#1214: Taino People in LaGonave : Scwiley comments

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From:Scwiley@aol.com

In a message dated 12/1/99 12:57:10 PM Eastern Standard Time, Karen Davis 
writes:

<< I must have misseed something. Who (besides them)  says these 2 men, 4
 women, & kids are "Taino"? How do they know they are Taino? How did they
 come to be in Canada? Where were their ancestors before Canada? Who were
 they in Canada? If they are Taino, why are they building teepees & not
 bohios? Do they speak Taino? French? English? Haitian Kreyol? And if they
 have no Taino culture, does it matter if they have some genetic Taino
 ancestry? Why? >>

I met one of the Taino group from La Gonave last May in PaP.  They do have a 
tradition of Taino culture and stories that has been passed on in their 
community.  They have been living in Canada and in France.  The reason they 
have come to Haiti is because as they researched some of their oral 
tradition, they found connections to La Gonave in the stories.  I don't know 
specifics, because my meeting with him was brief.  He was staying with Carla 
and Ron Bluntschli.  It was partly this chance encounter that led to my 
earlier question on the Taino influence in Haitian culture and Vodou.

Shelley Wiley