The Arawak are a group of Indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. The term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to different Indigenous groups, from the Lokono of South America to the Taíno (Island Arawaks), who lived in the Greater Antilles and northern Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean.

Apr 2, 2025 · Arawak, American Indians of the Greater Antilles and South America. The Taino, an Arawak subgroup, were the first native peoples encountered by Christopher Columbus on Hispaniola. The island Arawak were virtually wiped out by the combination of Old World diseases and Spanish violence and oppression.

Jun 19, 2019 · The Arawaks were the first people to live in the Caribbean islands and parts of South America. They were also the first to be seen by Columbus and his men. Their name, pronounced “air-ah-wack”, refers to their main crop, cassava root.

Mar 23, 2023 · The Arawak people are believed to have originated in the Amazon Basin and later spread throughout South America and the Caribbean. They were skilled farmers and fishermen who cultivated cassava, yams, and other crops, and used canoes to navigate the rivers and coasts of their territories.

Feb 29, 2020 · The Arawak are a group of peoples Indigenous to the Caribbean and South America. They are believed to have originally been from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela. This once vibrant community had an estimated population in the millions until the Spanish conquistadors came along.

Oct 14, 2024 · The Arawak people, also known as Taíno in the Caribbean and Lokono on the South American mainland, were among the earliest inhabitants of Trinidad. They originated from the Orinoco River Delta in modern-day Venezuela and migrated into the Caribbean islands, where they formed agrarian societies.

Feb 11, 2021 · Arawak: Indigenous Caribbeans. Whilst 62% of Puerto Ricans are the direct maternal descendants of the Arawaks’, little is known about the longest running ancestry of indigenous Caribbeans to date. Written by Editorial 11/02/2021

The group that self-identified as the Arawak, also known as the Lokono, settled the coastal areas of Guyana, Suriname, Grenada, Jamaica, and parts of the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The Spaniards arrived in the Americas in 1492 and later in Puerto Rico but did not bring women on their first expeditions.

Taino (Arawak) Indians. The Taino, also known as the Arawaks, migrated from the Caribbean coast of South America, moving northward along the island chain of the lesser Antilles to the greater Antilles, around 1200 ce. They were agriculturalists whose basic food crops—corn, manioc, and beans—were supplemented by hunting and fishing.

Explore the rich history & resilience of the Arawak people in the Caribbean. Discover their diversity, colonial impact, and ongoing cultural revival movements. Learn about Taíno, Kalinago, Lokono, and more!