"Ocama, Yuiza, ocama..." Inamoca presses me to listen. Yuiza hears the sounds of the rainforest all around her, but they are listening for the noise of the Yu' Guami'ke'na, the white devils, ari', invaders to their island. Yuiza, Warrior Princess, had once greeted them all with a warm, hospitable Taíno welcome yet they only brought death and destruction to her people.
"Princess, we must plan an attack!" whispers Inamoca. "They have destroyed our yucayekes. Our people have no homes, no villages anymore. They've taken our women and children and enslaved them. They are killing our men."
Yuiza ponders his words and responds with a sigh, rubbing her forehead as she does so. That morning as the sun rose on the horizon, she stirred in her hamaca, weary from another restless night. Since the arrival of the ari', many moons before, the sounds of the jungle no longer lulls her to slumber. Instead, she lies awake most nights listening for the clanging sounds of the shiny, weighted macanas carried by their enemy. They are arijua, foreign to their land, foreign to their customs. Yuiza and Guarionex, her brother, Cacique of their people when the ari' arrived, welcomed and feted them with gifts of guanín, food and cassava drink. In return, her brother was slaughtered, their people decimated. Those who survived had fled to the bosque of Ja'tibonicu, the great high place of sacred waters. Jaymanio was their yucayeke in the land of Ja'tibonicu and now it was gone and they were forced to hide in jungle caves. The fate of her people now weighs heavily on her heart.
Inamoca is right. He is a great big man, a mighty warrior in their tribe. Muscular and strong with the darkened skin of people who live in the land of the Guey, he is wise and fearless. Inamoca is ni-taíno, sub-chief of their people, but Yuiza is Cacica, chieftain of her people. We are Taínos, natives to this land. We will not give up without a fight. "Come," she calls to Inamoca, "we must gather our warriors. Tell them to meet me at the mouth of the Hura cave. Tell them to hurry!"
"Naboria daca," replies Inamoca as he bows, placing his hand over his heart. "I am your servant."
Yuiza gathers her baira, the small bow she always carries and hurries through the jungle towards the cave.
YOU ARE READING
Yuiza, A Taino Story
Short StoryA short story that weaves a narrative of a courageous Taino young woman and what happens to her and her people at Columbus' arrival. Her name is Yuiza and this is how I imagined her story went.
