Help
Sign In
Genetics
August 2009 
The Taino Myth of Extinction Is No More.
ayesart
1. Introduction By Dr. Ana Oquendo Pabon, MD
The Puerto Ricans are an admixed people, the product of the Taino, the European and the African to varying degrees. History books will assert that the indigenous people were exterminated within a relatively short time after the encounter with the European. However, though countless innocents lost their lives, whether through disease, war or as a result of slavery, eventual assimilation is the more likely scenario. And, assimilation is not extermination. Although without a doubt, there is not one naboría, nitaino or cacique of pure Taino blood left to walk our beautiful island beaches or guide their canoas through the many rivers and the ocean sea, or hunt in the lush rain forest, many will tell you that they have not been forgotten and live on in them. Memories of Taino ancestors have been captured in many a Boricuas' oral family history from the moment the European stepped on the island, in our folklore, in our language and in the old herbal remedies, passed down from grandparents and mothers to their children generation after generation as a sign of remembrance and respect.
A very long time ago, church parish books in Puerto Rico were separated into that of Whites, Índios (Natives) and Pardos (Mixed). This practice prevailed from the time of the colonization until the mid 19th century. I had the privilege of reading an early 18th century document found by my brother, Padre José Antonio, several years ago. From those musty pages written in the difficult but hauntingly beautiful penmanship of the period, the name of an infant could be read. That document held a wealth of information for it gave the child's baptismal date, his date of birth, and the origin and names of his father and mother, our 5th great grandparents who were born circa 1710 and 1724, respectively. What struck me about that old entry in the sacramental book of the parish was that they, and almost every one of the documents found for their fourteen children, were always described as "pardos". This couple has been documented through hundreds of similar documents to be the patriarchal origin of the majority of the people who carried that surname and living in the many towns of the north central part of our island. Long before the mid 19th century when books were no longer separated and the word pardo came to signify anyone of color; it signified the offspring of a European and an indigenous relationship. Many an island and mainland genealogist like John Browne Ayes can recount over and over the same type of discovery as they have traced their own ancestral origins.
In 2003, having read about genetic genealogy, I gave my brother, Padre José Antonio Oquendo Pabón, a DNA kit as a combination anniversary and birthday present. Shortly after receiving the results of his y DNA and I, mine, he called me and said "What IF we decided to start a DNA project just for our people to find ....?" and The Proyecto ADN de Apellidos Puertorriqueños AKA the Puerto Rican DNA Geographic Project was launched.
2.
It brought together many seasoned genealogists some with almost 30 years of research; our project included new Internet genealogists, doctors, lawyers, ministers, priests, engineers, artists, mothers, fathers, grandparents and young people. The main purpose of our project was not only to find our common paternal ancestry as so many of the other projects seemed to concentrate upon, but to most especially recruit and encourage mtDNA testing and find our mitochondrial origins which we hoped to prove were consistent with the scientific findings, i.e., a high indigenous frequency. Three and a half years later, there are over 250 members actively participating in the search for their genetic origins. As the mtDNA results continued to be overwhelmingly of indigenous ancestry, the membership continued to increase in numbers.
One of our members is the talented, well known and well respected Puerto Rican artist, John Browne Ayes, with whom coincidentally, we share many grandparents dating to the early 1500s. John's visionary art reflects a strong affinity for color, nature and an ardent love for his indigenous heritage. In his works of art, our First People, the Taino and their culture live forever on canvas. Now, with strong affirmation of his family's oral history by the confirmation of his indigenous mitochondrial DNA, John Browne Ayes like many others who grew up listening to stories of their indigenous ancestors at their grandmother's knee can tell his story. It must be clear that our maternal line is only one segment of the thousands of individuals in time to contribute to our genetic makeup. However, due to the isolation of our island both throughout the centuries and to the endogamy of its people, with the passage of time where our maternal line is not indigenous, our paternal grandfather's mother's line or a great, great grandmother's will be and so on through the generations. This is not an isolated fact, for it has occurred over and over again for the last 500 years.
Our Taino ancestors, as is typical of all indigenous people throughout the world, respected the land, the sea and flora and fauna. They were a peaceful and hospitable people who were talented artisans, respected their neighbors, were family oriented, and revered their elders. John Browne Ayes has depicted their spirit in his art and has dedicated his life to remembering them as a people. Now, we can listen to his story.
