Let's Talk Taíno 9 - Avatar and Taínos (Part 1)

Was the movie "Avatar" about Taínos? 🤔 Heck, yes, it was! From hammocks to caciques, watch to see ALL of the Taíno references included in the movie. Then find out what the real Taínos used for clothing, weapons, and more. You're gonna be surprised. 😱 😉 And you'll learn new Taíno words, too!
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[@sabrinacaro1980]

When I was little I remember my grandmother getting dressed and telling me that respectable women should always wear una nagua under their dress. Little did I realize was that she was passing on to me something from our indigenous culture. 💫💖💫

[@CasaAreyto]

Jan-jan (yes)!!!! I grew up that way too. Thank you for following the channel. Feel free to write with any questions or topic ideas.

[@theeco.system730]

The deleted scenes offer so much more details, thank you for this

[@CasaAreyto]

Oh, I'll need to check those out. Jajóm for the recommendation. 💜

[@LuisMartinez-hi4cx]

Somebody owes the taino people some residuals from Avatar

[@CasaAreyto]

I know, right?!

[@jeremyarroyo360]

Yep 💯

[@UmmMuslim]

Till this day I wear una enagua under my skirts and dresses. 💞 I had no idea it was an actual taíno word. ps. You didn't say "mabrika" when you started the video. I've been answering my phone with that word ever since I started following your channel 😁

[@CasaAreyto]

Yesss!!! I was astounded when I found out about "nágua" and "enagua". And you're right; I forgot to say "Mabríka". 😀 I'm so happy you're using that word every day. 🙌 You're the reason I'm doing this; ¡mil gracias! 💜

[@UmmMuslim]

@@CasaAreyto un millón de gracias a ti por todo tus esfuerzos 🥰❤

[@mosdpr8627]

So true! The first time I watched the movie I thought the same.

[@jandunn169]

funny In Hawaiian, Mahana means gift, the name of the mountain called Bali Hai.....Love this video and I will watch Avatar again

[@CasaAreyto]

Yay, so glad you liked this! 🙌And thank you for the Hawaiian lesson. There was a part in the Avatar movie where they curl up in hammocks to go to sleep and they wrap the hammock like a blanket. I later read in one of the old Spanish chronicles how the Taíno in the mountains did the same thing with their jamákanagu. They used them as blankets too because it got cold in the mountains. 💜

[@longhairbroadcast]

Thank You for this ❤

[@CasaAreyto]

Dak'toká naboría. (I'm at your service.) 🙏🏼

[@SupaMarioG]

Macana is similar to macuahuitl (Mexica weapon). This could have been a mayan innovation.

[@CasaAreyto]

So cool, thank you for teaching me the new word "macahuitl". 🙌 The makána definitely came with the Taínos when they traveled from South America, so this was something used among many tribes there. And the picture I included in this presentation was actually of a Mayan makána 😉so it definitely could've been of Mayan origin. I love all these fun facts!

[@NobleGlobalTraveller]

Could you review the movie (The Beach) staring Leonardo DiCaprio, As it seems to have many parallels to that of the Taino / Arawak & even Redware people story!!!

[@marleny4239]

Loving this content!

[@CasaAreyto]

Thank you, Marleny! We got lots more fun videos coming, including a Part 2 to this "Avatar and Taínos" series. 😉Sending lots of good vibes your way! 💜

[@ThouguohT]

What were the macana made of?

[@CasaAreyto]

Thank you for your question. The macana or makána was made of a solid piece of wood. It was used by Indigenous people all over the American continents.

[@151-xm]

Although the Europeans may have been on the short side when they arrived in the Americas, the Tainos were described as extremely tall. There are illustrations by the French when they met the Tainos in Florida that show very tall natives. Maybe you can give more insight on this.

[@CasaAreyto]

Oh, what a cool topic. Thank you for asking the question! From the original Columbus diaries I've read, he describes our ancestors as "average height". But what does that actually mean? "Average" in 1492 for Spanish and Italian people was very different than let's say Nordic people or anyone today. Then of course, the French chroniclers may have described them differently. I'll do some research on this, and get back to you. 🥰

[@NobleGlobalTraveller]

Taking into account enviroment, sustenance & geographical location, Tainos had to be short, due to living on an island, slender due to consuming mainly a pescatarian diet, well melinated, as a result of the Caribbean climate & bilingual due to trade with groups such as the Maya. Would also state that they must have been phenotypically Mongoloid in appearence due to being the second to last wave of indigenous inhabitance on the islands, that arrived from the mainland of South America or Amazon. Plus most present day descendents possess these traits i.e Colin Jackson, Fat Joe etc. On the other hand, due to the discovery of Luzia & other relics, believe the Redware People along with other earlier individuals like the Olmec where exclusively Australo- Melanesians who were generally quiet tall & slender like Snoop Dogg, due to being nomadic and coming in to the Carribean & other parts from the plains of mainly North America.

[@151-xm]

Thought they may have been tall since there are stories of the Spanish and French meeting a Florida/Georgia tribe (Timacuans) also South Florida tribes (Calusa) and describing these as large and athletic. The Europeans were short so they were considered tall back then. There are some illustrations of them by the French Huguenot and they don't seem to resemble current South American Arawaks but apparently belong to the same Arawak group. Maybe their migration was from the Pacific Islands or Australo-Melanesian as you said of the tall phenotype tribes.

