The chiefdoms of Hispaniola (''

cacicazgo ''Cacicazgo'' is a phonetic Spanish transliteration (or a derivative) of the Taíno word for the lands ruled by a '' cacique''. The Spanish colonial system recognized indigenous elites as nobles in Mexico and Peru, and other areas. Nobles could e ...

'' in Spanish) were the primary political units employed by the

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 ...

inhabitants of Hispaniola (

: ''Ayiti'', ''Quisqueya'', or ''Bohio'') in the early historical era. At the time of European contact in 1492, the island was divided into five

chiefdom A chiefdom is a form of hierarchical political organization in non-industrial societies usually based on kinship, and in which formal leadership is monopolized by the legitimate senior members of select families or 'houses'. These elites form a ...

s or ''cacicazgos'', each headed by a

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 ...

paramount chief A paramount chief is the English-language designation for the highest-level political leader in a regional or local polity or country administered politically with a chief-based system. This term is used occasionally in anthropological and ar ...

. Below him were lesser caciques presiding over villages or districts and ''nitaínos'', an elite class in Taíno society. The Taíno of Hispaniola were an

Arawak The Arawak are a group of indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. Specifically, the term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to the Lokono of South America and the Taíno, who historically lived in the Great ...

people related to the inhabitants of the other islands in the

Greater Antilles The Greater Antilles ( es, Grandes Antillas or Antillas Mayores; french: Grandes Antilles; ht, Gwo Zantiy; jam, Grieta hAntiliiz) is a grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and ...

. At the time of European contact, they were at war with a rival indigenous group, the Island Caribs. In 1508, there were about 60,000 Taínos in the island of Hispaniola; by 1531 infectious disease epidemics and exploitation had resulted in a dramatic decline in population. The boundaries of each cacicazgo were precise. The first inhabitants of the island used geographic elements as references, such as major rivers, high mountains, notable valleys and plains. This enabled them to define each territory. Each was divided into ''cacique'' nitaínos, subdivisions headed by the cacique ''helpers''. The entries below relate the territory of each former cacique to the modern-day departments of

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

and the provinces of 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 ...

Chiefdom of Marién

The cacicazgo of Marién included the entire northwestern part of Hispaniola, bordered to the north by the Atlantic Ocean, the south by the cacicazgo of Jaragua, east by the cacicazgos of Maguá and Maguana, and west by the

Windward Passage The Windward Passage (french: Passage au Vent; es, Paso de los Vientos) is a strait in the Caribbean Sea, between the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola. The strait specifically lies between the easternmost region of Cuba and the northwest of Haiti. ...

. It was ruled by the cacique

Guacanagaríx Guacanagarix (alternate transcriptions: Guacanacaríc, Guacanagarí) was one of five Taíno caciques of the Caribbean island henceforth known as Hispaniola at the arrival of the Europeans in 1492. This was contemporaneous with the first of the ...

, with its capital located in El Guarico, near the present-day city of

Cap-Haïtien Cap-Haïtien (; ht, Kap Ayisyen; "Haitian Cape"), typically spelled Cape Haitien in English and often locally referred to as or , is a commune of about 190,000 people on the north coast of Haiti and capital of the department of Nord. Previousl ...

. It was divided into 14 nitaínos. This cacicazgo was the first to welcome

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 ...

and to convert to Christianity. The cacicazgo of Marién fought against the cacicazgo Mairena, which was aided by

Caonabo Caonabo (died 1496) was a Taíno ''cacique'' (chieftain) of Hispaniola at the time of Christopher Columbus's arrival to the island. He was known for his fighting skills and his ferocity. He was married to Anacaona, who was the sister of another ' ...

of the cacicazgo of Maguana for control of the mythical 'Mother' goddess Iermao. The 'Mother' Iermao was the goddess of the cacicazgo of Marién, which means "body stone".

Geographic scope

Dominican Republic

Dajabón Dajabón is a municipality and capital of the Dajabón province in the Dominican Republic, which is located on the northwestern Dominican Republic frontier with Haiti. It is a market town with a population of about 26,000, north of the Cordiller ...

* Monte Cristi * Santiago Rodríguez * Valverde

Haiti

* Artibonite *

Centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics * Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentri ...