The Taino loved their island paradise and worshipped their great god Yukiyu in the great mountain in the rain forest. It is just, that as the face of Yukiyu looks down from the mountain today, an island son now tells his story, their story and gives verification that they existed and live on in many of our people.
Dr. Ana Oquendo Pabón, MD
The Face of Yukiyu, el Yunque, Puerto Rico foto courtesy of ladoctora
Genetics and Genealogy the Path to Self Discovery
Copyright 2006 John Browne Ayes
3.
What would you say if I told you that I found several ancestors who's mitochondrial
DNA dates back to 1,990 +/- 50 BP? And that I found another group of ancestors
whose mtDNA dates back to 670 +/- 70 BP? I am hoping that you are probably very
surprised and after that initial surprise has passed you are sitting there thinking,
prove it!
The date of 670 BP and 1,990 BP were derived from radio carbon tests that were
performed on ancient remains that were found in the Greater Antilles. The
skeletons that yielded the 1,990 BP were found in different archaeological sites in
what was once known as Hispaniola in 2001.
Sites: Perico I cave (N=37) 25 km west of Bahia Honda, in Pinar del Rio (Cuba),
Magote La Cueva (N=3), and Canimar (N=7). Perico cave was one of the best
studied pre agricultural sites to date. The site was researched in 1970 and 1997. The
remains of 162 individuals were found there.
The Plot Thickens
Twenty seven bone samples from Pre-Columbian archaeological site of La Caleta,
Dominican Republic was analyzed. This site is located 25 km east of Santo
Domingo City and is one of the most important necropolises of the island. The
remains found were buried with Boca Chica style ceramics, ornaments and tools.
These yielded a radio carbon dating of 6 +/- 70 BP to 1,680 +/- 100 BP, however it
was pointed out in the scientific paper written by C. Lalueza-Fox that most of the
dates are Pre-Columbian.
Genetics and Genealogy the Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
4.
The next step taken in the research was to begin studying the skeletons'
mitochondrial DNA - DNA that men and women inherit from their ancient
maternal ancestors. Women are the only ones capable of passing their mtDNA
to their children. Men can inherit their mother's mtDNA but can't pass it to
their children. Their mtDNA gets destroyed as soon as the sperm penetrates the
ovum during the conception process.
The mtDNA of the ancient bones were tested looking for their hyper variable
region I, better known as HVR I. The genetic material was put through a series of
processes that in the end yielded the specific polymorphisms or mutations that then
inform researchers what haplo group the owners of the ancient bones belonged to.
The haplo groups found were A, C, and D in Cuba and Haplo groups C and D in the
Dominican Republic specimens. The word haplo group is used to define groups of
people who descended from a common maternal ancestor when speaking about
mtDNA.
What Were the Events That Led To The Discovery Of My Ancient Ancestors?
The story begins during my childhood. My grandmother and mother used to tell me
about our ancestors. They lived in a virtual paradise that was compared to a
Garden of Eden by people who had come to the Americas with Columbus.
History tells us when the conquistadores finally came after Columbus that's when
the real struggle began for our ancestors.
Genetics and Genealogy the Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
5.
Land, gold, titles and an active slave trade was the root of the problem. My
grandmother shared a story in which my Great, Great, Great grandmother would
run for her life and hide whenever she heard the clanking of armor atop running
horses. She also related how our ancestors had run away from their slavery
and lived in the caves that dotted the mountains in Puerto Rico. They had to relearn
how to hunt and survive off the land again. One didn't know if they were going to
live or die a cruel death at the hands of the conquistadores. Life in what was once a
Garden of Eden had become a living hell full of murder, the possibility of mutilation
or slavery. A lot of my ancestors died but many chose to live and they survived to
continue the blood line.
As history tells it my ancestors slavery and exposure to the many diseases that the
conquistadores brought with them caused my ancestors "extinction". Every book
and encyclopedia I read as a child yielded the same verdict and illustrated the same
story about the extinction of ancestors. It bothered me profoundly as a child and I
would sit and think asking the same questions over and over again in my mind. How
could this be? Were my grandmother and mother wrong? Where did they get that
family history from? In the end my questions couldn't receive an answer, I had to
let it pass and filed it in that part of the brain where unanswered questions were
stored. And as I grew up the issue would surface from time to time and gnawed at
me constantly, because in essence, I was a person with no real history or ancestral
foundation.
