Did You Know: The term “Taíno” appears at least twice in the historical record as a term used by Taíno Peoples to describe themselves collectively. In one instance, Dr. Diego Álvarez Chanca reported that, on an island near Guadeloupe, Indigenous women and men from Borikén (Puerto Rico) used the word Taíno to differentiate themselves from other Indigenous Peoples in the area. Chanca was an eyewitness to the encounter.
In a second introductory encounter, Melchior Maldonado was exploring Kiskeia (Dominican Republic) when a group of Taíno men, led by an elder, also used the term Taíno. This event was recorded by Peter Martyr d’Anghiera, who received the information from an eyewitness.
While Chanca interpreted Taíno to mean “good,” d’Anghiera translated it as “good men,” which is closer to the fuller interpretation of “good people.” Although the historical record shows that Taíno ancestors used various local, regional, and relational identifiers, it also confirms that Taíno was among the terms they used to identify themselves collectively.
— © 2013 UCTP Taíno News
References
d'Anghiera, P. M. (1912). De Orbe Novo: The eight decades of Peter Martyr D'Anghera (F. A. MacNutt, Trans.). G. P. Putnam's Sons. (Original work published 1530)
Álvarez Chanca, D. (1907). The letter of Dr. Diego Alvarez Chanca, dated 1494, relating to the second voyage of Columbus to America. In A. B. Hulbert (Ed.), The Crown Collection of Photographs of American Maps (Ser. II, Vol. 3). Smithian Institution / (Original letter written 1494)
