Do not give too much thought to the colors of
your ancestry...for in the long run it will be the colors of your soul that
will reveal to you who you are. The eyes of your spirit will show you the right
path to follow.
In educating others about our
people we must keep in mind the holocaust of our people and the
undesirable mixtures of blood we as Tainos have had to contend with...
these mixtures have caused our DNA to be altered and it is an important fact to
consider if DNA is that important….because today, DNA has become a powerful
thing and it is used as the blueprint from which all living things come from by
society.
For us these blueprints, as we see them, carry
the memory of our ancestors and from that memory, part of who we are is also
forged.
That being the case, if our DNA is altered…do
we change and how? Is that change just in our physical characteristics or do we
also change in the way our minds work?
Is it important for us as Taino people to
somewhere along the line make a DNA connection? If it is,
We also must consider the mix….for in that mix
is memory which can lead to inner conflict
as we hassle with honoring this and that in
ourselves, trying to know who we really are.
To create even more confusion dominant society
has also seen fit to place us in racial categories of their own making. We are
also burdened with society’s definitions about us that have stripped us of our
real identity. We have been labeled Indian, Hispanics, redskins, black, white
etc.
Yet we are neither of these things...We are
Taino, a people whose ancestors lived a way of life alien to western thought
for centuries....A people who were brutality subjected to a forced conversion
of our mindset and ways. This, if I may briefly insert here, was also done to
many of our indigenous relatives around the world.
What to do? .How do we embrace our cultural
heritage in a way we can live with all the changes our ancestor’s needless to
say had to endure and we today must try to understand. How do we move about in
this sea of confusion created not by us but by dominant society?
How do we accept that which is written in our DNA that perhaps can conflict with how we think and others see us?
How do we accept that which is written in our DNA that perhaps can conflict with how we think and others see us?
The answer mi gente is to turn to your soul….to
embrace that part of you that in truth, cannot be defiled….your soul knows the
way home and
that is where in the long run the battle over
who you are comes to a head.
In your soul is the wisdom of the ancestors and
via that wisdom we can stand strong as a people.
So for those of you unsure of your Taino
ancestry as well as those who are sure of it, you must bring to the circle your
soul...not your intellect, as that is of no use to the spirit...you see, we are
a spiritual people and as such, if your soul does not dance to the beat of the
mayowakan...then perhaps you are not Taino. This fact is much stronger than any
DNA.
Even when there are still many things to be
learned about our cultural heritage, unless you immerse your soul from the
onset to accept the ways of the ancestors, then Taino you are not. There are no
half measures and no DNA can fix that.
So engage your spirits, go to Taino
ceremonies, respect the way in which we talk to the creator, know and
understand that a feathered headdress alone cannot make you a Taino. Know that
you may read many books about Taino, but you will not find the Taino you are in
the book.
Let your spirit sing the songs of earth mother,
dance with other Tainos in your community, be kind to each other and to
yourself, reconnect to the teachings of your family elder’s .Feel the spirit of
mother earth beneath your feet. Live in the freedom of you are, with love and
respect for all life…
and be at peace with it, speak to the spirits
of the ancestors from your heart and turn to the winds of the four directions
with your soul, and you will find your way home!….Ansihi Bibi Inaru J
~~
I want to say Bo'matún to Bibi Ina, as we call her, for this excellent contribution and message. Seneko Kakona!
Tai Pelli
