Presentation on Taíno History and Culture
Subject
José E. Rodriguez
Date1997 September 4
Mediumreformatted digital file from audio cassette
DimensionsDuration (side 1): 47 Minutes, 28 Seconds
Duration (side 2): 35 Minutes, 27 Seconds
Duration (total runtime): 1 Hours, 23 Minutes, 2 Seconds
ClassificationsInformation Artifacts
Credit LineConnecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program collections
CopyrightIn Copyright
Object number2015.196.696a-d
DescriptionAudio cassette tape recording of a presentation given by José Rodriguez Sellas on Taíno history and culture. The event was held at the Institute for Community Research in Hartford, Connecticut on September 4, 1997. The presentation was recorded in conjunction with the "Herencia Taina: Legacy and Life" exhibit.
NotesBiographical Note: José E. Rodríguez Sellas, an instructor in Puerto Rican Studies at Gateway Community Technical College in New Haven, has researched Taino history starting in the 1980s compiling bibliographies and resource materials. He worked at American Indians for Development in Meriden, where he met and collaborated with Melanio Gonzalez on Taino art and resesarch. During the planning process for the Herencia Taina project he assisted Ruth Glasser with project research as well as advising the curatorial team on modes and themes of interpretation for the exhibit and programming. He continued to serve as a project advisor for the project’s implementation.Subject Note: "Herencia Taina: Legacy and Life" was an exhibit and related programs examining the history of Puerto Rico's indigenous people, the Taino through contemporary art expressions and interpretations, on view May 3-November 30, 1997 at the Institute for Community Research.
ICR's Connecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program, in conjunction with project scholar Ruth Glasser and designer Ricardo Mulero, planned an exhibit, workshops, and concert to present a wide range of arts practiced by musicians and visual artists who are inspired by Taino heritage. Participating artists included Imna Arroyo (Eastern Connecticut State University), Graciela Quiñones-Rodriguez (West Hartford), Mel Gonzalez (Meriden), and Roberto Borrero (New York), who created contemporary interpretations and folk art works illustrating Taino heritage, such as musical instruments, gourd carvings, paintings, and textile art, as well as interpretive information for these. Their works were juxtaposed with Taino artifacts from archaeological collections, along with photographs and posters from the continuing indigenous festival held in Jayuya, Puerto Rico, to show the strong influence that Taino culture still holds for Puerto Ricans. The exhibit project also presented several public events including a concert, a workshop for teachers, and a roundtable discussion. An illustrated brochure in both English and Spanish was produced. The project was supported by the Connecticut Humanities Council, the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, the Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation, the Greater Hartford Arts Council, and the Institute for Community Research.
The heritage of the Taino Indians is often proudly proclaimed by Puerto Ricans as one of the three strands of their multi-racial society. What that heritage consists of, how much of it has survived, and its relative importance in the overall culture of the island has been a hotly debated topic for centuries. The Tainos, indigenous people living in Puerto Rico when colonists arrived in the late 15th century, provide an example of the politics and complexities of interpreting a culture which has only a small present-day community and no living language, but is both remembered from the recent past and still represented in blood lines, place names, some everyday practices, and spiritual and political inspiration.
Recreated musical instruments made by members of the group Cacibajagua showed how contemporary Puerto Ricans have been both adopting Taino heritage and basing their work on serious study of archaeology and indigenous materials. Cacibajagua demonstrated their music at a concert on May 1, 1997, at Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford.
Additional materials exist in the CCHAP archive for this project.
Cataloging Note: This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services MA-245929-OMS-20.
Status
Not on view
