Hayuya (born c. 1470s) was the
Taíno
The Taíno are the Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, Indigenous peoples of the Greater Antilles and surrounding islands. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the principal inhabitants of most of what is now The ...
Cacique
A cacique, sometimes spelled as cazique (; ; feminine form: ), was a tribal chieftain of the Taíno people, who were the Indigenous inhabitants of the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles at the time of European cont ...
(Chief) who governed the area in
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
which now bears his name (which is now spelled "
Jayuya").
Arrival of the Conquistadors
When the Spaniards arrived in "Borikén" (the Taíno name for Puerto Rico), they were greeted with open arms by the Taínos, who lived a peaceful and organized life. This made it easy for
Juan Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de León ( – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and ''conquistador'' known for leading the first official European expedition to Puerto Rico in 1508 and Florida in 1513. He was born in Santervás de Campos, Valladolid, Spain, in ...
and his men to conquer the island. Before the Spaniards arrived, the Taínos had a form of government where each region had a tribe headed by a Cacique. Some of the Caciques, like Hayuya, were more powerful than others. They all, however, responded to the "Supreme Cacique", which at that time was
Agueybana. The area that Hayuya dominated is considered to be the "birth place" of the Taíno culture in the island.
[Moon Puerto Rico (Moon Handbooks); Suzanne Van Atten (Author); Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing; Second Edition; ; ]
However, the Spaniards soon started to enslave the natives. On February 1511, Agueybana's brother Güeybaná, better known as
Agüeybaná II (The Brave), and Urayoan (The
Añasco Cacique), and their men drowned
Diego Salcedo. They watched Salcedo's body to see whether he would resuscitate: when he didn't, the Taínos realized that the Spaniards were not gods and thus, the Taínos became rebellious.
Chronicles of the Indias
According to the ''Chronicles of the Indias'' which are found in
Seville
Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
, Spain, Hayuya lived and governed the area which is now named after him, in the interior central part of Puerto Rico. On September 7, 1513, Juan Ponce de León, who was appointed governor by the "Spanish Crown", sent troops headed by Alonso Niño and Alonso de Mendoza to quash the rebellious Taínos. When they arrived at Hayuya's village, they proceeded to raid and murder its inhabitants. They burned the village to the ground. The Taínos that survived were taken as prisoners and some were made to work the
mines as slaves. The others were sent to Spain where they were sold as slaves for 145 "
peso
The peso is the monetary unit of several Hispanophone, Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, as well as the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries of the Americas, the symbol com ...
s". Eventually, the Taínos died from working in the mines or from the
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
epidemic.
Legacy
The "National Indigenous Festival" (
Festival Nacional Indígena) which honors the memory of Hayuya and the Taíno heritage is celebrated annually on November 24 in the town of Jayuya. There is a monument of Hayuya, the only one of its kind to be dedicated to a Taíno Cacique, located in Jayuya's Cultural Center next to a Taíno tomb. It was sculpted by Puerto Rican artist
Tomás Batista
Tomás Batista (born December 7, 1935) is a Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican sculptor. He is the creator of some of Puerto Rico's most notable monuments.
Early years
Batista (birth name: Tomás Batista Encarnación) was born and raised in Luquillo, ...
in 1969. Hayuya is also represented in the town's
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
.
See also
*
List of Puerto Ricans
This is a list of notable people from Puerto Rico which includes people who were born in Puerto Rico (Borinquen) and people who are of full or partial Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican descent. Puerto Rican citizens are included, as the governm ...
*
List of Taínos
This is a list of known Taíno, some of whom were ''caciques'' (male and female tribal chiefs). Their names are in ascending alphabetical order and the table may be re-sorted by clicking on the arrows in the column header cells.
The Taíno were ...
*
Agüeybaná
*
Agüeybaná II
*
Arasibo
Aracibo (born c. 1480s) was a Taíno ''Cacique'' in Puerto Rico who governed the area which is now named after him (now spelled Arecibo).
Pre-Columbian era
Aracibo governed a tribe whose village was located by the shore of the river "Abacoa" (n ...
*
Jumacao
Jumacao a.k.a. Jumaca (born ''c''. 1480s) was the Taíno people, Taíno Cacique (Chief) of the area in Puerto Rico named after him (now spelt Humacao, Puerto Rico, Humacao).
Before and after the arrival of the Conquistadors
The Taínos, who lived ...
*
Orocobix
*
Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center
References
External links
City of Jayuya Website
{{PRIndependence
1470s births
Year of death missing
Taíno leaders
16th-century monarchs in North America
16th-century indigenous leaders of the Americas
Taíno people from Puerto Rico