The Taino, meaning "men of good", are the indigenous people who live in many parts of the Caribbean islands. The Taino have origins traceable to the Arawak tribe of the Orinoco Delta. It is said that the Taino began settling the Caribbean around 400 BC and founded communities on the island of Hispaniola. Today Hispaniola is known as Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Taino also settled in Jamaica, eastern Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands along with the Bahamas. It is estimated that the Taino population may have reached more than three million people, with smaller settlements throughout the Caribbean. Overall, the Taino people were an extremely creative and inventive culture. They learned to create a multitude of different substances and objects with the earthly materials at their disposal. For example, they learned how to filter the Yuca plant to extract cyanide; they also developed a pepper gas that was said to be used in battles with the Caribbean tribe. They also had a vast supply of medicines, as they learned to create holistic medicine from plants and fruits. Not only were they masters of pharmacology for their time, but they were also excellent craftsmen. They would build huge ocean-going canoes, large enough to hold 100 people. Many talk about their beautiful pottery, woven clothing and impressive carvings. The Taino spoke the Arawakon language, which may also be known as Maipurean. This language family developed among the ancient peoples of South America; it soon spread to most of the Caribbean islands. Taino was one of the most important sources of Native American vocabulary in Spanish. Their language included hundreds of words for plants, animals and their shelter. It is thought that around three million people, around 85% of the Taino population, were wiped out in the early 1550s. I say that this topic is still debated because according to experts, a recent genetic study was conducted which concluded that 15-18% of Dominicans had DNA that confirms the ancestral presence of Taíno genes. I found this discovery fascinating. Sources1. http://oconnoranthropology.wordpress.com/2012/06/26/the-taino-indians-an-examination-of-politics-and-belief-systems/2. http://oconnoranthropology.wordpress.com/2012/06/26/the-taino-indians-an-examination-of-politics-and-belief-systems/3. http://www.lehman.edu/vpadvance/artgallery/gallery/taino_treasures/mendez_essay_a.html4. Images, compliments of Google Images.