I am a descendant of the Taino people, one of the first people from the Americas to have had contact with European peoples. I am also an educator, so naturally, I teach about the culture of my Ancestors. :) The following lesson about Taino history is second or this series called the Taino Cultural Workshops of which I will periodically post on Steemit. Thank you for reading!

Who Are The Taino? part 2

Artwork!

Taino people created artwork that embodied their beliefs which played a necessary role in their cosmos.

A rendering of a petroglyph depicting the Spirit of the hurricane, Guabancex (pronounced "Wa-ban-say")

They often created petroglyphs which was a form of writing, onto stone and the walls of caves. Many of these petroglyphs represented Elemental Beings, Spirits, and Ancestors.

The original "smileys"?

Cemis, or sculptures depicting Elementals or Spirits, where also created in stone, but Taino artisans often used wood, shell, cotton and ceramics as well. The Cemis were important figures central to Taino spirituality. Their designs are intricate, every pattern was placed deliberate, and had meaning. The skill of the artisans shows through with every piece.

The Cemi, Corocote, made out of stone.



The Cemi, Yocahu, made out of clay.



The Cemi, Maketuari, made out of bone.


The adornments and pottery were also crafted with great care. These pieces were decorative as well as functional and used everyday.

Thus concludes this lesson, Who Are the Taino People? part 2, be on the look out for part 3!

Hahom(Thank You!) and Blessings
~nichi

If you like this article please feel free to visit my other article on the Taino people and upvote & resteem- Thank you!

https://steemit.com/history/@nichi/who-are-the-taino-part-1

Images were taken by friends and given permisson to use freely, taken by myself, or royalty free.

Join the @thealliance today- a wonderful and supportive Steemit community!