What do you know about the taino way of life?

Answer 1

This Arawak/Taino inhabited the island of Hispanola before they

were wiped out by the Spanish (c. 1510), due mainly to small pox

and harsh slavery.

A.Taino Clothing - The men were generally naked, but the women

sometimes wore short skirts. Men and women alike adorned their

bodies with paint and shells and other decorations.

B. Taino family - The Indians practiced polygamy. Most men had 2 or 3 wives, but the caciques had as many as 30. It was a great honor for a woman to be married to a cacique. Not only did she enjoy a materially superior lifestyle, but her children were held in high esteem.

C. Taino Housing - The general population lived in circular buildings with poles providing the primary support and these were covered with woven straw and palm leaves. They were somewhat like North American teepees except rather than being covered with skins they needed to reflect the warmth of the climate and simply used straw and palm leaves

D. Taino Agriculture - As an aside I would like to comment that many people in the pre-Columbian Americas had virtually work free agriculture. This system meant that people living in these materially simple social systems had enormous amounts of free time and often developed elaborate religious rites which took a lot of their time, but also had highly developed systems of games and recreation. There are some nice advantages to very simple living and diet!

E. Moving - They used dugout canoes which were cut from a single tree trunk and used with paddles. They could take 70-80 people in a single canoe and even used them for long travels on the sea. These dugouts allowed fishing the few lakes of Hispaniola as well as fishing out a bit off the coast. Additional Details added 2 years ago F. Taino religion -The Arawak/Taino were polytheists and their gods were called zemi. They dressed up in feathers

and put on elaborate rituals.

There was a ceremonial beating of drums. People induced vomiting with a swallowing stick. This was to purge the body of impurities, both a literal physical purging and a symbolic spiritual purging. This ceremonial purging and other rites were a symbolic changing before zemi. Women served bread (a communion rite), first to zemi, then to the cacique followed by the other people. The sacred bread was a powerful protector. (The interesting similarities between this ritual and the Christian practice of eucharist is obvious!

None of these Taino ways were known nor practiced by

any Europeans. So the best answer is that nearly every

thing, excepting a few foods such as corn*, about them was different from the Europeans!

* Additional Details : The Arawak/Taino grew corn (maize), squash, beans, peppers, sweet potatoes, yams and peanuts.

Answer 2

The Taino were indigenous people of the Caribbean who lived in small agricultural communities. They practiced farming, fishing, and hunting as their main means of sustenance. They had a complex social structure and worshipped various deities. Unfortunately, their population was devastated by European colonization and the introduction of new diseases.