Genetics and Genealogy the Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
6.
I went on with my life and focused on becoming an artist, exploring the limits of
my many talents and self limitations and expanding myself beyond them.
Meanwhile I began collecting every shred of verbal and family genealogical history I
could from my mother and grandmother when the opportunity arose. I began
researching my family tree in the hopes of finding the one link to those ancestors
that was a true Taino indigenous person. When ever I could I browsed the Internet
looking for my ancestors within Federal census records as far back as 1910. They
yielded family members who were born in the 1800's. In the end, I finally found my
earliest maternal ancestor who was born in the late 1700's. That was it. Finito.
The computer and paper trail ended there. You see, my ancestors had been
enslaved. Their history, language, culture, traditions and spiritual beliefs had been
stripped away from them by the conquistadores. Slaves cannot have a history nor
could they be allowed to remember where they came from or were going. Their wills
were subject to the wills and whims of their masters. There was never a paper trail
to begin with because their history was passed from generation to generation by
spoken words called areitos. The words eventually were put to the cadence of music.
The people, old and young memorized their history, family deeds, names and
important dates. The music, the memory became silenced when they became
indentured to their masters.
Genetics and Genealogy the Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
7.
My ancestors did their best to resist and rebel against their slavery but the
conquistadores, despite being a minority, possessed superior weaponry and
technology. They also had many centuries of military strategy learned when
their ancestors had fought and vanquished the Moors in Spain. The male
population of ancestors decreased radically and all that was almost left of my people
were the women and children. If there were any men who had survived they were
beaten by trial of war and had no choice but to accept their ultimate fate.
Another explanation for the survival of my people may lie within the fact that many
of the Tainos lived on the peripheral edge of the new cities and towns that had
arisen and had escaped the notice of the conquistadores. When necessary they could
escape deeper into the jungles to avoid confrontation and capture. As time
progressed they were absorbed into the general population and would replace their
culture and history with that of the new culture and history of the conquistadores.
One also has to take into consideration that the people might have absorbed the
customs and religion of the conquistadores but still maintained their own ways.
This is quite evident today because many words that have their root in the Taino
language are still being used in place names. The same applies to customs, cooking
and the use of indigenous foods as well as the method of treating illnesses with
herbal remedies into this century. All the aforementioned could only have been
valued and preserved by the descendants of the ancient Taino.
Genetics and Genealogy the Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
8.
The Conquistadores
Many of the conquistadores were ordinary people of the poorer classes that didn't
have titles or riches and comprised the rank and file of the Isabellan army. They
were single and of course no Spanish woman of the time in her right mind would
embark on a perilous journey to a frontier land that posed so many dangers.
Those that did brave the journey were too few in number to impact the need
for marriageable women. If the women survived the arduous sea voyage then they
would have to face and ultimately survive the many tropical diseases and fevers that
were present on those islands. Today's people tend to romanticize that period in
time but sanitary conditions were not so good and the people had to contend with
plagues of lice as well as the many diseases these conditions presented. Those that
did survive added to the gene pool of the indigenous peoples. The only solution to
this new problem was for the conquistadores to begin taking Taino women to fulfill
the need to carry on the bloodlines. Little did the conquistadores realize it but they
had set the stage for the genetic survival of a people.
Genetics and Genealogy the Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
9.
The Adventure Of Self Discovery
Like most amateur genealogists who's efforts and research have come to a grinding
halt, I turned to DNA research. I again decided to browse the Internet and found
the URL that led me to Family Tree DNA's Web page. That then led me to finding a
project that was specific to my family's national origin. I found the Puerto Rican
DNA Geographic Project, el Proyecto de Apellidos Puertorriquenos. The project
was founded by, Padre Jose A. Oquendo Pabon and his sister, Dra. Ana Oquendo
Pabon in 2003. They had a list of names that belonged to people they were looking
for to join the project. I was surprised when I finally came upon my family's
surnames of Ayes and Maldonado posted on their Web page along with many other
Puerto Rican family names. The whole purpose of the project is to prove ancestral
links to our indigenous and African roots. It turned out to be a good choice for me
to join the project because Dr. Ana has been very patient and dedicated in educating
all the members of the group about the basics of y DNA and mtDNA so that we
might understand the results of our tests and also understand our relationships
to the people who match our mtDNA and y DNA. In the context of sharing a
common maternal and paternal ancestor.
