History

• The Mayas, Kalinagos and Tainos are indigenous peoples who settled in Central America, including Honduras, Guatemala, Southern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula.
• The Mayas, Kalinagos and Tainos are indigenous peoples who settled mostly in the Lesser Antilles, including North-west Trinidad, Puerto Rico, parts of Barbados, Grenada, St Vincent, St Lucia etc.
• The Mayas, Kalinagos and Tainos are indigenous peoples who settled in the Greater Antilles, including Jamaica, Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Bahamas, San Salvador.
• The Kalinagos made pots out of clay in the shapes of frogs, birds, or heads with wide eyes and large ears.
• The Tainos developed the art of clay painting and were better potters than the Kalinagos.
• The Tainos engaged in singing and dancing to the music of reed pipes, drums, and whistles.
• The Tainos made pottery from local red, brown, and grey clay, decorated with markings different for each village.
• The Kalinagos carved sculptures out of wood obtained from trees.
• The Tainos used musical instruments such as wooden gongs, drums hollowed from tree trunks, and reed pipes.
• The Kalinagos crafted lifelike and symbolic figurines in jade, wood, copper, and gold.
• The Mayas did stone carvings and erected stone monuments.
• The Mayas painted lifelike and abstract pictures.
• The Tainos made pottery in the shapes of frogs, birds, or heads with wide eyes and large ears.
• Both Taino women and men usually danced separately, but sometimes both sexes danced together.
• The Mayas, Kalinagos and Tainos settled inland, in the dense forest regions, for protection, farming, a firm foundation to construct their buildings, trade, and easy access to building materials.
• The Mayas, Kalinagos and Tainos settled along the coast for protection, fishing, recreation, household purposes, transportation, and trade.
• In Maya society, women were subservient to men.
• Mayas had gods such as Yum Kax (God of Corn) and Chac (God of rain).
• In Kalinago society, men were prized as warriors.
• Mayas worshipped several gods and believed each god controlled different aspects of their lives.
• Tainos worshipped their ancestors and nature, which they believed controlled wind, rain, sickness, luck, and misfortune.
• Mayas believed in life after death and practiced human sacrifice.
• Taino chief priests (Cacique) assisted in the governing of the state and received messages from the beyond.
• Mayan priests were called Ah Kin and communicated with the gods.
• Kalinagos worshipped several gods and believed that the spirit of their ancestors lived on after death to guard over them.
• Kalinagos had gods such as Kukulcan (God of the wind) and Kunab Ku (the invisible supreme creator).
• Tainos believed that cowardly souls went to a dreary desert where they became the slaves of Taino masters.
• Tainos carved sacred zemis and made offerings to them.
• Kalinago priests were called Boyez and healed the sick with herbs and communicated with the spirits.
• Tainos believed in a heaven called coyaba and buried the dead with their possessions.
• Kalinagos believed in the existence of an evil spirit called maboya.
• In Taino society, women were respected only as the bearers of boy children.
• Mayas believed in a journey to heaven or hell after death.
• Jobs were assigned on the basis of gender in all three societies.
• Kalinagos worshippers sometimes cut themselves, using their own blood.
• The Mayas, Kalinagos and Tainos had a settlement pattern of settling inland, near rivers and streams, in high and low land areas, establishing city-states over 100, with settlements being permanent, and living on the windward side of the island.
• Mayas had festivals, games, music, and dance as part of their religious ceremonies. They played instruments such as wooden drums, rattles, conch shells, horns, wood and clay trumpets, and pottery drums.
• Tainos cooked by baking, roasting, and stewing. They did not eat pig, turtle, salt, and fat as it would make them stupid. Their soup consisted of agouti bone, leftovers seasoned with pepper sauce, cassava, flour, and oyster.
• The Cacique's ornaments were made of gold, silver, or copper.
• They painted their bodies for protection from insect bites, beautification, and camouflage.