A Brief History of the Indigenous Population of Jamaica
By Glenn Woodley
The prehistory of Jamaica saw three separate waves of colonization by Amerindian peoples.
Somewhere between 5,000 BC and 4,000 BC saw the arrival of the Guanahatabey or Ciboney people, who followed a now submerged chain of small islands that used to run from the eastern Yucatan through to Cuba and Jamaica. They were a cave dwelling people, who used basic tools for fishing and gathering. At the time of Colombus' arrival, the Guanahatabey were recorded as still surviving in western Cuba.
Next upon the scene were the Saladoid or Igneris people, who arrived around 300 AD. They were the first wave of Arawakan peoples to come from South America. The Saladoids brought with them their skill in fine ceramics, shards of which still turn up around the Island today.
The third wave saw the arrival of Arawakan people now known as the Taino, who came originally from the Orinoco region in Venezuela, between 650 AD and 900 AD. They reached Jamaica via the Dominican Republic and soon absorbed the Saladoid culture into their own. The Taino’s enslaved the Saladoids, making them a labouring underclass who were denied Taino luxuries such as hammocks and cassava. The Spanish later noted this 'underclass' calling them the Naborias.
By the time of Colombus's arrival in 1494 the Jamaican Taino’s were part of approximately 6 million Arawakan speaking people of the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas (where they were known as the Lucayans). They knew Jamaica as 'Yamaye,' the land of springs.
Jamaica had over 200 village sites ruled by chiefs or caciques. The south coast of Jamaica was the most populated area at the time, especially around what is now Old Harbour. The Jamaican Taino were master carvers, producing many carved artifacts, including the Dujo, a low wooden ceremonial stool used by caciques, and were well regarded for their skills with the bow and arrow. They hunted with a small barkless dog they kept as pets. From the local ginup fruit they extracted a black dye to paint their skin, and a red dye from the Anatto seed making them look most fearful to their enemies. The Taino did not wear clothing, except for a small apron worn by married women , they lived in huts made of woven cane, round ones (bohios) for the general population, square ones (caneyes) for the caciques. Like the Mayan the Taino also practiced head shaping, whereby at birth children had their heads bound to flatten their foreheads. Nose and ear piercing was also popular . A ball game similar to that played in Central America called Batey was commonly played by the Taino’s. Their diet consisted mainly of seafood and cassava. They had a complex animist spirituality , worshiping Zemis or carved wooden gods and believed in Hupias or Opiyes, spirits of the dead, who roamed the night. The Jamaican word 'duppy' most likely stems from this word. Shamanistic states of mind in religious ceremonies were achieved by inhaling the powerful hallucinogenic Cohoba bark.
Columbus learned of Jamaica from the Taino in Cuba, however when he first tried to land on the North Coast he was repelled by over 40 war canoes. He next landed on the South Coast at Cow Bay (named after the numerous manatees found there). Here Columbus was greeted by a cacique who Columbus considered "the most intelligent and civilized cacique in the Antilles." Both he and his warriors were splendidly dressed in bright feathered cloaks and head dress with ornaments, made of semi-precious stones, around their necks and on their foreheads, their faces and bodies painted with various colours.
However this cordial relationship was not to last. The Taino were the first people of the New World to encounter the Europeans as they expanded westwards, and soon were to face harsh slavery and virtual extinction.
However they were not fully exterminated, as history has led us to believe. In 1655 when the English expelled the Spaniards, Tainos were still recorded as living in Jamaica. It was noted at this time that rural farmers spoke a dialect that was mixture of Spanish, Taino and African languages. Later archaeologists were to discover English lead shot amongst Taino artifacts, and almost 60 years earlier, in 1596 English privateer Sir Anthony Shirley sacked St Jago de la Vega ( later Spanish Town), after being guided there by Taino tribesmen. Further archaeological finds were later to confirm that Taino extinction was a myth. Although being enslaved and cruelly treated by Europeans, some Taino did survive. Many escaped into the mountains to coexist with the Maroons, where still today many non African plants are used medicinally, plants that were once part of the Taino pharmacology. Hammocks also are still made in Accompong in the Taino fashion, proving that the Taino still survived for many years with the Maroons in the mountains of inland Jamaica after the Spanish had left.
In Jamaica today petroglyphs found around the Island are a poignant reminder of these early people. The museum at White Marl, outside of Spanish Town, has a good collection of Taino artifacts on permanent display.
Glenn Woodley is a historian and freelance writer for hire from Australia.
Taino words in common use today:
Tobacco
Canoe
Hammock
Barbecue
Hurricane
Taino links
Jatibonicu Taino Tribal Nation of Boriken, (Puerto Rico)
United Confederation of Taino People
U.S. Legacies
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