Haitian Culture Curriculum Guide

By 1625 there were no more indigenous people in Hispaniola, and new manpower was needed for
agricultural work.
When Columbus arrived, the island was divided into five independent territories called Kasikas.
Each Kasika was under the authority of a Kasik or chief. They were:
Kasika Location Kasik
Maryen Northwest Gwakànagarik
Magwana Center Kawonabo
Magwa Northeast Gwayonnèks
Zaragwa Southwest Boyekyo/Ànakawona
Igwe Southeast Kotibànama
On the northeast of Magwana there was a small area which was like an independent territory called
Sigwe. It was occupied by Caribs who came from South America and invaded islands in the
Antilles, particularly Cuba. One Carib, Kawonabo, became Kasik of Magwana. The Caribs were
proud warriors always ready to defend their land, their rights, and their freedom.
The Kasiks lived in perfect harmony. Kawonabo married Ànakawona, Boyekyo’s sister. When
one of the kasikas was under outside attack, all the kasiks would join forces to drive off the
common enemy.
In the large villages, the population was under the authority of a deputy kasik or an elder called
nitayino. They had no police forces.
The indigenous people were mainly farmers. They grew tobacco, cotton, sweet potatoes, corn,
manioc (cassava), and fruit trees. Some used to go fishing; others went hunting. Sometimes, they
ate fish, fowl, and iguana. Their favorite sport was a soccer-like game they played with a ball made
of animal intestines.
They knew how to mold red clay to make pipes, artifacts, krich (pitcher/stoneware) to conserve
water, and all kinds of utensils. Cotton was woven to make hammocks for sleeping. Hatchets made
with rocks as hard as iron were used with fire to dig into soft logs and make small boats (bwa
fouye).
They wove cotton and straw to make pagnes, a sort of skirt adults wore from the belt to the knee.
They covered the rest of their body with rocou and adorned their hair with parrot feathers.
The Tainos had a rich and articulate language that was suited for rhythmic songs composed by
their Sanmbas (poets) for public celebrations and to honor their gods, the Zemès. They believed in
the power of nature.
The priests of their religion, the butios, were highly respected and had multiple duties. Presiding
over the ceremonial events, they served as medical doctors or healers, foretellers, and interpreters of
the Zemès’ will. They vaguely believed in one God and in the immortality of the soul. Their
invocation to the Zemès was mainly to request their intercession. Naively, they dreamed of a
paradise at the extreme point of the south peninsula where, after death, they would all go to enjoy
savory apricots under leafy trees.
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