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Arawak

Location: It is believed that the original Indian tribes followed migrating herds of animals and then crossed Asia via the Bering Land Straight to Alaska, and then populated the planet. The route that the Arawak or Taino Indians took is believed to have originated on the eastern slopes of the Andes. Shortly thereafter they began to spread down the Amazon River and its tributaries, north into the Orinoco Valley, along the coast of Venezuela to Eastern Colombia, and the Guiana, and out into the Antilles. It is also stated that a few ventured to settle in and around the Florida Keys area during what is now referred to as the Spanish times.

Language: Due to the broad distribution of these people, little uniformity can be found in their culture or racial type. The one thing that has been found that distinguishes them from the rest of the world in the language that they speak.

History: It is said that a number of Arawak tribes have been extinct for several hundreds of years. What could have happened that would bring a population that once numbered 2 to 3 million down to just a few thousand by the early part of the 16th century? Throughout history the Arawak where subject to many hostile take-overs, diseases, enslavement, damage to food supplies and much more. Inevitably, by the end of the 16th century the Island Arawak had become extinct.

Sadly, the Arawak Indians have been eliminated or greatly reduced in number in many areas, some of which include the Caribbean, Guadeloupe, West Indies, Barbados, and the Virgin Islands. Their numbers have been slowly rising, so that today upwards of 30, 000 Arawak currently reside in Guyana, with a very small number existing in Suriname and French Guiana.

In order to understand the mass extinction of the Arawak tribe, we must understand that the Arawak population was just not given to warfare, despite a complex social organization. This made them a very easy target for the Spaniards or the Indian tribe known as the Caribs (for their cannibalistic nature) to enslave, take over or kill.

Daily Life: Earlier in history as the Arawak Tribe began to settle down, many of the tribes that spread throughout the islands had an economy based on fishing and the production of corn and cassava. With this simple living, the population could be sustained at around 60,000 grouped in each village. With a great supply of food and a stable population, the development of an elaborate political and social structure was possible.

Although the Arawak people were often (except for a few tribes) divided into four separate classes, conflict was minimal within the tribe and culture. One example that can be given of a social structure that embodied the Arawak people was that of the Taino Culture. (The Antillean Arawak) It was generally considered a matrilineal (rank inherited through female line) society. This complex system of rank and government was divided into four distinct classes: slaves (naborias), commoners, nobles (nitaynos), and the chiefs (caciques). The special privileges of being a chief were such things as living in special houses, being entitled to special foods, and receiving special treatment from the other classes. In return the chiefs were expected to take control over villages, districts and the provinces in their territory.

Best Known Feature: The Arawak Indians were the first Tribe of Indians that Christopher Columbus saw when he came to America. He first landed in the Bahamas, which lead to the eventual settlement by Europeans among the peace-loving Arawak.

Additional Reading

Arawak Language
Arawak Indians

Caribbean Culture

Arawak [archive]

Arawak

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