When Columbus arrived in Haiti in 1492, he encountered a thriving society of an Arawakan people called the Taino. One thing that the Europeans noticed was that the Taino/Arawaks painted their bodies in bright colors given where we get the term “redskins” from. They didn’t actually have red skin but were painted with natural pigments like the bright red derived from these annatto seeds. Body painting was common among Arawakan peoples, partly for the sake of aesthetics but mostly as an act of spirituality. Body painting was used in many ceremonies and rituals to help connect with spiritual forces, and even in daily life the painting of the body could serve as a charm or protection from malicious spirits and curses. The colors of the paints, the designs painted on the body, and the rituals associated with the act of body painting all contributed to the way that the person was interacting with the spiritual and physical worlds. One of my personal beliefs is that the narrative continued in such a way as to make the melanated population of these lands to feel as if, we too, are not at home and don’t belong here. I feel that respecting and treating these lands as our home is past due. As soon as these are ready to harvest, the crew and I plan on fully embracing, this mostly ignored, part of our culture. ・・・ #growninhaiti #arawak #taïno #melanated #native #ofthisland #culture #loveyourself #identity #mixture #mutt #colonialrape #haiti #ayiti #diversity #growth #agroforestry #spice #foodforest #sustainableliving #origins https://www.instagram.com/p/CByAY9qlj4A/?igshid=c37338hb9zxn
