Bonus Episode - Deep Cuts 4: The Columbus Day "Special"

In recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, let's talk about the Taíno population of the Caribbean islands who first encountered Christopher Columbus in the fifteenth century, and the metamorphosis of Taíno identity from contact with Europeans through today. Plus! Fun word facts GALORE and some very special body-part-based navigation. And what IS a vomit spatula, anyway? Over on Patreon, Amber and Anna also delve into the archaeology that surrounds Admiral Don Cristóbal Colón's voyaging to and around the Americas.

If you’d like to learn more, we suggest you start with:

The Tainos: Rise & Decline of the People who Greeted Columbus (Google Books)

Arawak (Wikipedia)

Languages of the Pre-Columbian Antilles (Google Books)

Ancient DNA sheds light on what happened to the Taino, the native Caribbeans (Ars Technica)

Origins and genetic legacies of the Caribbean Taino (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)

Taíno: Indigenous Caribbeans (Black History 365)

En Bas Saline: Taíno Society (Florida Museum of Natural History)

Taíno Art (CUNY)

Las Castas – Spanish Racial Classifications (Native History Project)

Casta (Wikipedia)

This New Exhibition Looks at Taíno Legacy and History From 1492 and Beyond (Remezcla)

Taíno: Native Heritage and Identity in the Caribbean (Museum of the American Indian)

And don’t forget to follow @AmerIndianNYC to learn even more!

Over on our Patreon

For $10+ patrons of The Dirt, we also delve into the archaeology that surrounds Admiral Don Cristóbal Colón's voyaging to and around the Caribbean.

To unlock this episode and other bonus content, or to check out our other attractively priced sponsorship levels, head on over to our Patreon. 

Photo credit: “Petroglyph jumpy fun time” by Geoff Gallice licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic.