Who were the Taínos?

The Taínos were an indigenous group of people, who where a subset of Arawak Indians. They lived in the Caribbean region in Cuba, Hispaniola (what is now Dominican Republic and Haiti), Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the Lesser Antilles. Mostly a peaceful group, they were the native peoples who Christopher Columbus encountered when he first arrived in the Dominican Republic. They lived in groups ranging from about 2,000-3,000 people headed by a leader, and they numbered around 3 million at the end of the 15^th century. However, they were essentially wiped out after the Spanish conquest and introduction of disease, slavery, and slaughter.

The Importance of the Canoe

The Taínos were farmers and fishers, and their canoes were some of their most prized possessions, for its wide variety of uses. They used canoes for fishing, (deep sea and freshwater in lakes) trading, travel, exploring, water sports, war, ceremonies, raiding, communication with local islands, and daily transportation.

Because there wasn’t any large game on the islands, the Taínos were skilled fisherman. In deep sea fishing, they would attach a smaller fish to a line, fixed to the canoe, and wait for a larger catch. The fishermen would then dive into the water to help retrieve the catch. The Taínos also fished in freshwater or mangrove forests, collecting mussels and oysters. Finally, they would fish in the rivers, using poison obtained from local plants to stun the fish long enough to collect. (The poison didn’t affect the fish’s edibility.)

However, canoes weren’t just objects of function. The Taínos took great pride in decorating and adorning them. From records left by Columbus, we know that canoes were painted and decorated with metal, and made into beautiful works of art. In many ways, the canoe symbolizes the Taíno way of life. In fact, the word “canoe” originates from the Arawak language, “canaoua.”

How did the make the canoes?

The Taíno canoe was made from a single tree. They would fell the trees or burn them at the base; then, they would hollow out the log with stone axes and with fire. This was a slow progress, and they would eke out a little at a time along the hull until it reached the final shape. Some accounts state that the canoes could carry up to 150 people, but the average large vessel seems to have been around 40-60 people. However, the Taínos crafted canoes to fit anywhere from one person to 100. The large canoes were used for deep sea fishing and trade among the individual islands, while the smaller, personal canoes were for daily use.

The size of the canoes depended on the size of the tree, and as such, they weren’t very wide, but some reports state that the canoes could reach sizes up to 100 feet and 8 feet wide. The Spanish admired the speed and maneuverability of the vessels, and Columbus noted that they could outpace a Spanish barge, saying, “They go with incredible speed.”

Part of their swiftness was due to the paddles they used. Although very little evidence is left to historians and archaeologists, some artifacts point to the variety and function of paddles. On average, they were about 2.5 feet long, and may have been carved with decorations to describe the person’s particular social status. The shape of the paddle depended on function. For example, short paddles were used for relatively still waters (such as the shallows), whereas sharp-bladed paddles were for quick strokes to achieve maximum speed in open water. The Taínos would paddle from a kneeling position in the canoe, which provided stability in the unsteady open water.

Some scholars have argued that the Taínos might have used sails in their canoes, but the majority consensus is that this is unlikely. Sails would have been bulky, creating more weight than necessary, upending the balance of the vessel. Therefore, historians have concluded that they were powered with human strength, along with aid from water and wind currents.