Genetics and Genealogy the Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
10.
After being accepted into the DNA project a test kit was sent through the mails
from Family Tree DNA's lab in Houston, Texas. I had chosen FTDNA because
it has pioneered the use of DNA technology in the field of genealogy to break
through end of paper trail barriers that come up in one's family history. The y
DNA and mtDNA tests they offer can determine relationships between people
whose DNA match with a degree of accuracy of 99.9%.
On March of 2006 my mtDNA results came via the Internet and the mails. My
Haplo group was C. I was very happy and overjoyed because that Haplo group
of C revealed and confirmed my ancestry as coming from American indigenous
people! But after the initial excitement passed an old feeling that had been pushed
aside and stored away for many years arose again to gnaw at me. You see, the
results yielded that my mtDNA was derived from American Indians but it didn't
say what specific tribe I was a part of. It still left the big question about my true
ancestry within the people who had met and greeted Columbus and had become
"extinct". The mtDNA results still didn't prove that they had not.
My layman's common sense and reasoning told me that geographically my
mtDNA test results screamed to me about confirming my existence and that of my
ancestors.
Genetics and Genealogy the Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
11.
Six months passed as I digested what needed to be done. I finally decided to write an
E mail to Family Tree DNA asking them to change my kit to reflect my Taino
heritage. I was following what my grandmother had given me in the form of advice
that sometimes one can get many answers by just asking a simple question.
In the course of dialoguing with my contact at Family Tree DNA I was asked to
send scientific papers I had referred to in one of my E mails that had been
published and were the results of mtDNA research that had been done in
the Caribbean. I was taken off guard because I hadn't the slightest idea where to
begin looking on the Internet for those papers. I realized that I had a lot to learn in
regard to Meta tags used to lead a researcher to the proper Web Sites to get
information. I finally wrote an E mail to my mentor, Dr. Ana to ask her if she knew
where I could locate the papers that FTDNA had requested. Her reply was simple
and to the point. "I have the papers you need right here in my computer. I will send
them to you via E mail." When her E mail finally came the three papers were
attached. She had also written something in the E mail that took me by surprise.
She informed me that she had been trying to work with FTDNA in trying to get
the sequences of those people who reflected ancient Taino descent recognized since
she and her brother founded the Puerto Rican DNA Geographic project. I was
happy and honored for the opportunity to combine our efforts.
Genetics and Genealogy the Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
12.
During the time I was waiting for her E mail to come I finally found a paper on
mtDNA research that had been written by C. Lalueza -Fox, Mitochondrial DNA
from Pre-Columbian Ciboney's from Cuba and the Prehistoric Colonization of the
Caribbean. The papers that Dr. Ana had sent me were, Reconstructing the
Population History of Puerto Rico by Means of mtDNA Phylogeographic Analysis
by Juan Martinez Cruzado, C. Lalueza - Fox's MtDNA From Extinct Tainos and
the Peopling of the Caribbean and Fernandez - Cobo's Reconstructing Population
History Using JC Virus. The latter article had been sited within Juan Martinez
Cruzado's paper.
The Discovery
I controlled my haste to E mail FTDNA the papers. I decided to print
them, sit back, relax and read them one by one. I got myself a cup of coffee and
began with one of the papers written by C. Lalueza - Fox. It began with the history
of Columbus, the Conquistadores, the eventual and inevitable enslavement and the
presumed extinction of my ancestors. The writers outlined in great detail the
methodology in the procurement and processing of the ancient mtDNA samples.
Genetics and Genealogy the Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
13.
