The myth of total Taino Indian extinction has done immense damage to the study of modern Dominican culture. As it stands any Dominican custom that is not clearly Spanish will undoubtedly be considered African by default. In addition, speaking of Taino continuity is considered by many to be anti-African, anti Haitian and an extreme obsession by Dominicans to identify with the Indian in denial of their Negritude. Yet despite extinction narratives, Dominicans continue to cling to an Indian past. The late Antonio de Moya wrote “We never disappeared as a people, nor as a culture. We fused with the European and African, creating an unreal but certain us”. In this time, we have the opportunity to rescue our past. Our elders who maintain our ancestral knowledge are in their 80-100 years of age will inevitably cross-over in the next 10 to 15 years taking with them the clues to our past hidden under pages filled with extinction narratives. We must act now!
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