* Nord-Est * Nord-Ouest * Nord

Chiefdom of Maguá

The cacicazgo of Maguá was located on the northeastern part of Hispaniola, bordered to the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean, the south by the cacicazgos of Maguana and Higüey, and west by the cacicazgos of Marién and Maguana. This chiefdom's territories are all in present-day Dominican Republic. It was ruled by the cacique

Guarionex Guarionex (Taíno language: ''"The Brave Noble Lord"'') was a Taíno cacique from Maguá in the island of Hispaniola at the time of the arrival of the Europeans to the Western Hemisphere in 1492. He was the son of cacique Guacanagarix, the grea ...

and was centered near the present location of Santo Cerro in La Vega. It was divided into 21 nitaínos. This cacicazgo was one of the richest of the island. The territory was also inhabited by an ethnically distinct group of natives called the

Ciguayo At the time of first contact between Europe and the Americas, the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean included the Taíno of the northern Lesser Antilles, most of the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas, the Kalinago of the Lesser Antilles, the Cigua ...

, who were concentrated on the

Samaná Peninsula The Samaná Península is a peninsula in Dominican Republic situated in the province of Samaná. The Samaná Peninsula is connected to the rest of the state by the isthmus of Samaná; to its south is Samaná Bay. The peninsula contains many beache ...

. This group, who spoke the

Ciguayo language Ciguayo (Siwayo) was the language of the Samaná Peninsula of Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic) at the time of the Spanish Conquest. The Ciguayos appear to have predated the agricultural Taino who inhabited much of the island. The language ...

, was absorbed into the cacicazgo of Maguá. This was noted by chronicler Bartolomé de las Casas, who wrote that in 1502 the language was on the decline and by 1527 extinct. Maguá means "the Stone". The chiefdom's mother-goddess was ''Guacara'' or the 'Stone Mother'.

Geographic scope

Dominican Republic

* Duarte * Espaillat * La Vega *

María Trinidad Sánchez María Trinidad Sánchez, Mother Founder (16 May 1794, Santo Domingo- 27 February 1846, Santo Domingo) was a Dominican freedom fighter and a heroine of the Dominican War of Independence. She participated on the rebel side as a courier. Together wit ...

Monseñor Nouel Adolfo Alejandro Nouel y Bobadilla (12 December 1862, Santo Domingo – 26 June 1937) was an archbishop, educator and interim president of the Dominican Republic. Early life and education Nouel was born to Carlos Rafael Nouel y Pierret, a ...

* Puerto Plata * Hermanas Mirabal * Samaná * Sánchez Ramírez *

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...

Chiefdom of Maguana

The cacicazgo of Maguana was located in the center of the island, bounded on the north by the cacicazgos of Marién and Maguá, south by the Caribbean, east by the cacicazgos of Maguá and Higüey, and west by the cacicazgos of Marién and Jaragua. This cacicazgos territories were all located in present-day Dominican Republic. It was ruled by the cacique

, husband of

Anacaona Anacaona (1474?–1504), or Golden Flower, was a Taíno cacica, or female ''cacique'' (chief), religious expert, poet and composer born in Xaragua. Before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, Ayiti or Quisqueya to the Taínos (the Spaniar ...

. Its center was established at Corral de los Indios located in the present day town of

Juan de Herrera Juan de Herrera (1530 – 15 January 1597) was a Spanish architect, mathematician and geometrician. One of the most outstanding Spanish architects in the 16th century, Herrera represents the peak of the Renaissance in Spain. His sober style re ...

in San Juan province. It was divided into 21 nitaínos. This was the principal cacicazgo of the island and was represented as "The Rock". The term ''Maguana'' means "the first stone" or "the only stone". The principal mother goddess of the chiefdom was Apito, which means "Mother of Stone".Maguana.net
/ref> The cacique Caonabo was the first to resist the Spanish occupation. The fort that Christopher Columbus established on the north coast of the island,

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 ...

, was destroyed by Caonabo. Caonabo also attempted to sack Fortaleza de Santo Tomás, but was captured by Spanish forces led by commander Alonso de Ojeda. Instead of being condemned to death the cacique was sent to Spain to be paraded in front of the Royal Court but died on his voyage.

Geographic scope

Dominican Republic

* Azua * Baoruco * Elías Piña * La Vega *

Peravia Peravia () is a province in the southern region of the Dominican Republic. Before January 1, 2002 it was included in what is the new San José de Ocoa province, and published statistics and maps generally relate it to the old, larger, Peravia. I ...

* San Cristóbal *

San José de Ocoa San José de Ocoa, or simply Ocoa, is the capital of San José de Ocoa province in the Dominican Republic. It is located north of the Peravia province, and was part of that province until 1 January 2002. History The town was founded in 1805 by pe ...