When my eyes finally came upon the first chart that revealed the sequences and
polymorphisms, (mutations), of the mtDNA results, HVR I, my eyes moistened as
the welling of tears came to my eyes. I had discovered that two sequences within the
chart from the ancient Ciboney of Cuba matched my own mtDNA precisely. They
were also within my Haplo group of C. My eyes traced the sample reference
numbers, 7145 and C317. I then began reading the next paper written about the
Ciboney from the Dominican Republic. My heart leaped in excitement when I saw
that the chart contained five more sequences matching my own mtDNA,
Haplo Group C:
Reference # 154 16223T 16298C 16325C 16327T
#182 16223T 16298C 16325C 16327T
# 71 16223T 16298C 16325C 16327T
# 48 16223T 16298C 16325C 16327T
#191 16223T 16298C 16325C 16327T
These sequences of the ancient mtDNA had to be my ancestors!
I retrieved my formal Family Tree test results to make sure there was no mistake.
I read them and compared my own test results to that contained within the papers.
Haplo group C 16223T 16298C 16325C 16327T. My sequences and mutations did
indeed match! It was a monumental discovery for me, my people!
Genetics and Genealogy the Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
14.
Some Realizations.
After I had sent my E mail uploaded with the scientific papers and my sequence
added for comparison to FTDNA I sat thinking about those mtDNA sequences.
To the people who studied those bones who were once my ancestors they were
nameless - they had become sample reference numbers, an assemblage gathered
from important archaeological sites. To me they were my ancestors, who had
lived, breathed, had hopes, felt happiness and sadness. They met someone, fell in
love then had children. They got old and finally passed onto their own ancestors.
They, the Taino Ciboney were a gentle people whose ancestors had migrated out of
Central and South America to the islands of the Caribbean only to find that another
people were already inhabiting those islands who had also made their own journey
thousands of years before they did. Whether the two peoples got along later has
been lost to a time before written history.
The environmental conditions on those islands were just like the places they had
come from. The islands they chose to settle and live upon were mountainous. This
geographic feature trapped and held the much needed moisture in the form of rain.
Genetics and Genealogy the Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
15.
The land was rich in nature's bounty and sustained edible fruits, roots, vegetables
and a pharmacopeia of herbal medicines. The wild game was large as well.
The environment on those islands had sustained them for thousands of years.
It takes a specific type of attitude to survive within wild nature. A person has to
be opportunistic, always observing and learning the many lessons that are hidden
within the environment. A person has to develop a healthy respect for the land.
The people had to become familiar with the seasonal changes that brought
hurricanes and periods of drought to the places in which they lived.
One mistake, one simple miscalculation could cost many lives within a tribe
needlessly. Then I realized that they must have brought these attitudes and
knowledge with them to the islands. By the time Columbus had come to the islands
the people seemed to have had very little negative impact upon their environment.
I had read somewhere that they were on the verge of founding a civilization.
More thoughts on the Conquistadores
When the conquistadores finally got to Puerto Rico they came with an attitude.
nature was something to be manipulated and conquered. Its resources belonged to
anyone who was strong enough to carve them from mountains, the rivers, the oceans
and the land.
Genetics and Genealogy the Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
16.
Indigenous people who lived on the islands of the Greater Antilles were also
considered to be a resource that would feed the cruel machine of slavery.
History records that there was a severe depletion of male indigenous slaves to
dig for gold, build and work the farms. The conquistadores had to come up with
bodies from somewhere. During that time there was an active slave trade going on
in Africans that were forcefully taken from the sub Saharan regions and the Gold
Coast which is now Ghana. The trading of slaves increased in Puerto Rico as a
result of land and tax reforms in the latter 18th century until abolition of slavery in
1873. By this time the surviving Taino people had been totally assimilated into the
general population.
One Question Leads To Another
My personal riddle of my Taino ancestry has almost been solved. It was a
monumental chance happening that I discovered my mtDNA ancestors.
But like every question that is answered many more arise to take the place of the
one that has been answered.
1: How did my ancient Taino ancestors mtDNA get from what is now the Dominican
Republic to Puerto Rico?
2. Or did it travel from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic?
2: When did that event happen?
3: What were the circumstances that surrounded that event?
Genetics and Genealogy the Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
17.
Today I received an E mail from Dr. Pedro Ferbel Azcarate, an archaeologist who
worked in the Dominican Republic with Dr. Juan Martinez Cruzado finding
volunteers to give samples for the mtDNA study that was conducted in the
Dominican
Republic. He is now a Professor, Black Studies Department at Portland State
University. In his E mail he answered a lot of my questions about ancient Taino
survival and migratory patterns. He has graciously allowed me to publish his
opinion.
