Talk:Baracoa

Point of View: Indigenous Presence in Cuba

Contemporary anthropological studies and academic articles point to the existence of persons of Indigenous descent in Cuba (the statement should be cited). Descriptions of such people should be as neutral as possible. The statement “Today, there are descendants of the Taíno people, albeit few and of mixed-race” implies that due to their small number and “mixed-race” status, their “authenticity” as Indigenous persons is perhaps not valid. This is not a neutral description (and potentially has derogatory connotations), as it fits what many contemporary First Nations / Native American / Indigenous scholars, anthropologists, and cultural theorists might argue sounds like the “disappearing Indian” or “vanishing Native” narrative.

Suggestion for fixing the issue: Write, “Today there are descendants of the Taíno people, whose continued presence in the region has been documented by contemporary anthropologists, counter to the widespread belief of Taíno extinguishment.”

Here are some suggested academic resources for citation:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/what-became-of-the-taino-73824867/?no-ist=&MobileOptOut=1&page=3

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/41/014.html

https://global.si.edu/success-stories/caribbean-indigenous-legacies-project-celebrating-ta%C3%ADno-culture

https://www.amazon.ca/Indigenous-Resurgence-Contemporary-Caribbean-Amerindian/dp/0820474886