* San Juan *

Chiefdom of Jaragua

The cacicazgo of Jaragua spanned the entire south-west of the island of Hispaniola. It was bordered on the north by the cacicazgo of Marién, south by the Caribbean Sea, east by the cacicazgo of Maguana, and west by the

Strait of Jamaica A strait is an Ocean, oceanic landform connecting two Sea, seas or two other large areas of water. The surface water generally flows at the same elevation on both sides and through the strait in either direction. Most commonly, it is a narrow ...

. It was ruled by the cacique Bohechio (Beehechio) and was the largest of the cacicazgos. Its center was located in a place called Guava, present-day

Léogâne Léogâne ( ht, Leyogàn) is one of the coastal communes in Haiti. It is located in the eponymous Léogâne Arrondissement, which is part of the Ouest Department. The port town is located about west of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. L ...

in Haiti. It was divided into 26 nitaínos. Bohechío was the brother of

, who was married to the cacique of Maguana; Caonabo. As such, Jaragua and Maguana had a strong alliance and would partner to ward off and attack rival cacicazgos. The mother goddess of the cacicazgo was ''Zuimaco''.

Geographic scope

Dominican Republic

* Baoruco * Barahona * Independencia * Pedernales

Haiti

* Artibonite * Grand'Anse *

Nippes Nippes ( French) or Nip ( Haitian Creole) is one of the ten departments (the highest-level political subdivisions) of Haiti located in southern Haiti. It is the most recently created department, having been split from Grand'Anse in 2003. The ...

Ouest Ouest (French for west) may refer to: *Ouest (department), Haiti *Ouest Department (Ivory Coast), defunct administrative subdivision of Ivory Coast * Ouest Province, Cameroon * Ouest Province, Rwanda *Ouest-France, a French newspaper * West France ...

* Sud * Sud-Est

Chiefdom of Higüey

The cacicazgo of Higüey spanned the entire southeast of Hispaniola, bordered to the north by the cacicazgo of Maguá and the

Bay Samana A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a nar ...

, south by the Caribbean, east by the Canal de la Mona, and west by the cacicazgo of Maguana. It was ruled by the cacique and was divided into 21 nitaínos. The capital of the cacicazgo was located in present-day Higüey. Floyd states Cotubanama was the cacique of Higuey, who was captured by

Juan de Esquivel Juan de Esquivel (c. 1480 - c. 1515) was a Spanish colonist and first governor of Jamaica. Biography Juan de Esquivel was a native of Seville, the son of Pedro de Esquivel and Constanza Fernandez de Arauz. His grandfather, Gabriel Sanchez, had b ...

and hanged in

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 mother goddess of Higüey was Atabeira, which means "Mother of the original stone".

Geographic scope

Dominican Republic

Distrito Nacional The Distrito Nacional (; D.N.) is a subdivision of the Dominican Republic enclosing the capital Santo Domingo. It is not in any of the Provinces of the Dominican Republic, provinces, but in practice, it acts as a province on its own. Before Octobe ...

El Seibo El Seibo (), alternatively spelt El Seybo, is a province of the Dominican Republic. Before 1992 it included what is now Hato Mayor province. Municipalities and municipal districts The province as of June 20, 2006 is divided into the following m ...

* Hato Mayor *

La Altagracia La Altagracia () is the easternmost Provinces of the Dominican Republic, province of the Dominican Republic. Punta Cana is located on the eastern shores of this province. The province was part of the old La Altagracia Province, which split into 2 ...

* La Romana *

Monte Plata Monte Plata is a town and Municipalities of the Dominican Republic, municipality (''municipio'') and the capital city, capital of the Monte Plata Province, Monte Plata Provinces of the Dominican Republic, province in the Dominican Republic. It in ...

San Pedro de Macorís San Pedro de Macorís is a city and Municipalities of the Dominican Republic, municipality (''municipio'') in the Dominican Republic and the capital of the San Pedro de Macorís Province, San Pedro de Macorís province in the east region of the ...

References

Bibliography

* Las Casas, Bartolomé de (1552) ''Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias'', Axel Springer SL * Fombrun, Odette Roy (2006) ''History of my country, Haiti 1'' *NAU, Charles Emile, baron (1854) "Histoire des Caciques d'Haïti" {{DEFAULTSORT:Chiefdoms Of Hispaniola Indigenous topics of the Caribbean History of Haiti History of the Dominican Republic History of indigenous peoples of North America Taíno Former chiefdoms in North America Regions of the Caribbean