Honoring the Ancestors in Jayuya, Coabey

Walking in Ceremony with Tribu Yuke De Boriké

On a beautiful clear day in Coabey, Boriken, near the sacred grounds of the Cemi Museum, we joined Tribu Yuke De Boriké for a land acknowledgment and welcoming ceremony circle to honor the ancestors and our visitors. This gathering, held in a Batey stewarded with care and reverence by Tribu Yuke, brought together members of the Borikua Taino Nation, students from MIT Terrascope, and participants from Diné College, all united in a shared intention of respect and connection and cultural exchange.

The ceremony was a moving experience, grounding everyone in the traditions and spirituality of our Taíno heritage. Together, we walked in ceremony, guided by ancestral wisdom and a collective sense of purpose. The circle embodied the strength of Indigenous unity and the importance of honoring those who came before us to foster a deeper understanding of our roots and shared journey and establish our lived experience as Indigenous peoples for the future leaders of climate justice in Boriken.

Afterward, visitors were invited to share in a community meal, featuring fresh native foods like yuca, beans, and fish, lovingly prepared by local chefs on the island. This meal was a celebration of the island's rich food traditions and a reminder of the deep connection between the land, the sea, and our ancestors.

This gathering at Coabey was a step forward in strengthening bonds across Indigenous communities and sharing in tradition with our kin. It reinforced the importance of coming together, honoring the past, and looking toward a sustainable and culturally rooted future.

Coabey is a site of deep cultural and historical significance for the Taíno people. The nearby Cemi Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing Taíno heritage, offering insights into the cosmology, spirituality, and daily life of Boriken’s first inhabitants. Through ceremonies like this, we continue to honor and celebrate the traditions that connect us to our ancestors and each other.

About Tribu Yuke De Boriké

We are the People of Taino, Arawak, Taino Arawak, Boricua (Borikua), Borinqueño, Jibaro, Carib, Afro-Indigenous Taino heritage; Indigenous to the Islands of Boriké, Vieques, Culebra, La Mona and commonly known to have populated the Greater and Lesser Antilles that include, but are not limited to Cuba (Siboney), Haiti (Quiskeya), Bahamas (Lucayos), St. Croix (Ayay), Jamaica (Yameke), the Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Tobago and the Diaspora, home of many Indigenous descendants of the original people of the Caribbean. We are the people of the Cemi. Our mission is to obtain land in Boriké to establish a “sovereign” Taino, Borikua (cua), Jibaro, Caribe, Arawak, Indigenous community where we can live our natural lifestyle and practice our ceremonial traditions.