Taino

The Taíno were indigenous people of the Caribbean, primarily inhabiting what are now Puerto Rico, Cuba, Hispaniola, and other nearby islands before European contact. They were skilled farmers, fishermen, and artisans, known for cultivating crops like yuca and maize, and creating intricate jewelry and pottery. The Taíno society was organized into chiefdoms, with a rich cultural and spiritual life centered around natural elements. Their encounter with Europeans in the late 15th century led to significant population decline due to disease, conquest, and colonization, but their legacy persists through language, place names, and cultural influences in the Caribbean.