungen die ich so nur in diesem Buch gefunden habe.
#autorenleben #autorenaufinstagram #buchempfehlung #dekolonial #firstnationspeople #novelle #kurzgeschichten #schwarzedeutschegeschichte #dominikanischerepublik #domrep
#autorenleben #autorenaufinstagram #buchempfehlung #dekolonial #firstnationspeople #novelle #kurzgeschichten #schwarzedeutschegeschichte #dominikanischerepublik #domrep
June 9, 2024
This is an excellent book. The author describes in technical detail the migration of the Taino Indians from South America through the Caribbean Islands and the flowering of their civilization on Hispaniola, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. The final chapters describe the meeting between the Spanish and the Tainos and the destruction of the Taino culture. This is not a casual read. Much of the story is told through the study of archaeological evidence including a detailed analysis of pottery. It is a scientific study, not a social study. Despite this, it is a key English language publication on a subject with sparse information.
November 16, 2020
If you want to get a sense of the Taino people and culture, read the introduction. The rest of the book becomes very academic and seems to include more material about pre-Taino cultures than the Taino themselves. A background in archeology or anthropology might be helpful as various people groups and pottery samples are discussed. Even the chapter documenting contact offers more information about Columbus and the growth of the Spanish Empire than of the Taino themselves. An extensive glossary is included but the definitions are not very comprehensive.
August 2, 2025
Great read on the different cultures that were present pre Columbus voyage to the west indies. It dives into the impact columbus and the spanish empire had on the their lifestyle , the incentive for establishing settlements there, the struggles faced and how they overcame them, and in the end the result of the mix of european , african and indian cultures from this all to form the now Caribbean islands.
A great historic read !
A great historic read !
January 21, 2021
Very good reading. Interesting and informative.
November 22, 2024
Great book, very detailed. Was disappointed at the lack of information regarding the spirituality of the People but it was more about their societal rise and fall.
September 26, 2025
I’ve heard some positive reviews about this book. As much as I tried I just couldn’t finish it.
January 25, 2012
The only thing that I like about this book is that it's briefly shown lying on the bed of the director character, Sebastian, in the movie "Even the Rain." That movie is an incredible representation of the opposing motives and concerns involved in any native vs. government relationship. We read about the Tainos and other natives who have been conquered or oppressed, or discriminated against like Puerto Ricans and Cubans etc. are today, and feel that they should be lifted up; yet the way we live our lives is often indirectly contributing to that oppression. Hopefully, even if you agree with my assessment of Rouse's book, you'll still check out "Even the Rain."
Rouse says in the introduction that the book is meant both for his scholar colleagues and the general public. It would have been much better if he just said that it is for his colleagues. The book does little to inform the general public.
First of all, the book hardly ever gives you the why or how of anything. When talking about each succession of 'peoples' that eventually became the Tainos, Rouse is very unclear about the differences between one set of people and another, and the transition between them. Worse, you learn hardly anything about the life of the people. For instance, you learn about the type of pottery (lots about pottery) but not about it might have been made or why it was made or what purpose it was made for, or anything like that. At the conclusion of the book Rouse claims that he has discussed all of these grant topics, when in fact he's done very little of any of it.
Rouse tries not at all to make the academic language that he uses to describe each culture easier to understand. Lots of charts and graphs that could be very useful, but Rouse spends too much time explaining how he developed them than what they mean.
Rouse's writing style is extremely boring, too. Hardly anything to recommend it. Too geared for his colleagues... although, I can't imagine the book has enough information, evidence, or any type of argument anywhere about anything that it could be of use to scholars or even students.
I have to assume that there are better books out there if you want to learn about the Tainos. I wanted to learn about the natives of my mother's home Puerto Rico... failure.
Rouse says in the introduction that the book is meant both for his scholar colleagues and the general public. It would have been much better if he just said that it is for his colleagues. The book does little to inform the general public.
