The Indigenous peoples pt1. Flashcards
What are the two possible means that people argue that the indigenous people may have entered the American continent by?
1) It is believed that 25,000 years ago the Bering Strait was above sea level and formed the Beringia land bridge. Then 25,000 years ago during the Ice Age, people in Mongolia crossed the Beringia land bridge from Siberia into the American landmass of Alaska. It is believed that they were either fleeing the icy conditions or they were chasing the migratory herds of deer on which they survived.
2) It is also believed that there was no land bridge 25,000 years ago but that there was an ice bridge between Siberia and Alaska. This argument says that the Asians crossed this bridge then followed the corridor between the Alaskan and Canadian mountains, into the Canadian plains, pushing south to the very end of the continent.
Who were the meso Indians (Ciboney)?
Meso-Indians were a group of migrants who travelled from the Venezuelan mainland in South America and entered the Caribbean Sea at Trinidad. They had a more advanced social structure than previous groups which settled in the Caribbean and they used advanced agricultural technologies. They were skilled navigators, great explorers of new lands and open seas and builders of large communities. They did not use agriculture or farming to survive but rather relied upon hunting animals like the manatee, fishing for turtles, crustaceans and reef fish, and gathering wild vegetables.
Another name for the Ciboney?
The Guanahacabibe
How did the meso Indians get the name Ciboney
the name was used in the 16th century by the Spanish priest las Casas who came across them in Cuba and Hispaniola.
Achievements of the Ciboney?
they built walls, assembled large stones for cultural purposes and developed irrigation systems.
What were the three major Caribbean groups?
Arawaks (Tainos), Maya (Meso Americans) and Caribs (Kalinago)
Who were the Ciboney?
the earliest and smallest Caribbean inhabitants who were nomad hunter gatherers . They did not store, trade or distribute any extra surplus food and took only from the Caribbean space what they needed to survive, making minimum changes to it.
What were the two possible ways people believed the Ciboney entered the Caribbean by?
1) Ciboney in Cuba and Bahamas migrated from the south via the Lesser Antilles.
2) Ciboney entered the Caribbean through the Florida peninsula.
3) The Ciboney are from pre farming cultures and entered the Antilles from South America as waves of different migrants over a very long period of time.
What language did the Taino speak
Arawakan
What language did the Kalinago speak
Cariban
Where did the Taino come from ?
Orinoco, Venezuela
What were the two groups of Tainos?
Saladoid & Barrancoid
What was used by archaeologists to differentiate the two Taino groups?
The Saladoid culture group were known for their common use of white-on-red artistic pottery decorations. The Barrancoid culture group’s pottery styles were more varied and less distinctive and were widespread throughout the Lesser and Greater Antilles than Saladoid pottery.
The Taino constructed their settlements in different environments in the Caribbean such as?
rainforests, mountain valleys, dry, open plateaux and to a lesser extent on savanna grasslands
What were the three main ways in which Tainos produced enough food for survival?
1) conuco cultivation
2) house gardens and fishing
3) hunting and gathering
Define the process of Conuco cultivation
a form of agriculture based on mounds of earth which reduced erosion, improved drainage and optimized land use.
Another name for cassava and the two types of cassava the Tainos cultivated
Manioc
sweet &bitter (poison) cassava
differentiate between the two types of cassava
the poison cassava was bitter in taste and contained cyanic acid which was highly poisonous. the sweet cassava had tubers which were much softer and softer and was not as high in yield as the poison cassava.
Define the process of processing the tubers of poison cassava
they grated the tubers then repeatedly washed and packed them together until the poison were strained out . They then dried the grated substance and ground it into flour.
What was used by Taino women to grind maize and cassava?
Mealing stones
How did the Tainouse/ eat cassava?
they made unleavened and sweetened cassava flour which they used to make cakes and breads.
they boiled the cassava and ate it with fish
they also roasted it on an open fire and ate it with various types of meat.
What was one of the main secondary staples of the Tainos?
sweet potato
Why was cassava the main staple for the Tainos?
because of it was high in nutritional value, it was suitable in different soils and climate, and it sprung from minor roots when the major tubers were harvested. No other Caribbean content and it could thrive in humid conditions
How long did cassava take to be harvested?
