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Anacaona, Taino Princess

By amy

The story of Anacaona is one of both courage and tragedy, a story that lends itself to considerable reworking in the historical imagination. In reading various online resources, some of which provide references to published works, I have tried to keep in mind that everything we know about Anacaona comes to us not from indigenous sources, we receive what we know from Spanish colonial chronicles, which means that, at best, our knowledge will always be secondhand, incomplete, and a product of colonialism itself.

What is known of the life of Anacaona? She may have been the first American diplomat. Anacaona was a brave warrior princess, but she didn't want war, and tried valiantly to address the violence inflicted on her people with what historians describe her "kind and noble appeals" to the Spaniards who killed her husband and most of her tribal family. Anacaona didn't try just once. She desperately wanted peace and worked for peace by showing her willingness to listen to those who had invaded and stolen her lands, enslaved and slaughtered her people. She never gave up, and ultimately, this is how the brave Anacaona met her death. Tricked by her enemies, for she was so very eager to make peace that she did what she wouldn't ask of any of her people, although she could have, by walking into a trap set by the Spaniards. Anacaona was hanged to death in 1492. Her story inspires me, and I hope you will find it a story of hope and courage as well.

Her name is Arawak, and means "golden flower." She was about 14 years old in 1490. Time was measured in days of the half moon during Anacaona's life. A few words of her language are still used today: canoe, iguana, jamaca (hah-mocka, hammock), maraca, cayo (island). Remnants of Taino life today include barbecue, tobacco and hammocks.

Anacaona was born in what is now called Hispaniola, and an iconic figure claimed by Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. She is known as the "Golden Flower," "The Mother of All Indians," and "The Most Beautiful Indian." In the Taino language, the word Taino means "noble and good."

It is estimated that there were 200,000 Tainos on Kiskeya (or Quisqueya), now called Hispaniola, before Columbus arrived in 1492. Fifty years later, there were only a few hundred. It is believed now that all the Tainos of Hispaniola were exterminated. However, people throughout this region identify as Taino and DNA testing has proven that there are legitimate descendants of the Tainos on earth today.

Anacaona was born into a position of leadership as the daughter of caciques, those who ruled the Taino society. Custom of the Taino was that a cacique or ruler was inherited through the female relatives. Before the arrival of "pale-faced men" in 1492, the Taino society was one of agriculture. Their land was very fertile, covered with flowing rivers and bountiful fruit trees. Their skies were full of birds, including eagles, hawks and geese. For food, the Tainos farmed their abundant land and grew yucca, maize (corn), sweet potatoes, squash and chili peppers. For their beds (hammocks) and the coverings of their bodies, they grew cotton, which they spun into cloth. They also cultivated tobacco and used this as a part of their tribal ceremonies. For meat, they hunted birds, iguanas and even snakes. From the sea, they had crabs, manatee, oysters, turtles, conch and lobster.

For their large celebrations, called areitos, the Taino would sing ballads, tell stories, perform dances, take part in mock battles, and play a popular game called matey which is similar to volleyball. The Taino created many beautiful objects, including ceramics, ear and nose rings made from shells, bone beads and semiprecious stones. The carvers crafted ceremonial chairs called duhos in adddition to religious sculptures and amulets called zemis.

Before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, the biggest threat known to the Tainos was the island Caribs or Kalinas, who often raided their villages, killing their men and carrying away their women as a part of a practice called bride capture. Although the Caribs were better warriors, the Tainos developed certain weapons to defend themselves. They had spears, bows, poisoned arrows and cibas, sharpened rocks. In every account I have read of the Tainos, they were a peaceful society comprised of gentle people who were never aggressive and used weapons only to defend themselves against the attacks of the Caribs.

The Xaraguá live in harmony and treat each other as well as other tribes with respect. But when the Kalinas, a fierce group from another area attack and raid the Xaraguás and others near them, she asks permission from the ruler of the Xaraguás, Matunherí, to train warriors for protection. But soon Anacaona will see that there are more dangers out there besides the Kalinas.

