Arawak (Taino) Natives
The original inhabitants of the Caribbean as a region, including Jamaica, were the Arawaks. Explorer Christopher Colombus named the island Saintaingo, sometimes referred to as Tainos. It was created from the words, "Yamaye," as "Xaymaca .The Taino word means "many springs." The abbreviated name, "Ja" and the Rastafarian term "Jamdung" (Jamdown) are used by some residents, along with "Yaahd" (Yard),
Read more: Culture of Jamaica - history, people, clothing, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Jamaica.html#ixzz20VltgmEJ "While it appears that some Arawak survived the arrival of the Europeans, there are no self-identified Arawak communities living as such in Jamaica, and recovering traces of their original culture requires sophisticated archaeological techniques.
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Famous quotes containing the word natives:
“The partridge and the rabbit are still sure to thrive, like true natives of the soil, whatever revolutions occur. If the forest is cut off, the sprouts and bushes which spring up afford them concealment, and they become more numerous than ever. That must be a poor country indeed that does not support a hare. Our woods teem with them both.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)