Caribbean Indigenous Resistance / Resistencia indígena del Caribe ¡Taíno Vive!

In 1492, the Indigenous peoples of the northern Caribbean islands, popularly known as the Taíno, discovered Christopher Columbus. The encounter set in motion an invasion by Spanish soldiers, priests, and colonists that devastated the Taíno civilization and decimated its population. By the 1550s, colonial officials deemed the Taíno extinct. In reality, the Taíno and their culture resisted, survived, and continue to make an impact around the world today.

The new, bilingual exhibition Caribbean Indigenous Resistance / Resistencia indígena del Caribe ¡Taíno Vive! tells the captivating story of the endurance and courage of these Caribbean peoples. The exhibition examines the history of these Spanish and English-speaking islands, and the impact and legacy of Caribbean Indigenous knowledge throughout the world.

Visitors will learn about the Caribbean Indigenous survival journey through stories, contemporary crafts, musical instruments, and utilitarian objects. The exhibition will include video content and more than 60 striking images and graphics on freestanding structures. It will explore the rich and enduring cultural legacies of the region, the value and impact of the culture’s knowledge on the world, and the complicated questions around heritage, ancestry, and race that emerge from Taíno identities today.

Some examples of the Taíno culture’s continued influence include:

• The use of common Taíno imagery, like spirals, mountains, and frogs, in contemporary tattoo designs and visual art.
• The use of hammocks (from the Taíno word hamaca) for sleeping in zero gravity on Apollo 12 and later lunar missions.
• The consumption of yuca, an ancient staple starch for the Taíno, as a survival food in hurricane-prone areas.

In places like Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, there are historical records, family stories, and regional traditions that point to Indigenous survival and a rich heritage. The exhibition will explore the links between history, colonialism, and the contemporary Caribbean people who call themselves Taíno as part of a movement that declares: “We are still here!” This compelling new traveling exhibition affirms Taíno life and values Indigenous knowledge for the peoples of the Caribbean and beyond.

Caribbean Indigenous Resistance / Resistencia indígena del Caribe ¡Taíno Vive! is based on the original exhibition, Taíno: Native Heritage and Identity in the Caribbean / Taíno: herencia e identidad indígena en el Caribe, created by the National Museum of the American Indian.