Anacaona (1474?–1504), or Golden Flower, was a

Taíno The Taíno were a historic Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the ...

cacica, or female ''

cacique A ''cacique'' (Latin American ; ; feminine form: ''cacica'') was a tribal chieftain of the Taíno people, the indigenous inhabitants at European contact of the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. The term is a Spa ...

'' (chief), religious expert, poet and composer born in Xaragua. Before the arrival of

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

in 1492, Ayiti or Quisqueya to the Taínos (the Spaniards named it La Española, i.e., Hispaniola — now known as the Dominican Republic and Haiti) was divided into five kingdoms, i.e., Xaragua, Maguana, Higüey, Maguá and Marién. Anacaona was born into a family of caciques. She was the sister of Bohechío, the ruler of Xaragua. She succeeded Bohechío as cacica after his death. Under Anacaona's rule, the Spanish settlers and the Taínos of Xaragua coexisted and intermarried. In 1503, Nicolás Ovando, the governor of the island, visited Xaragua. He suspected an insurrection was brewing among the Taíno chiefs, including Anacaona, presently in the kingdom. Ovando gave the order for the caciques to be captured and burned. Anacaona was hanged.

Early life and family

Anacaona was born in Yaguana (present day Léogâne, Haiti), the capital of

Little Spain Spaniards in New York City originally settled in Little Spain,( es, Pequeña España) a Spanish-American neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, during the 20th century. History "Little Spain" was situated on 14th Street, betwe ...

, in 1474 (?). Her name was derived from the

words ''ana'', meaning 'flower', and ''caona'', meaning 'gold, golden.' Anacaona's brother Bohechío was a local chieftain. He extended his rule in 1475 to include all territories west of Xaragua. Through consolidation of his influence and power, Bohechío married Anacaona to Caonabo, cacique of Maguana.Hoeg, Jerry (2015-09-02). "Manuel de Jesús Galván's Enriquillo: A novel look at the environment of marriage in the first colony". ''Canadian Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies''. 40 (3): 385–393. doi:10.1080/08263663.2015.1090709.

ISSN An International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is an eight-digit serial number used to uniquely identify a serial publication, such as a magazine. The ISSN is especially helpful in distinguishing between serials with the same title. ISSNs ...

0826-3663. Together they had one daughter, Higüemota. On December 4, 1492, Christopher Columbus arrived in the kingdom of Marién at present-day Mole St Nicholas, Haiti. He was in search of a direct route to the Indies (India). Upon arrival, he was greeted by the Tainos, who were much smaller in stature compared to the Spaniards. Columbus was gifted with gold, corn, and other items. In 1493, the Spanish Crown established a colony whose sole purpose was to excavate for gold and other precious metals. With the establishment of the new colony

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...

, the Taíno were kidnapped and enslaved to satisfy the needs of the Crown (many Taíno women were raped and those Taínos who resisted the Spaniards were murdered). In 1493, Caonabo was arrested for ordering the destruction of

La Navidad La Navidad ("The Nativity", i.e. Christmas) was a settlement that Christopher Columbus and his men established on the northeast coast of Haiti (near what is now Caracol, Nord-Est Department, Haiti) in 1492 from the remains of the Spanish ship th ...

(a Spanish colony in the northwestern part of the island) and its people. He was shipped to Spain and died in a shipwreck during the journey. When Caonabo was captured, Anacaona returned to Xaragua and served as an advisor to Bohechío. In 1498, Bohechío was confronted by

Bartholomew Columbus Bartholomew Columbus ( lij, label= Genoese, Bertomê Corombo; pt, Bartolomeu Colombo; es, Bartolomé Colón; it, Bartolomeo Colombo; – 1515) was an Italian explorer from Genoa and the younger brother of Christopher Columbus. Biography Bor ...

, brother of Christopher Columbus and founder of the city of

, who arrived in Xaragua with his troops to subdue Bohechío and conquer his territory. The purpose of the Spaniards in so doing was to acquire gold. With his power weakened, Bohechío, advised by Anacaona, decided to recognize the sovereignty of the Catholic Monarchs. Instead of fighting, he committed himself to paying the tribute levied by the Spaniards with products such as cotton, bread, corn and fish. After Bohechío's death in 1500, Anacaona ruled as cacica until her execution in 1503. Copia de Cacicazgos de la Hispaniola

