Biha (Bija, Bixa) is a Taino Word

Did You Know - The Biha, Annatto or Achiote tree (Bixa orellana) has seeds that were ground and made into a bright red dye that the Tainos also called biha (bee-hah). According to ancient Taino tradition the color red was associated with virility and the ancestors, but this red paste also served as a mosquito repellent. Taino often covered their whole body in biha. Local tradition on various islands states that it is in the use of  red biha coloring where the derogatory term “Redskin” finds its origin. Today, biha is more often used as a natural food coloring that provides Caribbean rice with its reddish-orange color as well as the yellow color in processed American cheese. - UCTP Taino News © 2008

Taino Guayuko

DID YOU KNOW - The Spanish chronicler Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo y Valdez (1478-1507) recorded the word guayuko or guaiuko to refer to a type of breech cloth that was small and covered the genital area. A breechcloth (sometimes called Lioncloth) is a long rectangular piece of cloth. It is worn between the legs and tucked over a belt or cord, so that the flaps fell down in front and behind. In Boriken (Puerto Rico) the word was widely used in the rural areas and coastal cane fields and came to refer to an old pair of worn Khakis working pants up until around the 1950s. Although the term has largely fallen out of use some elders and language enthusiasts have kept the word alive. A similar term is nagua. Although the original Taíno term nagua referred to a breech cloth over the years it has come to refer to pantyhose and is sometimes also called enagua.- - UCTP Taino News © 2008

Guaisa

DID YOU KNOW - In his diary written from a vessel moored off the coast of Hispanola, Columbus described the Taino Kasike (chieftains) wearing intricately carved, small sized mask or amulets around their necks. The Taino call these little mask pendants "Guaisa" and often they were inlaid with gold. Some contempoary Taino translate "guaisa" to mean "our face or "our seed". Guaisa could be fashioned out of clay, wood, bone, shell or even stone. - UCTP Taino News © 2008

Parrots and Taino

Did You Know - The ancient Taino people developed an ingenious and sophisticated way of trapping certain birds especially parrots. To capture the birds, children would wear a specially woven hat made from palm tree material, and then hide in selected trees. Once in the tree, the children would also coat various branches with a special sticky resin. Finally, for this trap to be successful the child hunter would take along live parrot whose squawks would attract other birds to the tree. Once landing in the trees, the parrots would become stuck to the resin and easily captured by the young Taino hunters. Parrots were favored among community members because of their beauty and the ability to be domesticated. Some Taino terms for parrots include Kaika, Paraka, and Higuaka. – UCTP Taino News © 2008

Hutia are a part of the Taino World

Did You Know: The Hutia is a large indigenous rodent that inhabits various Caribbean Islands. The average size ranges from about 20 to 60 centimeters (8-24 inches), and they can weigh up to 7 kilograms (15 pounds). At least 20 species of hutia have been identified, but as many as half may be extinct. Among those that are said to have perished are the giant hutia, which are said to have resembled the modern capibara. Tails are present among the species, varying from vestiges to prehensile. Hutia have stout bodies and large heads. Most species are herbivorous, though some consume small animals. Like other rodents most hutia are nocturnal, but instead of burrowing underground, they can nest in trees or even rock crevices. The word Hutia is a word from the Taino language and during ancient times these rodents were hunted regularly for their meat. The consuming of hutia continues among some traditionalists; however, this animal is endangered in many countries. Hutia once lived throughout most all regions of the islands from the coast to the forest to the sabanas. - UCTP Taino News © 2008

Jamaica and the Taino

Did You Know - The Jamaican national motto is ‘Out of Many One People’, based on the population’s multi-racial roots. This motto is represented on the Coat of Arms, showing a male and female member of the Taino Tribe standing on either side of a shield which bears a red cross with five golden pineapples. The crest shows a Jamaican crocodile mounted on the Royal Helmet of the British Monarchy and mantling. - UCTP Taino News © 2008