Celebrate 1424 Years of Jamaican Taino History with Us!
This year marks the 5th anniversary of our Yamaye Taino New Year and Rainy Season Celebration, Boina Aganeuku! We're inviting you to join us for a day of cultural immersion and celebration at Woodside Ancestral Gardens on May 26th, from 9am to 4pm.
Celebrating Our Legacy
This year's theme, "Celebrating 1424 Years in Jamaica," highlights the enduring presence and rich heritage of the Taino people in Jamaica. Our event will be held at Woodside, a community that boasts three Jamaican National Heritage sites, including two sacred Taino locations: the Taino Steps/Daddy Rock and the Atabey Petroglyph (formerly known as One Bubby Susan).
More Than a Celebration
Boina Aganeuku is more than just a festive gathering. It's an opportunity to:
- Shine a Light on Woodside: Bring much-needed attention to Woodside, a community brimming with cultural significance.
- Preserve Taino Traditions: We aim to preserve and share the indigenous ways of Jamaica's first inhabitants, focusing on fostering positive relationships with nature and community through peacebuilding.
- Reconnect with Ancestral Knowledge: Provide opportunities for Jamaican Taino people to learn from ancestral crafts, practices, and knowledge, ensuring the continuation of our heritage.
Help Us Share Our Story
To make this event a resounding success, we're reaching out for your support. Our goal is to raise US$6,500 to cover the costs associated with organizing Boina Aganeuku. Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to achieving this goal.
With your help, we can celebrate 1424 years of Taino presence in Jamaica, promote cultural understanding, and empower future generations to connect with their heritage.
Please donate today and be a part of this special event!
Highlights
See all activity30Yamaye Guani
Yamaye Guani Taino People have established our community locally and
internationally within the realm of the Taino resurgence since 2019
with the enstoolment of our Kasike (Chief) Kalaan Nibonrix Kaiman
(Robert Pairman).
Our first celebration was held on May 26th 2021 via Zoom. We had
supporters both local (Maroon Communities, Hope Zoo, Archaeology
Association of Jamaica, U.W.I. Language Unit, Source Farm) and
Internationally (Garifuna Nation, Wakapoa Lokono, Wawa Aba Akan shrine
house, Puerto Rican Taino Community, Maisiti Taino Community, Council
of Indigenous Healers of the Americas, Peace and Dignity Journeys
Texas ) sharing their greetings.
Our first in-person Areito (Taino Celebration ) was 2022 at the Ancestral Gardens Woodside St. Mary. We had support from local Winward Maroon communities, Archaeological Society of Jamaica (A.S.J.), University of Edinburgh, Wakapoa Lokono of Guyana, Wawa Aba Akan Shrine House, Source Farm Eco-village, Council of Indigenous Healers of the Americas and a tribute by a Boricua (Puerto Rican) Taino to one of our communities Elders, honored by the Diaspora.
Last Year our Celebration started with
Read
and
Reasoning
, a collaboration with
@sourcefarmecovillage
where students from@carronhallprimaryjoined for
engaging activities, free books, games and a very lively and enchanting
reading
by
@adzikosimbagegele
.
Following thatwe also had greetings from the Smithsonian
Museum speaking toward the current travelling exhibition on Taino
throughout the Unites States until 2026, and Abuelo Mazatzkin
This years celebration will be our Third in-person Areito (Taino
Celebration) for our People.
May 26th was the date of our
Kasike’s Investiture and also the time our ancestors would honor as
the starting period for the Rainy season (Boina Aganeuku) which is our
New Year.
This Celebration will bring much needed attention to Woodside
Community which has Three (3) National
Heritage sites, Two (2) of
which are sacred Taino sites; the Taino Steps/ Daddy Rock and the
Atabey Petroglyph formerly known as One Bubby Susan.
This in person gathering (while observing all Covid Protocols)
allows for local and international participants to observe this
historical moment for Jamaica.
The Yukayeke (Community) Yamaye Guani (Jamaica Hummingbird)
Taino Peoples seeks your support towards our New Year Celebration on
Sunday May 26th 2024 at 9am - 4pm at the Ancestral Gardens , Woodside
St. Mary themed : "Areito - Celebrating 1424 years in Yamayeka ".
We want to ensure a safe and secure space for our supporters and
for everyone to honor our community members and relatives that have
taken on the yeoman task of continuing the preservation, promoting and
teaching our ancestral Indigenous ways.
Our community seeks to preserve and teach the Indigenous ways of
Jamaica’s First Peoples which was anchored on peace building through
fostering positive relationships with nature and community, as well as
to provide opportunities for Jamaican Taino peoples to learn from
ancestral craft, practices, knowledge and to preserve our ancestral ways.
