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Anacaona
Anacaona
Cacica of Xaragua
Reign	??1503
Predecessor	Bohechio (cacique)  [ es ]
Born	1474 Yaguana, Jaragua (present-day Leogane, Haiti ) [1]
Died	c. 1504 (aged c. 30) Hispaniola
Cause of death	Hanging
Spouse	Caonabo

Anacaona (1474??1504), or Golden Flower, was a Taino cacica, or female cacique (chief), religious expert, poet ^{[ citation needed ]} and composer ^{[ citation needed ]} born in Xaragua. ^[2] Before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, Ayiti or Quisqueya to the Tainos (the Spaniards named it La Espanola, i.e., Hispaniola ? now known as the Dominican Republic and Haiti) was divided into five kingdoms, i.e., Xaragua, Maguana, Higuey, Magua, and Marien. Anacaona was born into a family of caciques. She was the sister of Bohechio, the ruler of Xaragua. ^[3]

She succeeded Bohechio as cacica after his death. ^[4]

In 1503, Nicolas Ovando , the governor of the island, visited Xaragua. He suspected an insurrection was brewing among the Taino chiefs, including Anacaona, presently in the kingdom. ^[4] Ovando gave the order for the caciques to be captured and burned. Anacaona was hanged. ^{[4] [5]}

Early life and family [ edit ]

Anacaona was born in Yaguana (present-day Leogane, Haiti ), ^[6] the capital of Jaragua , ^[7] in 1474 (?). Her name was derived from the Taino words ana , meaning 'flower', and caona , meaning 'gold, golden.' ^[3] Anacaona's brother Bohechio was a local chieftain. He extended his rule in 1475 to include all territories west of Xaragua. Through consolidation of his influence and power, Bohechio married Anacaona to Caonabo, cacique of Maguana. ^[8] Together they had one daughter, Higuemota.

On December 4, 1492, ^[9] Christopher Columbus arrived in the kingdom of Marien at present-day Mole St Nicholas, Haiti. ^[10] 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 , the Taino were kidnapped and enslaved to satisfy the needs of the Crown (many Taino women were raped and those Tainos who resisted the Spaniards were murdered). ^{[3] [8] [11]}

In 1493, Caonabo was arrested for ordering the destruction of La Navidad (a Spanish colony in the northwestern part of the island) and its people. ^[8] He was shipped to Spain and died in a shipwreck during the journey. ^[12] When Caonabo was captured, Anacaona returned to Xaragua and served as an advisor to Bohechio. ^[4]

In 1498, Bohechio was confronted by Bartholomew Columbus , brother of Christopher Columbus and founder of the city of Santo Domingo , who arrived in Xaragua with his troops to subdue Bohechio and conquer his territory. The purpose of the Spaniards in so doing was to acquire gold. With his power weakened, Bohechio, advised by Anacaona, decided to recognize the sovereignty of the Catholic Monarchs. Instead of fighting, he committed himself to pay the tribute levied by the Spaniards with products such as cotton, bread, corn, and fish.

Bohechio died before 1503 and Anacaona succeeded him and ruled as cacica. ^{[13] [4]}

Arrest and death [ edit ]

In the fall of 1503, Governor Nicolas Ovando and his party of 300 traveled on foot to Xaragua. ^[14] They were received in a lavish ceremony by Anacaona, her nobles, and several Taino chiefs. ^[14]

While the Taino presented the reception as a gesture of welcome, the Spanish saw it as being an elaborate distraction. ^{[12] [15]} Ovando's party was under the impression that Anacaona and the Taino chiefs present at the reception were planning an insurrection. ^[12] 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 caciques . ^[14] They were burned in the caney while other Tainos of lower rank were slaughtered outside. Anacaona was hanged. ^{[4] [15]} Or Anacaona was transferred to Santo Domingo in 1504, and three months later, she was tried and sentenced to death by hanging. ^[16]

According to historian Troy S. Floyd, the accuracy of the accounts of this event remain uncertain for many reasons. ^[15] 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. ^[15] For another, it is unclear why the Spaniards would lure the Tainos into a trap. ^[15] However, there was a history of violence where the Taino were kidnapped and enslaved to satisfy the needs of the Crown (many Taino women were raped and those Tainos who resisted the Spaniards were murdered).

^{[17] [18] [19]} Additionally, fifty Spaniards were killed; ^[15] 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. ^{[15] [14]}

According to Sir Arthur Helps ' book The Spanish Conquest in America (1855), Nicolas 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 [ edit ]

Anacaona, as a poet and composer, is accordingly memorialized in contemporary art and literature across the Caribbean region. ^[20] A statue commemorating her legacy is in Leogane, Haiti. The tallest building in the Caribbean, Torre Anacaona 27 , is named after her, in the Dominican Republic . The song Anacaona , lead vocals by Cheo Feliciano , popularizes her story. ^[21]

Literature [ edit ]

• The Royal Diaries series, Anacaona: Golden Flower, Haiti, 1490 by Edwidge Danticat ^[22]
• Anacaona, la Reine Taino d'Ayiti by Maryse N. Roumain, PhD. ^[23]

Music [ edit ]

• "Anacaona", by Ansy and Yole Derose ^[24]
• "Anacaona", by Super Sonic de Larose ^[25]
• "Anacaona", by Eddy Francois ^[26]
• "Anacaona", composed by Tite Curet Alonso ^{[ citation needed ]}
• "Anacaona", by Irka Mateo ^{[ citation needed ]}
• "Anacaona", sung by Cheo Feliciano ^[27]

See also [ edit ]

• Chiefdoms of Hispaniola
• Enriquillo
• Anti-Colonialism
• List of Tainos
• Women Native American leaders
• Jaragua massacre

Notes [ edit ]

References [ edit ]

• Henry Gardiner Adams, ed. (1857). " Anacoana ". A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography : 39. Wikidata   Q115669776 .
• Bartolome de las Casas : A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies .
• Peter Martyr d'Anghiera : De Orbe Novo.
• Samuel M. Wilson: Hispaniola - Caribbean Chiefdoms in the Age of Columbus. The University of Alabama Press, 1990. ISBN   0-8173-0462-2 .

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Wilson, J. G. ; Fiske, J. , eds. (1891). Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography . New York: D. Appleton. {{ cite encyclopedia }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )

External links [ edit ]

• The Louverture Project: Anacaona
• Songs (salsa) about Anacaona (Cheo Feliciano and the Fania All Stars): Anacaona Archived 2014-02-28 at the Wayback Machine
• anacaona the golden flower book