Hatuey: The Caribbean Chief Who Chose Hell Over Heaven

<p>The Taino chief Hatuey (<em>ah-Twei</em>) was born in the late 1400s on Gonave Island next to Hispaniola (<a href="https://dbpedia.org/page/Hatuey" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">1</a>).</p> <p>With little being known of his birthdate or early life, historians speculate he had assumed the status of&nbsp;<em>cacique</em>&nbsp;(chief) among the Taino peoples around the period of Cristoforo Colombo&rsquo;s expeditions (1492&ndash;1502).</p> <p>The Taino largely inhabited the islands of the Caribbean and were known for many innovations, including the&nbsp;<em>canoe</em>, the&nbsp;<em>hammock</em>,&nbsp;<em>tobacco</em>, and even&nbsp;<em>barbeque&nbsp;</em>(<a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/what-became-of-the-taino-73824867/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">2</a>). Their civilization in Hispaniola peaked by 1494 when Colombo established the first European settlement on the northern coast.</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/hatuey-the-caribbean-chief-who-chose-hell-over-heaven-191f8893a6ea"><strong>Website</strong></a></p>