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Taino Turabo Aymaco of Borikén - Puerto Rico

Native American

image by Donald Healy, 1 February 2008

The band
The flag

See also:

The Band

map image by Peter Orenski based on input from Don Healy

Taino Turabo Aymaco of Borikén - Puerto Rico

According to Tribal Spokesperson Jose A. Tureycu Lopez, "The Taino Native American Indian Tribe of Turabo Aymaco, Borikén (Puerto Rico) is the modern-day rebirth of the ancient Taino Native American Indian Tribe of the regions of Turabo and Aymaco. These regions presently include the towns of Aguadilla, Aguada, Moca, Isabela, Quebradillas, San Sebastian, Rincon, Turabo River Valley, and Caguas."

Mr. Lopez goes on to say, "Our Tribe represents those Taino Native Americans who died, and fled their homelands during the massacre that came with the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas in 1492. Our Tribe also represents those survivors and their descendants of the massacre. Our Tribe is made up of: documented and non-documented, pure blood and non pure blood descendants of the Taino Turabo and Aymaco Tribes, pure blood and non-pure blood descendants of other various Taino Tribes from the entire Caribbean, and non-Taino friends, families, and supporters of the Taino People."

"The Taino Tribal name of Turabo Aymaco identifies the group of Taino Indians who were found living within the Turabo Aymaco territories of Borinkén (Puerto Rico). All are welcome to join the Taino Turabo Aymaco Tribe sons and daughters of the island Borinkén (Puerto Rico)."

© Donald Healy 2008

The Flag

In February 2002, under the leadership of Hereditary Tribal Chief Carmen Baguanamey Delgado from the Manatee Clan of the Turabo Tribe the Taino Turabo Aymaco adopted its first tribal flag. The flag is called "GUAMIKINI BI ARA" which translates into "The Spirit Creator of the People".

That flag is light blue and bears the tribal seal in the center and has an object in each of its four corners. The upper left bears map of Puerto Rico in green and in the upper right appears the outlines of a lounge chair in black. In the lower left is the photograph of a shark while the lower right shows that of a manatee.

The seal is disc in green, bearing a red triangle in which appears a special rock in black-and-white contours. The outer edge of the disc bears twelve different reproductions of petroglyphs - or rock markings. Enclosing the seal is a yellow ring bearing the tribal name in black Matisse font. The name may appear in English, Spanish or the native tongue of the Taino people, thus creating three separate flags. In Spanish the title reads: "Tribu Taino Turabo Aymaco de Borikén"; in English "Taino Turabo Aymaco Tribe of Borikén" and in the Taino language "Yukayeke Taino Turabo Aymaco Borikén".

Mr. Lopez explained the meanings embedded in the new flag's design as follows. "Blue represents the waters that our ancestors crossed to reach the Caribbean from South America and also represents the sky (Turey) the realm of Father Sun. ... Green represents our oneness with the land. Yellow represents the Father Sun who provides sustenance to the universe, Mother Earth and our people and Red represents Mother Earth.

The Triangle represents a pyramid since it has been declared by Mayan Shaman that Our Chief, Cacike Baguanamey is recognized by the Mayans to be the Lady of Chichen Itza (The Princess Tukol Tuk). The four points of the pyramid touching ground, represent each a stake which comes from the sky and touches the ground - the union of the divine with the earthly of Yucahu with his people; this is called "Kaj Che" in classical Mayan. The top of the pyramid represents the place of the top of the sky called "Kaj Zuk" in classical Mayan. The ancients believed this to be Kaj Ajau or the residence of the creator. At the bottom of the pyramid, departing from it's sides and meeting in the middle, a cross forms each end being the four directions proper and the middle, which sits inside the pyramid and, at the center of it, is called "shaloat'' in classical Mayan meaning intersection." To the far left (of the pyramid, sits the glyph representing) the sunrise or east, opposite to which (sic) is the place of darkness called "Shibal'ba" the sunset (the glyph on the far right). When people die, they go into the sunset. This is why our ancestors (Tainos) would NEVER venture at this hour if they could help it in fear of the "Hupia" (spirit of the dead).

The encircling petroglyphs represent the different villages of our Taino people and the realm of the batey, the Sacred Ceremonial Plaza of our ancestors."

The four outside objects are: "The island in the top left-hand corner represents the homeland of the Taino Boricuas called Borikén. The Shark on the bottom left-hand corner represents the animal totem of Aymaco village. The Manatee on the bottom right-hand corner represents the animal totem of Turabo village. The Duho chair in the bottom right-hand corner represents the Chief of our village."

In the center of the pyramid, "The Cemi represents the spirit messenger who takes messages to the Creator from the people. At the end of the year during the winter solstice, in the longest night of the year, the Cemis come to the Yunke (sacred mountain) to make an account to Yucahu of all our actions during the previous year; whether they be bad or good. Yucahu in his infinite wisdom measures these on his scale and decides whether we should live another year or not, whether to send the sun back in the morning or not."

The Flag was designed with the combined efforts of Turabo Aymaco Tribal members Carlos Iuaonbo White Wolf Rivera, the tribal Fire Keeper, Tribal Spokesperson Jose TureyCu Lopez and Cacike (chief) Carmen Baguanamey Delgado. Final drafts of the flag were completed February 25, 2002.

© Donald Healy 2008
information provided by Peter Orenski, 1 February 2008