A Prophecy, and the Resurgences of a Nation 500 years before the arrival of Europeans to the islands of the Caribbean, high in the jungle mountains of Jayuya. Aura Surey, daughter of a regional kacike is awaken from a deep cohoba induced trance. As she awakened all she can remember is a prophecy given to her, which said "After 500 years of suppression the Taino people will once again gloriously emerge". Confused and sadden Aura had no idea of things to come. The year was now 1493, as the Mayowakan (wooden) drums where heard from miles away. The message they brought was alarming, as the news spread throughout the island of the strange bearded white men who rode in on clouds and of their landing. Aura, stood in silence as if frozen in time and she knew then the prophecy was about to come to life. As dark clouds descended upon the island, the people suffered the indignity of enslavement and the loss of their land, as the myth of extinction took hold and the voices of the people where silenced for 500 years. The year was now the early 1940`s, the beginning of the massive forced migration of hundreds of thousands of Jibaros, displaced from their ancestral lands and shipped out to the Diaspora of the United States, where they resettled. Lured by the promise of employment and a better life and the gold in them there street! It wasn't long before the harsh reality set in that they where to become the newest source of cheap unskilled labor, destined to work in sweat shops and as migrant workers for mere pennies a day. As the system attempted to blend them into the melting pot, but those Jibaros held onto their culture and customs refusing to sever their ties to the mother land, the land of the Le-lo-lai. It was now the late 1980's and the consciousness of the people is beginning to stir as vague memories of their ancestral past begins to surface. Many knew of their Taino heritage but most felt as if they were the last of the taino. In that same stream of consciousness as if by faith Rene Marcano, finds himself standing outside of the circle at a Pow Wow. Listening to the beat of thedrums and watching the dancers. As he is approached by one of the dancers and asked what tribe he belonged to. He instinctively answered, "I am Taino", and so he entered the circle and danced and as he danced in time he met other Taino's and they too danced. Together they founded "La Asociasion Taina", and they researched the culture and language of the Taino. Rene, was now feeling the pressure he knew the time was right to gather the people and prepare to forefil the prophecy of the Taino's glorious emergence. The year was now 1992, exactly 500 years after the suppression of the Taino people and the myth of extinction had been firmly planted. It was now time for the resurgence of a Nation. A council was formed, Rene, now Cibanakan was named as one of its Kacikes and the Taino Nation of the Antilles and U.S. was ceremonially restored at a gathering of over three hundred Taino, guests and dignitaries from several Indigenous Nations and local politicians. And the people rejoiced and proudly danced in full regalia. A registry was organized so that this time a permanent historical record could be handed down from generation to generation and hundreds of families and individuals where registered and ceremonially brought back into the fold of the Taino people. Alliances where forged with many other indigenous nations; theRamapough, the Oneida, the Seminole , Lenni Lenape, Kiowa Comanche, Mixteca, Caribe of Trinidad and many more. Among some of the sponsors and participants of those historical events, festivals and conferences; The Smithsonian , El Museo del Barrio, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Cuban Ministry of Science, Columbia Univ., Cornell Univ. and the Univ. of Puerto Rico. As the nation grew so did the need to establish a Cultural Center that would represent the nation outsideof tribal matters and so it came to be that in 1996 Wanakan, was created. The cultural center immediately went to work helping to restore our identity, music, dance and instruments. So once again the sounds of the maracas, mayowakan, zaponas and tambor de hutia could be heard throughout our ancestral islands and the US. The cultural center now holds language classes in Taine, music and dance. Organizing cultural presentations and tours around the country in Public Schools, colleges, Civic Associations, Parks, Festivals and Museums in short anywhere it could spread the news of our resurgence and to dispel the myth of extinction. But the struggle is far from over, although we have aciheved many mile stones we are still in our infancey and early stages of our restoration efforts. Our work continues within our various communities, the United NationsPermanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Organization of AmericanStates and working with other First Nations from the Caribbean always fighting for survival and the freedom and sovereianty of our ancestral mother lands. The year is now 2007, we have launched our web sites and this Blog, in our continuing efforts to keep you informed and directly in touch with the Taino Nation of the Antilles and US. Welcome home to those brothers and sisters who have found their way back and welcome to those who just want to learn about the proud and noble people known as Taino. Han han katu.