Here is the latest video clip that addresses the issue of self-identity. Please feel free to start a discussion and invite a friend.

This past summer while filming at the Taino Festival in Jayuya, P.R. I had the opportunity to listen in on a lecture (in Spanish) that was given by Dr. Juan Martinez Cruzado, a geneticist from the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez who designed an island-wide DNA survey. According to the study funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, 61 percent of all Puerto Ricans have Amerindian mitochondrial DNA, 27 percent have African and 12 percent Caucasian. (Nuclear DNA, or the genetic material present in a gene's nucleus, is inherited in equal parts from one's father and mother. Mitochondrial DNA is inherited only from one's mother and does not change or blend with other materials over time.) His conclusion is that the majority of Puerto Ricans have Native blood.

Go to the videos section and watch excerpts 1 through 5 of his lecture.







Professor Gabriel Haslip-Viera shares his insights on indigenous genetic identity as it applies to the Neo-Tainos.

The Emmy Award winning team - Producer/Director Alex Zacarias and videographer Ray Ibsen first took to New York and then to Puerto Rico to begin work on The Lost Taino Tribe documentary. Included here are photographs and video clips of the making of the documentary trailer.

First a huge thanks to all for the support and friendships made in both these magical places. Our first impression is that the Taino story is beyond the facts and truths (which is very important) but it is also the unrelenting passion for self identity. We met many folks on both sides of the issue. Each person - each group - shared similiar and different ideas, thoughts and beliefs - added together makes for a powerful story.

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. The truth is much larger than any one person or place. We will be back to New York, Puerto Rico and to all the Caribbean Diaspora.

Primero gracias a todos por la ayuda y las amistades hechas en esta ciudad maravillosa ques es Nuevo York y en La Isla del Encanto - Puerto Rico. Nuestra primera impresión es que la historia del Taino está más allá de los hechos y de las verdades (que es muy importante) pero es también la pasión implacable para la identidad del uno mismo. Encontramos a mucha gente en ambos lados de la edición. Cada persona - cada grupo – tienen ideas y pensamientos similares y tambien diversos - juntos hace para una historia de gran alcance.

The World Map Above Shows Where The Lost Taino Tribe Members On This Website Call Home.
Includes:
North America USA
Africa
Asia
Europe
North America Canada
Middle East

La mapa del mundo demuestra donde los miembros de este website viven.

The map above is an incomplete list of known Taínos, some of which were Caciques (Male tribal chiefs) or Cacicas (Female tribal chiefs) and the locations are not specific but general areas. Taíno society was divided into two classes: naborias (commoners) and nitaínos (nobles). Both were governed by chiefs known as Caciques (male) or Cacicas/Caciquesa (female), who was the maximum authority in a Yucayeque (village). The chiefs were advised by priests/healers known as bohiques.

El mapa demuestra una lista incompleta de Taínos conocidos, algunos cuyo eran los caciques (jefes de la tribu de sexo masculino) o Cacicas (jefes de la tribu de sexo femenino) y las localizaciones son áreas no específicas sino generales.

Below Incomplete List of Caciques de Borikén/Puerto Rico
Lista de Caciques de Borikén

Agüeybaná: Puerto Rico's head cacique who was chief over all the other caciques of Boriken at the time of discovery. His yucayeque or village was on the Guayanilloa Bay area.
Abey: yucayeque in Salinas
Alonso: minor cacique in Otoao (Utuado).
Aramaná: yucayeque around the río Coa (Toa)
Arasibo: yucayeque in the area of río Abacoa (río Grande de Arecibo)
Aymamón: yucayeque on the río Culebrinas/Western Puerto Rico
Cacimar: of Caribe ancentry, his yucayeque was in Vieques.
Caguax: yucayeque by the río Turabo
Canóbana: yucayeque by the río Cayniabón (río Grande de Loíza)
Cagüana: minor cacique in Utuado area
Cayey: yucayeque in Cayey
Dagüao: yucayeque at río Santiago (Naguabo)
Doña María: daughter of cacique Bagnamanay , her Taíno name is unkown
Güamaní: yucayeque possibly around Guayama o Manatí
Güarionex: One of the more important caciques, his yucayeque was in Utuado.
Güaybaná: Fought the Spaniards with Güarionex
Güaraca: yucayeque in Güayaney
Jayuya: yucayeque near present day Jayuya.
Jumacao: cacique for the village of Macao. The area is nowadays the town of Humacao, named after the cacique.
Orocobix of the Yucayeque in Jatibonicu
Mayagoex from the Mayagüez area.


Above is an incomplete timeline of Taino organizations.
Cronología de las organizaciones Taino.