Arawak Taino Tribe of Puerto Rico

Arawak Taino Tribe of Puerto Rico

Established: July 9th, 1992

Legacy: Tribes of First Contact 1492

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We are an indigenous community that established our Yucayeke in Boriken during the 1990’s and whose members are proven to be Island Arawak Taino or a descendant. Our Boricua Taino people are native to the United States Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Being a colonized territory of the U.S. tribal recognition is different than the rest of the country. However, If you have proven indigenous Taino ancestry to Puerto Rico, we invite you to join our Yucayeke.

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There are many Taino Yucayeke groups, but none require their members to prove they are Taino or a descendant. Hence, anyone can join them with self-identification. Our yukayeke, a term for “tribe/village” in the Taino language, has strict requirements to ensure all members are truly indigenous to our ancestral island of Boriken aka Puerto Rico.

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This is an important aspect if we are to achieve formal recognition, which is one of our goals. Scientific studies on the genetic makeup of Puerto Ricans have reflected that approximately 62% of the Puerto Rican population has indigenous roots to the first people of Boriken. Accordingly, vital statistics, church documents, and militia records from the General Archives of Puerto Rico reflect that an indigenous population still existed in Puerto Rico after the 1800s and well into the 20th Century.

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Therefore, a fairly large population of Puerto Ricans are listed as Indio, Mestizo, and De Color in older government records. This paper trail, genetic studies, and recent support from the Smithsonian Institute and National Geographic bolster our collective history of being Taino. Lastly, our yukayeke is doing our part in setting the record straight concerning our resistance and existence.

We are still here. We were never extinct!

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We also teach our ancestral Island Arawak language and are active in our communities. Join the Arawak Taino Tribe of Puerto Rico, the only documented Taino organization seeking recognition under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990. This is so we can repatriate ancestral remains and artifacts held in museums and stop the grave robbing that is bringing our ancestors' items to the market.

Our motto… Where the Eagle and the Condor meet

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(Formerly known as Descendants of Puerto Rico’s First Nations)