History Arawak

arawakan languages in southamerica. northern arawakan languages colored in light blue, while southern arawakan languages colored in dark blue.

the arawakan languages may have emerged in orinoco river valley. subsequently spread widely, becoming far spread language family in south america @ time of european contact, speakers located in various areas along orinoco , amazon rivers , tributaries. group self-identified arawak, known lokono, settled coastal areas of guyana, suriname, grenada, , parts of islands of trinidad , tobago.

at point, arawakan-speaking taíno culture emerged in caribbean. 2 major models have been presented account arrival of taíno ancestors in islands; circum-caribbean model suggests origin in colombian andes connected arhuaco people, while amazonian model supports origin in amazon basin, arawakan languages developed. taíno among first american people encounter spanish conquistadores when christopher columbus visited multiple islands , chiefdoms on first voyage in 1492, followed in 1493 establishment of la isabella on hispaniola, first permanent spanish settlement in americas. there evidence taking of human trophies , ritual cannibalism of war captives among both arawak , other amerindian groups such carib , tupinamba.

with establishment of la isabella, , discovery of gold deposits on island, spanish settler population on hispaniola started grow substantially, while disease , conflict spanish began kill tens of thousands of taíno every year. 1504, spanish had overthrown last of taíno cacique chiefdoms on hispaniola, , firmly established supreme authority of spanish colonists on now-subjugated taíno. on next decade, spanish colonists commenced brutal genocide against remaining taíno on hispaniola, suffered poor living conditions, disease, massacres, rapes, , enslavement @ hands of colonists. population of hispaniola @ point of first european contact estimated @ between several hundred thousand on million people, 1514, had dropped mere 35,000. 1509, spanish had conquered puerto rico , subjugated approximately 30,000 taíno inhabitants. 1530 there 1148 taíno left alive in puerto rico.

taíno influence has survived until today, though, can seen in religions, languages, , music of caribbean cultures. lokono , other south american groups resisted colonization longer period, , spanish remained unable subdue them throughout 16th century. in 17th century, allied spanish against neighboring kalina (caribs), allied english , dutch. lokono benefited trade european powers 19th century, suffered thereafter economic , social changes in region, including end of plantation economy. population declined until 20th century, when began increase again.