"I know more about Taino cultural survival, though I was in the Dominican
Republic and helped Professor Cruzado find some volunteers to give some samples
for DNA testing. "For archaeologists looking at material culture like ceramics, there
is so much similarity in what is called, Boca Chica style pottery throughout the
Greater Antilles in the years before Columbus, that it is believed that the Taino did
not think of the channels between the islands as boundaries or frontiers at all. There
is also historic evidence of intermarriage between Taino people from different
islands too, like Cacique Caonabo, who is reported to be Lucayan Taino (Bahamas),
though he became a chief in what is now the Dominican Republic. So your ancestors
likely didn't have concepts for nationality the way the DNA interpreters do. So in
the past for your ancestors there may not have been such a distinction between the
Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico the way there is today. So I am not sure it
means a forced migration or generations of people simply moving around."
Genetics and Genealogy a Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
18.
What the professor had shared was important in regard to how one looks at an
ancient civilization. The investigator must shed their present day lenses that have
been tinted by today's new customs and modes of thinking. The same concept can be
applied to an amateur and professional genealogist to put themselves within the
mindset of the ancient people they are trying to study and gather information on.
The Taino way of thinking was well ahead of its time in regard to their unique
concepts of borderless and boundary free interactions with one another.
MtDNA Simplified. Its All About Specific Mutations
The study of mtDNA is an invaluable tool that is being used to study and track
ancient people's migratory routes. As in Puerto Rico's ancient scenario
it has been discovered migrations that have been made to relatively uninhabited
places have given rise to what are called mutations within the mtDNA. These
mutations that have arisen within ancient people who have migrated to unpopulated
areas seems to have initiated a genetic change that differentiates them from the
people they had originated from.
An mtDNA containing a new mutation that happened in an ancestral matriarch
who then shares those mutations with her group of descendants forms a unique
group of mtDNA's. In scientific terminology this is called a haplogroup.
It was found through research that the Tainos who are within Haplo group A
also share the same haplo group designation with the Seminole tribal people.
But the ancient Tainos mtDNA became different over time because of specific
Genetics and Genealogy a Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
19.
mutations that had occurred. These specific mutations then distinguished the two
tribes one from the other at some point in time making them belong to distinct haplo
types within the same haplo group of A. It has also been discovered that the Taino
mtDNA contains another haplo group which has been designated as C. This haplo
group along with its specific mutations has been traced to the Yanomamo tribe of
the Orinoco Valley in South America. Again, a specific type of mutation happened
within the ancient Taino people that eventually distinguished the Yanomamo tribe
from the Taino tribes, despite both tribes belonging to Haplo group C.
Confused? I was. Let me over simplify the dialogue a bit in order to bring about
a better understanding to the matter.
At some point in history a small group of Seminoles decided they wanted to leave
the tribe. Why? Perhaps environmental conditions of the time couldn't support a
large numbers of people on the land like a severe drought. Maybe two groups began
to argue and one group was forced to leave the main body of the tribe. In this case,
they really went off into the wilderness. We already know that the group that
decided to migrate away from the main tribe, for what ever reason, were also of the
unique haplo type of A. For simplification they will now be called the A's. The A's
travel further south until they finally reach the southern most part of Florida. The
sea beckons to them tantalizingly. Boats are built and the historic crossing is made.
Too simple?
Genetics and Genealogy a Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
20.
Then let's complicate it a bit more. Perhaps they took another route that took them
to the Yucatan Peninsula. Again the sea beckoned to them and they crossed the
Atlantic ocean from a new point to reach what is now the Greater Antilles. Over
time a mutation happens within their mtDNA. What caused it? Perhaps it s the
body's way of adapting to specific stresses of a new environment? Maybe exposure
to a new type of bacteria or virus set in and may have caused the mutation to
happen within their mtDNA?
Now that a mutation has happened within their mtDNA the A's no longer share the
original haplo type with the original tribe they came from. They now have become a
new and distinct haplo type which I will call, A 2's.
The word mutation isn't what it used to be. It has gotten quite complex. In the past
it designated a radical change in a physical characteristic like an extra toe or finger.
