Caribbean Native American History Overview

Before the Spanish came to the “New World,” there were groups, or rather nations of people, living in these newly documented lands.

The Arawak People, the Native Americans who were long-time descendants of Native Americans, originated in the Southern coasts of South America and along the Yucatan region of Latin America.

The Caribbean had two main Nations of Native Americans, the Carib and the Taino Natives.

• The Carib Natives
• The Lesser Antilles, closer to South America
• The Taino Natives
• The Greater Antilles, closer to North America

At the time of the Spanish encounter, the two tribal nations were at odds with each other. The Spanish colonizers took advantage of this when maneuvering around the Caribbean islands. By the time the two Native nations realized that the Spanish colonizers meant more harm to them than each other, it was too late.

The War of Arawaks vs. Spanish Conquistadors:
Weaponry was an interesting factor in the short war between these two worlds. The Arawak Native Americans had bows and arrows, metal knives and spears, along with a strong club that could cave in a human head while wearing a metal helmet.

Even though the Spanish had muskets and firepower, they feared this club more than any of the other weapons that they had. Ultimately, the number one weapon that the Spanish had unknowingly used against them was disease.

European diseases brought by the Spanish killed off most of the Arawak Native American population before, during, and after the battles between them had begun. Before Columbus had landed on the shores of the Caribbean islands, there were 5 million Tainos throughout the Greater Antilles. After he and his crew left 27 years later, there were an estimated 50,000 Tianos left still alive.

The Influences of Caribbean Arawak Native Americans:
Most people thought that the Taino Native population had gone extinct, mostly due to Columbus’ written diaries, but recently, there has been evidence that the Taino Native American culture is still alive and practiced.
12 years ago, at the University of the Virgin Islands, Kasike (Chief) Maekiaphan Phillips contacted the President of the United Confederation of Taino People, Roberto Mukaro. Since that day, she has done amazing things to officially recognize the Tainos as a Native American tribe originating from the U.S. Virgin Islands. They were given land to build a village to practice their traditions and keep their culture alive.

Most people have an idea of what a Native American can look like in America, but when it comes to the Taino and most Arawak Native Americans, there is no distinct image to pin on them. Because of the large mixture of ethnicities in the Caribbean, a Taino or Carib Native could have a melanated complexion or a brighter tan with all different kinds of hair types.

Most people don’t even realize that a lot of our English and Spanish words come from the Taino culture and languages.

Resources:

Taino language. (n.d.). Taino People. https://www.uctp.org/taino-language

Pero Like. (2018, September 29). How Taíno culture affects us today [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_RMy1Pz5S8

Carlos Faria. (2016, October 1). Lost History: Rediscovering the Taíno people [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-098wNpY6A

Coqui Report. (2023, August 11). Conflicts between the Taino & Caribs and how the Spanish manipulated them. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qCUJj23S3E

PBS. (2025, March 25). Are the Taino extinct? This woman knows otherwise | PBS [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpX6dpC5MQg