Arrest and death

In the fall of 1503, Governor Nicolás Ovando and his party of 300 traveled on foot to Xaragua. They were received in a lavish ceremony by Anacaona, her nobles, and several Taíno chiefs. While the Taíno presented the reception as a gesture of welcome, the Spanish saw it as being an elaborate distraction. Ovando's party was under the impression that Anacaona and the Taíno chiefs present at the reception were planning an insurrection. Ovando lured the chiefs into a caney (large hut) for a Spanish tournament and gave the signal for the Spaniards to seize and bind the

s. They were burned in the caney while other Taínos of lower rank were slaughtered outside. Anacaona was hanged. According to historian Troy S. Floyd, the accuracy of the accounts of this event remain uncertain for many reasons. For one, even though the separate accounts made it seem as though it was a perfectly segregated fight along racial lines, the two groups had coexisted and intermarried for six years prior. As such, there was a history of harmonious relations between the two races. For another, it is unclear why the Spaniards would lure the Taínos into a trap. Additionally, fifty Spaniards were killed; this is a high number of casualties considering that the Europeans deployed superior military technology. Finally, the Xaragua caciques were respected as some of the most intelligent on the island and it is unlikely that they could be lured into a hut if they were planning their own revolt. According to Sir Arthur Help's book ''The Spanish Conquest in America'' (1855), Nicolás Ovando renamed the place where Anacaona was murdered “The City of True Peace” (La Villa de la Vera Paz), "...in honor of his recent triumph". The arms assigned to the city were "...a rainbow and a cross, with a dove bearing the olive branch!".

Legacy and influence

Anacaona, as a poet and composer, is accordingly memorialized in contemporary art and literature across the Caribbean region. A statue commemorating her legacy is in Léogâne, Haiti. The tallest building in the Caribbean, ''Torre Anacaona 27'', is named after her, in the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

. The song ''Anacaona'', lead vocals by

Cheo Feliciano Cheo Feliciano (3 July 1935 – 17 April 2014) was a Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican Singing, singer and composer of Salsa music, salsa and bolero music. Feliciano was the owner of a recording company called "Coche Records". He was the first t ...

, popularizes her story.

Literature

* The Royal Diaries series, ''Anacaona: Golden Flower, Haiti, 1490 by Edwidge Danticat'' * ''Anacaona, la Reine Taino d'Ayiti'' by Maryse N. Roumain, PhD.

Music

* "Anacaona", by Ansy and Yole Dérose * "Anacaona", by Super Sonic de Larose * "Anacaona", by Eddy Francois * "Anacaona", composed by

Tite Curet Alonso Catalino "Tite" Curet Alonso (February 26, 1926 – August 5, 2003) was a Puerto Rican composer of over 2,000 salsa songs. Early years Curet Alonso (birth name: Catalino Curet Alonso) was born in Guayama, a town located in the southern region ...

* "Anacaona", by

Irka Mateo Irka Mateo is a Taino Dominican singer-songwriter and world music artist. Career Her artistic sensibility incubated in Spain, France, Brazil, Canada, the United States and her native Dominican Republic. In the late 1970s and early 1980s she ...

* "Anacaona", sung by

Notes

References

* *

Bartolomé de las Casas Bartolomé de las Casas, OP ( ; ; 11 November 1484 – 18 July 1566) was a 16th-century Spanish landowner, friar, priest, and bishop, famed as a historian and social reformer. He arrived in Hispaniola as a layman then became a Dominican friar ...

A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies A, or a, is the first Letter (alphabet), letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name ...

. *

Peter Martyr d'Anghiera Peter Martyr d'Anghiera ( la, Petrus Martyr Anglerius or ''ab Angleria''; it, Pietro Martire d'Anghiera; es, Pedro Mártir de Anglería; 2 February 1457 – October 1526), formerly known in English as Peter Martyr of Angleria,D'Anghier ...

: De Orbe Novo. * Samuel M. Wilson: Hispaniola - Caribbean Chiefdoms in the Age of Columbus. The University of Alabama Press, 1990. . Attribution *

External links

* The Louverture Project
Anacaona
* Songs (salsa) about Anacaona (Cheo Feliciano and the Fania All Stars)
Anacaona
*anacaona the golden flower book {{DEFAULTSORT:Anacaona 1474 births 1504 deaths History of the Dominican Republic Indigenous Caribbean people 15th-century rulers 15th-century women rulers 16th-century rulers 16th-century women rulers Female Native American leaders Taíno leaders Haitian people of Taíno descent Resistance to colonialism Executed Native American people History of Puerto Rico History of Haiti 15th-century Native Americans 15th-century Native American women 16th-century Native Americans 16th-century Native American women