Then the word evolved to define specific negative conditions that arise within the
mitochondria that are called mitochondrial conditions like gastro intestinal
malfunctioning and diabetes. When the term mutation is applied concerning haplo
groups and haplo types you can be assured that they are quite benign.
In any case, it seems that the same events and circumstances were repeated within
the Yanomamo tribe's part of the world. Human nature is very complex and
perhaps there was one person who began questioning or got restless when the
wanderlust hit. People always are thinking in terms of better than, more than.
Perhaps that's how migrations happen. The grass is always greener on the other
Genetics and Genealogy a Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
21.
side of the fence.
The Yanomamo haplo group designation is C and the people who migrated away
from the main body of the Yanomamo tribe became C 2's.
Using my over simplification of a very complex subject, the A 2 s and C 2 s
eventually became the Taino people, the people who eventually met and greeted
Columbus.
The Spiritual Side of The Story a Brief Look
There was another important element. It had to do with the Tainos' spiritual
beliefs. Its main focal point was centered on an Earth Mother, Atabey.
She was a powerful spirit that gave birth to everything on earth. She was also
the powerful spirit of the sacred waters of life. She also had a son, Yukiyu. He was
the creator. The land and the waters belonged to her and her son, not to humans.
As a result of Taino spiritual beliefs their society was a matrilineal one.
The conquistadores on the other hand were very into boundary lines, territorial
markers, frontiers and expanding the borders of their empire. Their civilization was
very patrilineal and that influenced their view of the world and nature and how they
interacted with it. They forever changed my people's lives and some of their
perception and interaction with the world. The Puerto Rico of today is a perfect
reflection of Spanish influence, culture and heritage with a lot of the indigenous and
African influences mixed in.
Genetics and Genealogy a Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
22.
When thinking about my mtDNA I also realized I have to think about the other part
of me that contains the Spanish genetic influences as well. That is why I chose to
include the conquistadores' story as well. You see, mtDNA is only part of the genetic
information that was passed onto me by my mother. She also passed along the
genetic influences of my father as well. In other words, I have to look at what's
inside of the nuclear genome as well which comes from the father and the mother.
They both contribute one chromosome each and we all have twenty three couples of
them. What does this mean? It means that my ancestry is much more complex and
might be a little biased to European ancestry or to Amerindian ancestry. This is
what I see when I think of my ancestral heritage. Both sides of my mother's family
are descendants of the ancient Taino, they are also reflecting their Spanish
descent as well. As for my father's side of the family that's another story
within itself to write about. His heritage is rooted within the Norman invasion of the
British Isles back in the 1100's AD. His nationality is Irish of County Wexford,
Ireland. The family name back then was Le Brun. When a person is working both
sides of the genealogical family tree one may need to connect with others who might
match your DNA to fill in the gaps in that tree. This is when a DNA lab comes in
and a DNA project. That's what made me decide to also get my y DNA analyzed by
FTDNA as well. Little did I know that I was in for another surprise. It turns out
that even though my father's parents were born in Ireland my father's y DNA
sequences revealed that he was of Haplo group E3b2. His 12 marker DNA matches
Genetics and Genealogy a Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
23.
begin in France. From there his y DNA matches travel the entire globe of the world
Stopping in exotic countries like, Spain, Italy, Germany, Morocco, Ivory Coast,
Belarus which reflects a touch of the Ashkenazi. There are more, but they are too
numerous to list here.
My artistic mind sees ancient migrations of the Cro Magnon
people and then the scene shifts to the cadence of ancient armies questing after gold,
lands and more than, better than. I also see my Taino ancestors loading their boats
preparing for the arduous and dangerous sea voyage that will end up in the Greater
Antilles. It's a breezy day and the salty smell of the sea permeates the air.
Occasionally a small gust of wind whips up the sand from the beach. The small
particles sting the flesh but the discomfort is a temporary one and supplies
are carefully loaded, the women bring roots to eat and to plant in the new land,
dried fish and meats. Fruits, vegetable and fresh water, enough to last a long trip at
sea, are loaded on their piragua. A small, live tree is loaded very carefully. Finally,
the tools of hunting were the last items brought. As the people boarded the piragua,
(large boat), their Bohiti, (shaman), sends up a fervent prayer to the Cemis for a
safe trip.