First of all, the book hardly ever gives you the why or how of anything. When talking about each succession of 'peoples' that eventually became the Tainos, Rouse is very unclear about the differences between one set of people and another, and the transition between them. Worse, you learn hardly anything about the life of the people. For instance, you learn about the type of pottery (lots about pottery) but not about it might have been made or why it was made or what purpose it was made for, or anything like that. At the conclusion of the book Rouse claims that he has discussed all of these grant topics, when in fact he's done very little of any of it.
Rouse tries not at all to make the academic language that he uses to describe each culture easier to understand. Lots of charts and graphs that could be very useful, but Rouse spends too much time explaining how he developed them than what they mean.
Rouse's writing style is extremely boring, too. Hardly anything to recommend it. Too geared for his colleagues... although, I can't imagine the book has enough information, evidence, or any type of argument anywhere about anything that it could be of use to scholars or even students.
I have to assume that there are better books out there if you want to learn about the Tainos. I wanted to learn about the natives of my mother's home Puerto Rico... failure.
December 18, 2009
The first half of this was very informative and interesting. It talks about the Taino way of life and culture. How they lived, what they ate, strange religious customs, gods, and even tools they used. The last half grew dull. It went on too much about the pottery to hold my interest. I do, however, recommend it for anyone that wants to know more about the Tainos. Very little is really known about them and I found it helpful in that aspect.
January 12, 2009
A terrific study of the original people who lived on the island of Puerto Rico. It was listed in the bibliography of a sci-fi/fantasy book by Orson Scott Card "Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus," which is also a terrific book.
July 16, 2012
Dry read, but interesting if you are into the topic... :)
January 19, 2016
Very good book.
July 30, 2009
Great information on the taino race. Helped me with research for novel which I have YET to finish.
did-not-finish
December 5, 2018Heritage Studies Book 6
I will start this review by saying that I did NOT read the entire book, so I cannot give it a fair rating. As the other reviews on GR mention, this work was at times incredibly dry.
Rouse goes into very detailed explanations about the peopling of the Caribbean, Pre-Columbus. This was the study of the Pre-Taino era in which natives that came from North, Central and South America came to populate the Greater and Lesser Antilles. As the years went on other groups came to supplant those already there, most likely by genocide and war. By the time Columbus came around, the Taino were the dominate group.
Different ethnic groups came to live around the islands. I thought this was interesting because I thought that the Caribbean was under one umbrella of Taino. This wasn't the case; different races with different cultures and languages populated the different islands. It was not one race.
I did read in full the last two chapters where Rouse details the Columbus' voyages and the after effects of European colonization. There is also a short bit at the end about the Columbian Exchange, but the book by Alfred W. Crosby will be read for further reading.
I recommend this for serious students only. Even though Rouse states in the beginning that this was written for both academic and the laymen crowd, I felt it was certainly leaning more towards the former. Maybe I will revisit this one in the future.
I will start this review by saying that I did NOT read the entire book, so I cannot give it a fair rating. As the other reviews on GR mention, this work was at times incredibly dry.
Rouse goes into very detailed explanations about the peopling of the Caribbean, Pre-Columbus. This was the study of the Pre-Taino era in which natives that came from North, Central and South America came to populate the Greater and Lesser Antilles. As the years went on other groups came to supplant those already there, most likely by genocide and war. By the time Columbus came around, the Taino were the dominate group.
Different ethnic groups came to live around the islands. I thought this was interesting because I thought that the Caribbean was under one umbrella of Taino. This wasn't the case; different races with different cultures and languages populated the different islands. It was not one race.
I did read in full the last two chapters where Rouse details the Columbus' voyages and the after effects of European colonization. There is also a short bit at the end about the Columbian Exchange, but the book by Alfred W. Crosby will be read for further reading.
I recommend this for serious students only. Even though Rouse states in the beginning that this was written for both academic and the laymen crowd, I felt it was certainly leaning more towards the former. Maybe I will revisit this one in the future.
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