November 19, Day Of The Restoration Of The Taíno Nation

ON NOVEMBER 19TH, WHILE OTHERS IN OUR LAND CELEBRATE AND HONOR "COLUMBUS", WE DESCENDENTS OF THE ABORIGINAL PEOPLE, OPPRESSED AND SUBJUGATED BY COLUMBUS AND BROUGHT TO THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION, WILL BE MEETING AT THE TIBES INDIGENOUS CEREMONIAL PARK TO CELEBRATE OUR OWN ETHNICITY, OUR RACE, OUR CULTURE, OUR ABORIGINAL TAÍNO LEGACY.

IT WAS BUT SEVERAL YEARS AGO THAT OUR PEOPLE DECIDED TO ORGANIZE THEMSELVES, TO TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR OWN DESTINY, THEIR OWN HISTORY, BY RESTORING THE TAÍNO NATION. NO, WE ARE NOT DREAMERS, NOR PSEUDO TAÍNOS, NOR NEOTAÍNOS, WE ARE TAÍNOS! IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER WE ARE FULL-BLOODED OR OF MIXED BLOOD! WE ARE TAÍNOS! OUR BODY AND BLOOD MAY BE MIXED, OUR SOUL AND SPIRIT ARE NOT!

SOME OF OUR ANCESTORS DECIDED TO COMMIT SUICIDE RATHER THAN SUBMIT TO THE BLOODY TYRANNY AND OPPRESSION BEGUN BY COLUMBUS, PONCE DE LEÓN AND OTHERS. OTHERS FROM OUR PEOPLE DECIDED TO TRAVEL BACK TO THE JUNGLES OF SOUTH AMERICA TO ESCAPE SLAVERY, WHERE, ACCORDING TO LEGENDS, THEIR DESCENDANTS STILL LIVE IN HIDING, AWAY FROM VIEW OF THE "HISPANOS". OTHERS STILL SOUGHT SHELTER IN THE DEEPEST PARTS OF THE YUNQUE RAINFOREST ON BORIKÉN AND OTHER ISOLATED PLACES IN CUBA, KISKEYA AND THE OTHER ISLANDS THAT MADE UP THE TAÍNO HOMELAND. STILL OTHERS DECIDED TO TAKE THEIR CHANCES AND TRY TO SURVIVE WITHIN THE SPANISH ENVIRONMENT, BY MIXING BLOOD AND TAKING ON THE TRAPPINGS OF THEIR SOCIETY WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PASSING ON PORTIONS OF THEIR LANGUAGE, CULTURE, CUSTOMS AND SPIRIT. THIS WAS NOT A DISINTEGRATION BUT A SURVIVAL TACTIC.

TODAY, THOSE OF US WHO ARE AWARE OF OUR IDENTITY HANDED DOWN FROM OUR ELDERS AND GRANDPARENTS BY ORAL TRADITION CLAIM THE RIGHT TO ONCE AGAIN PROCLAIM OUR ABORIGINAL IDENTITY PROUDLY, WITHOUT SHAME. JUST LIKE IN THE PAST THERE WERE THOSE WHO DENIED OUR ANCESTORS THE RIGHT TO EXIST THROUGH SLAVERY AND OPPRESSION, TODAY WILL HAVE ITS FOOLS WHO WILL ALSO FIND A THOUSAND AND ONE REASONS WHY THERE SHOULD NOT BE A TAÍNO NATION IN EXISTENCE IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. BUT JUST LIKE OUR ANCESTORS, WE TOO ARE DETERMINED TO LIVE AND SURVIVE!

WE SHALL CONTINUE TO BRING TOGETHER INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES OF INDIGENOUS BLOODLINES AND HERITAGE WITHOUT FREEZING OURSELVES BACK IN HISTORY. WE WILL LIVE ACCORDING TO THE DEMANDS OF THE PRESENT TIME NUTURING OURSELVES WITH THE CULTURE OF OUR ANCESTORS AND GUIDED BY THEIR SPIRIT.

WE ARE GRATEFUL TO ALL THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE CONTINENT WHO HAVE EXTENDED TO US THEIR SOLIDARITY, THEIR TRUST, THEIR RECOGNITION AND THEIR HEARTS.

THIS IS THE TIME TO CELEBRATE-NOT COLUMBUS NOR HIS SO-CALLED "DISCOVERY" BUT-THE COMING TOGETHER OF THE TAÍNO PEOPLE AND NATION, PRIDE IN OUR HERITAGE AND CULTURE NOT ONLY IN BORIKÉN BUT ON THE OTHER ISLANDS AS WELL AS THOSE OF US WHO HAVE HAD TO LIVE IN THE DIASPORA. WE CELEBRATE THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE RESTORATION OF THE TAÍNO PEOPLE AND NATION. OUR HISTORY DID NOT BEGIN WITH COLUMBUS, OUR HISTORY GOES WAY BACK TO THE TIME OF YAYAEL.

IT WAS NOT IN VAIN THAT OUR GREAT ANAKAHONA, CAONABO, WAROCUYA (ENRIQUILLO), WARIONEX, WEYBÁNA, URAYOÁN, AND SO MANY OTHERS THAT FELL UNDER THE SWORD. IT WAS NOT IN VAIN THAT SOME OF OUR BROTHERS PARTICIPATED IN THE ARMED STRUGGLE FOR LIBERATION ON SEPTEMBER 23, 1868 IN EL GRITO DE LARES. TO DENY OUR RIGHT TO FOLLOW PROUDLY IN THE PATH OF OUR ANCESTORS CAN ONLY BE THE PRODUCT OF SMALL MINDS. WE EXTEND OUR THANKS TO THE ORGANIZERS OF THE PROTEST MARCH TO TAKE PLACE ON THE STREETS OF SAN JUAN DENOUNCING THE OFFICIAL COLOMBUS CELEBRATIONS, 500 YEARS OF RESISTANCE MOVEMENT OF BORIKÉN. WE INVITE ALL TAÍNOS TO GUAYANIA (PONCE) TO AFFIRM THE RIGHT TO OUR EXISTENCE ON NOVEMBER 19TH.

TAKEN FROM THE "BOLETIN OF THE TAÍNO NATION VOLUME 9 (11/96)