That scene was repeated several times over many thousands of years. It has been
estimated that at least four migrations took place that brought my ancestors to the
Greater Antilles. You see, they also were expert at navigating the oceans as well as
the land. It would make an impressive painting. No?
Genetics and Genealogy a Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
24.
After reading through this article I hope you come to realize why I had to share the
story of my Taino ancestors as well as to tell you about my Spanish ancestors.
Genealogy not only involves researching your family tree but it also involves
brushing up a little on your ancestors lives within a specific time period in history.
I was very fortunate that my maternal family passed on their family history to me
in the manner of my ancestors. They passed to me their knowledge of herbal
medicines as well. Ananon, Aciba, Ababol, Ambey, Anacahuita. And that is just
some of the "a" medicines. The list goes on. The point I am trying to make is to talk
to the elders in your family. You will find that they are a virtual living library of
history.
Genealogy has also become very complex now that DNA science has gotten into the
picture as well. Now one has to get reeducated in the basics of biology in order to
fully understand the complexities of self and one's ancestors migratory patterns on a
cellular level as well.
On October 5, 2006 Family Tree DNA granted my request to have my
mtDNA kit changed to reflect my rich Taino indigenous heritage. Family Tree DNA
also adjusted the status of my wife and her brother's kits that are also of Taino
Haplo group A indigenous descent.
To Sum it up. If a person tests and provides Puerto Rican or Cuban, Dominican
Republic nationality and Taino, FTDNA will list this as their ancestry. If
that is what they report to them, that is what they will report in their database.
Genetics and Genealogy a Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
25.
The only way FTDNA would override or edit that designation if they saw their entry
in the data base next to a haplo group result that would make that impossible, like
an African or European haplo group. If people that match my mtDNA sequences
and mutations or others who have Taino ancestry contact FTDNA and state that
they would like the Taino ancestry also listed for themselves, because their families
were Puerto Ricans and they match Puerto Ricans who claim Taino ancestry,
FTDNA would be happy to change their kits, even on HVR I matches. FTDNA isn't
going to automatically change things for people because they share results with
people who list Puerto Rican Taino ancestry, however, but if requested, as they were
in the past by me, FTDNA would be happy to update them. In essence, and put
more simply people have to formally request in writing on their permission slips
which also serve as an authorization to share their results with others who match
their mtDNA. They must state that their ancestry is rooted deeply within ancient
Taino blood lines.
This was something that Padre Jose A. Oquendo Pabon and his sister, Dr. Ana
Oquendo Pabon had been trying to accomplish since they founded the Puerto Rican
DNA Geographic Project. In the recent past Dr. Ana Oquendo Pabon had even sent
mtDNA papers that had been written on the subject of Caribbean mtDNA studies to
FTDNA to post within their Web site library. In essence, without me knowing about
it at the time, and before I had joined the DNA Project they had set the stage for me
before hand. A little synchronicity, wouldn't you say? All my mtDNA matches were
in place too.
Genetics and Genealogy a Path to Self Discovery
John Browne Ayes
26.
I am very honored because I and my unique and very ancient mtDNA and insistent
E mails I sent to FTDNA served as the final catalyst to get their dream fulfilled as
well as my goal to see that the Taino ancestors and their many descendants get
a better chance to take their rightful place in the world of light and
life and out of the darkness of extinction. There are many others out here working
upon the different issues of Taino besides myself.
So, the painting has turned into a mural and what I see in my mind is wonderful.
Perhaps I will paint out those old boundaries that my ancestors the Spanish brought
with them and they will be finally forgotten and abandoned and all the children of
our ancestors will come together once again.
It was a monumental happening and adventure that ended just days before the
anniversary of Columbus' historic journey in search of an Asian trade route that
ended quite by accident in what is now the Greater Antilles.
The issue of the "extinction" of my indigenous ancestors is very important to
disprove in terms of my own and so many other's personal sense of identity.
MtDNA science has opened the door just a wee bit to allow for the opportunity of
changing history as it was once written. History is being changed from moment to
moment and as DNA science advances and new discoveries are made, who knows
what will come next for us amateur genealogists to discover and explore within our
family trees.
Access: Public
