Agueybana
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Agüeybaná (died 1510), was the principal Cacique (Chief) of the Tainos and the most powerful governing Taíno in "Boriken" (Puerto Rico) when the Spaniards first arrived.
Agüeybaná, whose name means "The Great Sun", lived with his tribe in "Guaynia" (Guayanilla) located by the river of the same name, on the southern part of the island. All the other Caciques were subject to and had to obey Agüeybaná, even though they governed their own tribes.
Agüeybaná, believing that the Spaniards were gods, received the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León with open arms upon his arrival in 1508. According to an old Taíno tradition, Agüeybaná became guaitiao (friends) with Ponce de León, and their wives exchanged names. Ponce de León baptized the Cacique's mother into the Christian religion and renamed her Inés. The hospitality and friendly treatment that the Spaniards received from Agüeybaná made it easy for them to conquer the island.
The Cacique joined Ponce de León in the exploration of the island. After this had been accomplished, Agüeybaná accompanied the conquistador to the island of "Española" (This is what today comprises the nations of the Dominican Republic and Haiti); there he was well received by the Governor Nicolás de Ovando.
Agüeybaná's actions helped to maintain the peace between the Taínos and the Spaniards. This, however, was only a short-lived peace because the Spaniards soon took advantage of the Taínos' good faith and enslaved them: forcing them to work in the islands gold mines and in the construction of forts. Many Taínos died as a result.
Agüeybaná's brother, "Agüeybaná II" had his doubts about the "godly" status of the Spaniards and he came up with a plan to test these doubts; he and Urayoán (Cacique of Añasco) sent some of their tribe members, to lure a Spaniard by the name of Diego Salcedo into a river and drown him. They watched over Salcedo's body to make sure that he would not resuscitate. Salcedo's death was enough to convince him and the rest of the Taínos that the Spaniards were not gods.
Agüeybaná (I), upon receiving this shocking news, organized a revolt and under his leadership the Taínos raided many of the Spanish settlements. However, Agüeybaná's people, who were only armed with spears and bows and arrows, were no match for the better armed Spanish forces. When Agüeybaná faced the forces of his former "friend" Ponce de León in 1510, he was shot dead.
The revolt failed and many Taínos either committed suicide or left the island. Many of those who stayed on the island soon died of either the cruel treatment that they had received or of the smallpox disease epidemic which had attacked the island.
Agüeybaná is admired in Puerto Rico for his duty to his people. Puerto Rico has named many public buildings and streets after him:
- The City of Bayamón has named a high school after him.
- There is a street in Caguas and
- An avenue in the area of Hato Rey, in San Juan, named after Agüeybaná.
See also
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