Sabrina's Digest, Indigenous Peoples' Day edition
It's only been two months since my last digest, hurray! /sarcasm
Last year on what has been known as Columbus Day, and what is now Indigenous Peoples' Day, I created a short Twitter moment about the Taino, who were the first inhabitants of Puerto Rico. I've decided to add all of those links to a more permanent and easily found space, plus some new ones I've come across this year.
For my previous digest, go here. For my last Puerto Rico themed digest, go here.
Who were the Taino?
- If you're feeling ambitious, take a look at this genetic study: "Origins and genetic legacies of the Caribbean Taino".
- For a longer historical narrative, read this one: "Taino History Puerto Rico".
What did Columbus orchestrate when he encountered the Taino?
- A very short summary from Yale Genocide Studies alludes to Columbus' impact.
- Here's a summary of Columbus' encounter with island natives in general: "Here’s the real story of Columbus that people prefer to ignore".
- Smithsonian Magazine published an excellent article exploring Taino heritage in 2011. If you can't read anything else, read this one: "What Became of the Taíno?".
Where are the Taino now?
- From National Geographic: "Meet the survivors of a ‘paper genocide’"
- From The Atlantic: "How Ancient DNA Can Help Recast Colonial History"
- Last, but not least, some interesting historical and archaeological/anthropological developments: "Dismissed as fakes for a century, enigmatic Puerto Rican stones could rewrite history".
I hope this little collection of sources will serve you well! If you have anything to add, please let me know.