5-8 months
Why was sweet potato a secondary staple to the Tainos
the yield was not as high as the cassava but it had a shorter harvesting cycle of 2-4months.. It was suited to the moisture and conditions of conucos in rainforest and mountain valleys.
How did the Tainos use/eat sweet potato?
because of its high sugar content they used it to make cakes and puddings
but was mainly eaten boiled or roasted
What some of the other less starchy foods that the Taino produced as supplements to sweet potato and cassava in order to balance their diet?
yam, tania, protein-rich peanuts, arrowroot, maize, peppers, and beans
Importance of conuco agriculture in Taino society?
it provided an exceptionally ecologically well-balanced and protective form of land use. Because of this form of well balanced land use, the demand for any one nutrient within the environment complex never became excessive and in turn helped to preserve soil fertility for as long as possible
Name some of the fruits which the Taino cultivated
guava, hog plum, sweet sop, sour sop, mammey apple, cashew, paw paw and different types of pineapples
Name some of the animals that the Taino hunted for eating
pigs, wild pigeons, doves, iguanas, snakes, parrots, SMALL BROCKET DEER, AGOUTI
What tools did Taino use for hunting
nets and traps, slings, darts, and spears
THEY DID NOT USE THE BOW AND ARROW
What were the technologies that the Taino used to fish?
hooks and lines, small nets and spears
What were the sea animals that Taino hunted?
GREEN TURTLE- staple
fish, manatee
cat fish, mullets, eels - reef fish
conch, oysters- shellfish
What was the name given to the chief Taino’s ceremonial seat?
Duho
Name some other technologies and household stuff that taino produced/made
they weaved baskets, manufactured tobacco, cotton, dyes, powders, medicines and poisons
ceramics, bowls, pots, and ornaments
jewelry- gold nose rings and necklaces, masks of gold
What was the most common material the Taino used for basket weaving and why was it used?
palm leaf which was used in both the green and dried form
it was known for its durability, strength, and ability to absorb indigo-based dyes
How was tobacco used by the Taino?
they grew the plant and dried the leaves, and they chewed and sucked on the leaves. They also made a powder from the tobacco leaf which is now called snuff.
What did Taino cultivate indigo for?
it was used as a dye in body painting, fabric coloring, and to decorate ceramics.
There was a common red, blue and black dye which was used in clothing, pottery, and body art
ceramics were not made using a wheel but rather by the coil method. Elaborate
the clay was prepared, rolled into finger-like coils and used to build objects from a solid base.
What was the most impressive creation of the Taino and why was it impressive?
making dug out canoes from tree trunks
the canoes had to be long enough to carry up to 50 persons, light enough to facilitate speed and effectively balanced to negotiate turbulent waters.
What trees were used by the Taino to make dug out canoes?
SILK WOOD TREE, cedar, mahogany
occupations/skills of the Taino?
artisans, carpenters, fishermen, goldsmiths,
How did the Taino construct their canoes?
they burnt certain parts of the tree trunk, then hacked those parts with stone tools. They used mainly waterproof or porous woods to make the canoes last. If pitch and tar was available, it was used to coat the canoes as a water resistant seal.
What was the name of one of the most important Taino carvings?
The Bird Man
How was gold used for hierarchical purposes in Taino society
the amount of gold a person had was an indication of social status or rank
Which two Caribbean islands were the centres of goldsmith technology and why?
Trinidad and Hispaniola, Cuba*
because the metal was available on these islands
The name of the religious spirit that Taino worshipped
Zemis
Define the Taino religious life
Their politics promoted peaceful co-existence rather than hostile wars. There were very religious and had distinctive theological ideas. They expressed religious beliefs through rituals and ceremonies. The recognized a spirit world in which both humans and gods were both classified and ranked. They called their spirits Zemis and displayed these gods in the form of images made from gold, wood, stones and bones. Each person had his or her own Zemi images. They believed that different gods gave them certain capabilities.
The main factors in community development for Tainos
availability of fresh water, fertile land for conuco and ease of travel across the territory
What were the names given to taino houses and what were they made from?
Bohios- MAHOGANY, hardwood
