Taíno Political Organization

Did You Know: Taíno society was organized in two sectors - nitaíno (community leaders) and naboria (general community members).  Community life was administrated by chiefs and sub-chiefs called kasike (cacique), who in turn were supported and often advised by other community and spiritual leaders called behike and buhiti among other names. The traditional territories (called cacicazgos by the Spaniards) controlled by kasike were actually confederations of iukaieke (yucayeque) communities with populations that ranged from several hundred to thousands of people. As Taíno society developed over time, powerful kasike (caciques) united these communities into political states that were ultimately guided by a grand or paramount chief. In 1492, Kiskeia (Hispaniola) was organized under five confederations. Boriken (Puerto Rico) was organized under 20, with the Guainia (Guaynia) territory being the largest and most politically powerful. -  UCTP Taíno News © 2013

Behike

Did You Know - Among the Taino, the behike or shaman, was usually in charge of curing the ills in the community, thanks to his or her knowledge of medicinal plants and interaction with the spirit-world. Sometimes kasike (community leaders) took on a dual role of chief and medicine person. Kasike were also recorded as calling on behike for advice in major decisions affecting the well-being of the community. Alogn with the term behike (behique), other terms were used to identify this or a similar community role including bohitiu, buhiti, bohike, and piaie (piaman). -- UCTP Taino News © 2007

Image credit: Miguel Sague