After Anacaona's coming of age ceremony, the cacique of Maguana, Caonabó, expresses his interest in marrying her. Being a ruler and being the wife of a ruler are two different things. Anacaona chose to marry Caonabó, leaving the leadership of the Xaraguá to Behechio. Anacaona adjusted to life in Maguana; she was happy with her new life, and soon has a daughter which Anacana and her husband names Higuamota. Just as everything seems to be going smoothly, there is news of "pale men" in another region. Are they threats or just spirits? Whoever they are, the lives of the Taíno people are changed forever. When these "pale men" frighten Taíno people with "lightening sticks" and demand more and more gold, Anacaona, Caonabó, and Manicaotex take action. Anacaona, Caonabó, Manicaotex and their warriors must use wits to defeat the "pale men" who have superior technology and weapons.

The story of Anacaona is told primarily through the writings of Bartolomé de Las Casas. The Haitian writer Edwidge Danticat's Anacaona: Golden Flower, Haiti, 1490, a children's book published in 2005, is written in the form of a journal or diary from a first person perspective. Ms. Danticat acknowledges that there was no written language for the Taino during Anacaona's time and many details of Anacaona's thoughts, feelings and conversations are fictional, and based upon Ms. Danticat's own beliefs of the Indian princess she admires, as do most people of Hispaniola. I should mention that without Ms. Danticat's creative license, young people might not even know who Anacaona was, for it is true that what we know of her otherwise is written in the language of those who proved her mortal enemy. Senor de Las Casas wrote kindly, and I believe honestly, in Historia de las Indias:

Xaraqua is the Fourth Kingdom, and as it were the Centre and Middle of the whole Island, and is not to be equalled for fluency of Speech and politeness of Idiom or Dialect by any Inhabitants of the other Kingdoms, and in Policy and Morality transcends them all.

Herein the Lords and Peers abounded, and the very Populace excelled in in stature and habit of Body: Their King was Behechio by name and who had a Sister called Anacaona, and both the Brother as well as Sister had loaded the Spaniards with Benefits and singular acts of Civility, and by delivering them from the evident and apparent danger of Death, did signal services to the Castilian Kings. Behechio dying the supreme power of the Kingdom fell to Anacaona:

But it hapned one day, that the Governour of an Island [Nicolas de Ovando], attended by 60 Horse, and 30 Foot (now the Cavalry was sufficiently able to unpeople not only the Isle, but also the whole Continent) he summoned about 300 Dynasta's, or Noblemen to appear before him, and commanded the most powerful of them, being first crouded into a Thatcht Barn or Hovel, to be exposed to the fury of the merciless Fire, and the rest to be pierced with Lances, and run through with the point of the Sword, by a multitude of Men:

And Anacaona, her self who (as we said before,) sway'd the Imperial Scepter, to her greater honor was hanged on a Gibbet. And if it fell out that any person instigated by Compassion or Covetousness, did entertain any Indian Boys and mount them on Horses, to prevent their Murder, another was appointed to follow them, who ran them through the back or in the hinder parts, and if they chanced to escape Death, and fall to the ground, they immediately cut off his Legs; and when any of those Indians, that survived these Barbarous Massacres, betook themselves to an Isle eight miles distant, to escape their Butcheries, they were then committed to servitude during Life."

For me, knowing next to nothing about this woman specifically, but encouraged (and if you know my mother, you probably know her methods of encouragement), this was an interesting way to introduce me to her life and how she resisted the colonialization of her homeland. It made me want to research and read more about this fascinating area and period of time.

[The painting by Ulrick-Jean Pierre is from "Revolutionary Freedoms: A History of Survival, Strength and Imagination in Haiti," published by Caribbean Studies Press and edited by Cécile Accilien, Jessica Davis, and Elmide Méléance. Mr. Ulrick Jean-Pierre's work has been shown in galleries and museums throughout the United States and in France. I saw his "Revolutionary Freedoms" exhibit at "Common Routes: Saint Domingue-Louisiana," at The Historic New Orleans Collection in 2006, New Orleans Museum of Art.]

Killing is not honorable, neither does violence redress our honor. Let us build a bridge of love that our enemies may cross, leaving their footprints for all to see.

These were the last words of the Golden Flower Anacaona, as recorded in The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus, Volume II, by Washington Irving.

Paz y gracias.

~Amy Avila

Full post as published by Never In Our Names on October 13, 2008 (boomark / email).