[@juricoaboritaino6680]

The name for the bow in taino is called Baira. Its called Baira because it comes from the Baira tree.

[@CasaAreyto]

Yay, thank you for sharing and adding to our vocab list. 🥰

[@juricoaboritaino6680]

The name for axe in taino is called Manaya.

[@CasaAreyto]

Jajóm (thank you) for contributing to our list of vocab. 💜

[@Centexdoodle]

El dorado is about Tainos as well

[@pitinicori]

michelle rodriguez---otra boricua/dominicana/taína en la película!

[@CasaAreyto]

¡Sí! Se me olvidó mencionarla. 💜

[@Rissadej]

I def noticed that

[@juricoaboritaino6680]

Makana - War club

[@brianperkins6121]

As a long term Participant in the Avatar forum commuity who is very familler with layers of commuity construtive dailog relating the films "Reflective" elements ,, Starting with the Word "Na'vi" which in there advanced construtive language created by Paul Frommer means "The People" . The Taino are also "The people" So are The Tsalagi or as our people relabled them The Cherokee The Word "Na'vi is also connected with the word "Native" minus what two letters " E. T" . with the Vi flipped around like in a mirror The Na'vi are by "reflective" example a Cat like Extraterrestrial indigious people but human enougth in apperance so that we can "relate to them" this was a delicate ballancing act as there orignal artistic apperence was much more abstract and people could not inter-relate to them. somewhat alien like "But nad this is a vital key point, They where not to be refered to as aliens Cameron was thoughtful and careful about these layers and this was done on purpose to force a grappling with our internal colonisation stereotypes like the embedded phrase (Illegal Aliens) to never refer to them as "Aliens" that is because by example in the film "We" are the Alien's who came in a "Ship" invading there world .(we can bridge connect and inter-relate with our own history this way) in order to address the issue of "direct" Cultural Appropriation which is very sensitive issue with many indigious nations The Na'vi where developed to have there own unique cultural idenity personhood "They are Na'vi" and this Idenity this took a huge amount of work,, so the Na'vi are not direct copy of the Taino , "But" they by reflective example absolutly do contain deep elements of "Recognition" from many indigious peoples from all around our world , this work was very important and was taken with deep respect. Many indigious languages contain deep "essence expression elements involving the internal act of non topical "Seeing" . one example of this is the Na'vi Catch phrase " Oel ngati kameie" I see you/We see you . Paul Frommer reflects in how its pronunced and its meaning kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6aofqyHdq-lm8k ignore the rest for now ,, Like the Taino who's language has these internal strutures , The Zulu also have a internal ancestral spirit to spirit recognition within there language Greating within the expression the phrase "Sawubona" kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHrNhp6Mj7eDgZo ,, Many indigious cultures are also "recognised" with non Verbal elements like the "Buffalo like stern beast and the with some of plants reflecting in shape the Regalia worn by indigious dancers The Regalia worn by the Na'vi themselves is also all hand made and exists as a "tangble physical work of art" you can hold in your hands , given how the Na'vi themselves only exist in as a digital rendered charter in the computer thats something to think about ,Respect for The lifes wotk of leadership figures withion the indigious commuity I beleave are also sublimly recognised knowing the Name of The lead Charter "Jake Sully"' but Do we all know of the lifes work of "Jake Swamp" within the Haudenosaunee community and The vital role of Cat nation women. also deeply respeted as the mother of nations. "The Jigonsaseh" kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5q5q5x9fbWbjNk Cameron is aware of Haudenosane history and the deep layers they went through durring "The time of great sorrow" (A serious internal war among there people), and the history running under The Great Law of Peace Thank you for bringing this subject to light its great so see such converstions ..

[@CasaAreyto]

Wow, such wonderful insight into the making of the movie. Jajóm (thank you) so much for sharing it with me. And yes, I can now see that many Indigenous believes are universal and why our Taíno ancestors were well represented in this movie, too. 💜

[@allrock1238]

@@CasaAreyto Thank you . Avatar exsits in a feedback loop, eample 1 ,, "Avatar in the Amazon" the importance of the voiced shared concerens from A female elder from the Kitchwa nation tihs turned out to be more important on many layers ,, kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5nClXmcpKpprdE , James Cameron reacts,, kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4GWi2ZmbaeBps0 the arc of Avatar storyverse has some very challinging layers to touch upon in addresing these non topical layers..

[@jeremyarroyo360]

I never seen avatar

[@JoeyBK_86]

I absolutely loved your videos itu d'itu 🤎🇵🇷 I knew these movies spoke to me personally idk something about them and now I know why! till this day I love these movies so much!! Thank you for breaking everything down I’ve read a lot about our Taino ancestor’s and culture and I knew Avatar seemed so damn familiar 😂 🤎🇵🇷🤎🇵🇷🤎🇵🇷

[@CasaAreyto]

Jan-jan (yes)! That's exactly right. The first movie touched me so much, many years ago before I began doing in-depth research. The scene where the humans burn the mother tree is so emotional for me. I cannot watch it without crying. Jajóm, guaitiáo (thank you, friend) for writing and sharing some of your story! I am so happy you found our channel and are learning along with us. Bo-guatukán (many blessings)! 💜