We Tainos are symbolically descended from a spiritual set of four male ancestors and a female spirit. Her name was TURTLE WOMAN (left) and the four male forebears were led by a being called DEMINAN CARACARACOL (below), as told in our ancient legends (click this link to read the sixteenth and seventeenth verses of the Taino Chronicles, the story of Deminan Caracaracol).Wherever you live on this Earth you have the responsibility to live up to the promise that the GREAT SPIRIT YAYA-GUATUREY meant for you to embody.

You must learn to respect and honor your body and your soul, to try to keep both of them as clean, pure and healthy as you can so that they may be fit to stand before the sight of your ancestors, the HUPIAS.

spiritual purity.

Once you have learned to truly respect yourself you will be able to learn how to respect the rest of Creation and the Great Spirit.

There are six fundamental sacred ceremonial connections that link you to your spiritual forebears and through them to the GREAT SPIRIT YAYA-GUATUREY:

• THE RITUAL WATER
• THE SACRED TOBACCO
• THE BREATH OF LIFE
• THE MOON-PATH CYCLE
• THE SUN-PATH CYCLE
• THE KANSI

These six elements of our culture are the most important links between you and the CEMIES (say-mees), the powerful spiritual entities that control our Universe.

They are also the necessary connection between you and the HUPIAS (hoo-pih-ahs), the ancestors. This is the connection that allows you to access the wisdom of those who came before you and who now dwell in COA BAY (koah-bye) the sacred dwelling place of the departed ones.

Making these connections with the Cemies and the Hupias is your first step to personal self-respect and