Native Americans Abroad: Jamaican Tainos & Bajan Taino-Caribs
Taino and Nigerian a very common mix in Latin America.
Native American admixture in Puerto Ricans ranges between about 5% and 35%, with around 15% being the approximate average. [1] The Yoruba and Congolese made the most notable impacts to Puerto Rican culture. [2]
Every Puerto Rican I’ve ever met identifies as Spanish, Taino, Yoruba or some combination thereof. But, it’s a diverse island. Some are even Irish.
The United States, nor Puerto Rico, recognizes any indigenous people on the island of Puerto Rico. If Puerto Rico ever becomes a state, then the conversation of the federal government recognizing the sovereignty of the Taino people comes into question.
The Jatibonicu band of Tainos maintain internet real estate, to preserve their culture and probably as a placeholder for a future Native American nation that may join the United States of America.
Jamaican Band of Tainos
It isn’t often talked about, but the indigenous people of Jamaica are also Taino. As a possession of Spain, Jamaica was once known as Santiago. [3]
The Tainos called their home Xaymaca, “land of wood and water”. [4] However, they were originally from South America. [5]
Jamaica’s Constitution and laws do not recognize, guarantee or protect the rights of indigenous peoples.
Barbados Indigenous Peoples
The Indigenous people of Barbados are often called Tainos, Arawaks, and Caribs. It appears they were biracial or bi-cultural band of Native Americans that canoed from South America to the island. [6]
DNA Analysis
My great-grandfather’s sister Arlene took a 23andMe test. Shockingly, her test revealed that she had indigenous ancestry outside of the United States.
The United States government referred to our ancestors on this side of our family as Colored, European, African and Indigenous admixture.
I was expecting the indigenous to be something local to Virginia. In this case, it appears my ancestor was imported to Virginia after being mixed with a local indigenous person on the island of Jamaica in at least one of the ten parishes we are indigenous to.
We are also indigenous to Barbados. No location data available.
The Nigerian connects to Imo, Ogun, Oyo States — Igbo and Yoruba.
And, we are indigenous to Liberia. The country settled by freed African slaves from the United States of America.
And, we descend from the 20 Angolans kidnapped and enslaved by the Portuguese in Virginia. The very first enslaved Africans in Jamestown.
Future
The information we received regarding Africa sheds a bit of light on about 1/8 of my ancestry. Given the test subject is my great-grandfather, James Russel Bolden’s sister.
Bolden is a Melungeon name, and they are listed as Colored. So they’re Native American ancestry has been documented, accidentally. However, this family descends from Monacan Sioux aboriginals from Louisa, Virginia.
The problem with marrying a foreigner as a Native American, is that one drop of foreign blood can pollute a DNA test like 23andMe. Which can make a person Indigenous to the United States of America look like a recent immigrant on paper.
However, it’s interesting to see a foreign tribe marrying into Powhatan. I wonder if I’d be eligible to join a future sovereign Taino Nation as a Jamaican Taino in Puerto Rico if it ever became part of the United States.
