The Myth of Indigenous Caribbean Extinction: Continuity and Reclamation in Borikén (Puerto Rico)

One of the greatest myths ever told in Caribbean historiography is that the indigenous peoples who encountered a very lost Christopher Columbus are "extinct." This book debunks that myth through the uncovering of historical, ethnographical, and census data. The author reveals extensive narratives of Jíbaro Indian resistance and cultural continuity on the island of Borikén. Since the epistemological boundaries of the early history and literature had been written through colonial eyes, key fallacies have been passed down for centuries. Many stories have been kept within family histories having gone "underground" as the result of an abusive past. Whole communities of Jíbaro people survive today.

Author: T. Castanha
Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
Published: 01/04/2011
Pages: 202
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.84lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.70w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780230620254

Review Citation(s):
Choice 09/01/2011

About the Author
TONY CASTANHA is Lecturer of Indigenous and American Indian Studies in the Department of Ethnic Studiesat Hawai'i Pacific University, USA.