Cashews and Taino People

Did You Know: The cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) is said to have originated in northeast Brazil, however, it is widely distributed through tropical South and Central America and the Caribbean. In Borikén (Puerto Rico) and Kiskeia (Dominican Republic), what are understood to be Taino words for cashew are still used today, incorporated in the local Spanish language including kahuil (prounounced kah-hoo-eel), pahuil (pajuil), and pauhil. An additional, more rarely used term for cashew in Borikén is pahui (pajuy/pah-hoo-ee). All these terms seem to be related linguistically to the term for cashew used in indigenous Tupian languages - acajú - said to mean “nut that produces itself.” The cashew tree is large and evergreen, growing to 10-12m (32 ft) tall. It produces a type of fruit (known in English as ‘cashew apple’ or ‘marañón’ in Spanish), which is edible, and has a strong "sweet" smell and a sweet taste. The cashew nut is really a seed and a good source of antioxidants, but it needs to be roasted or steamed as it contains urushiol, a resin that can cause skin rashes, and can be toxic when ingested. Urushiol is also present in the tree's leaves. Traditional medicinal uses of the cashew tree include grinding the seeds into a poultice for treating snakebites, and the use of the fruit, bark, and leaves for many other purposes including anti-fungal activity, for sores and rashes, or as an antipyretic, and for antidiarrheal applications. – UCTP Taino News © 2014 

Hikotea is Taino

Did You Know: “Hikotea” (jicotea) is a Taino word for various land and fresh water turtles. The term hikotea (hee-koh-teh-ah) is still used throughout the Greater Antilles to identify these turtles. In ancient times the hikotea was directly linked to Taino creation, as the primordial mother of the people was a turtle who transformed into a woman. As a result of this ancestral distinction, many persons still view it as an offense to kill or eat a fresh water or land turtle. A further spiritual distinction of the hikotea is that it carries the numbers of a sacred calendar of the people on its shell. Patterns on the outer edge of its shell coincide with the sacred lunar calendar cycle of 28 days from full moon to full moon. The hikotea’s additional shell patterns correspond with the 13 moons of the lunar year. - UCTP Taino News (c) 2013 

Guaikano

DID YOU KNOW: The term guaikano (guaicano) or guaikan is a Taíno word for the remora fish (scientific name: Echeneidae). Sometimes called a suckerfish, the guaikano (remora) is best known for its distinctive dorsal fin, which takes the form of an oval, sucker-like organ allowing them to take a firm hold against the skin of larger marine animals and even boats. Usually found in tropical or temperate waters, guaikano are known to grow between 1-3 ft long (30–90 cm). Among the Taíno, the guaikano was once used by fisherman, specifically, because of its abilities to attach on to larger animals such as turtles and sharks. A cord or “kabuia (cabuya)” would be tied to the guaikano’s tail, and once the fish attached, a Taíno fisherman could simply haul in both the guaikano and its host. - UCTP Taino News © 2011

Illustration: Modesto Garcia