Posted: Sun 25 Feb 2007 00:08 Post subject: Discovery of the Boricua "Eve" (translated article)
Discovery of the Boricua "Eve"
by Carmen Millán Pabón
original article in Spanish
posted in "El Nuevo Dia" (Puerto Rico) 5 February 2007
(English translation by Hiáli Nahual-Quiñonez)
"6 out of 10 Puerto Ricans have an Amerindian ancestor", (was the conclusion) according to a (2003) study.
The overly simplified vision that defines a Puerto Rican as "a mixture of Spanish, African and Taíno" is now being challenged again after the scientific discovery of 19 strains of Native American maternal lineages which could be described as the mitochondrial "Eves" of all Boricuas (Puerto Ricans) alive today.
This discovery adds a new twist to the DNA findings done in 2003, (a scientific study which revealed that 61% of Puerto Ricans have direct ancestor links to women of Native American origin- mostly Taino, 27% to African women of the Senegambian type and 12% to West Eurasian women, who did not conform to European haplogroup frequencies. HVR-I sequences of haplogroup U samples revealed a strong North African influence among the West Eurasian mtDNAs and a new sub-Saharan African clade.)*
* from the Oct. 2003 abstract
According to the investigative work done by Juan Carlos Martínez-Cruzado, a geneticist who specializes in molecular biology, and archaeologist/anthropologist, Juan Jose Ortiz-Aguilú, Native American lineage appears to have more in common with Puerto Ricans today, than the African or European (gene).**
** n.b. - the United States Census factbook incorrectly states that the population is: "white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%". This has been going on even before the U.S. invaded the island. Spanish authorities often did not count non-whites in the censuses, so the percentages have always been skewed, at least, until now.
The scientists revealed to "El Nuevo Dia" (a Puerto Rican newspaper) that new evidence is still being uncovered. Study and analysis of mitocondrial DNA, initially extracted from four examined bones and removed from their archaeological context by the Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica (AEE) in the municipality of Arecibo, have revealed 19 Native American women from whom these lineages stem from. These genetic inquiries have revealed, thus far, that the most common indigenous maternal lineage has a marker that places it as a native of South America, specifically, from the Amazon zone.
Additional details regarding new perspectives in Caribbean history will be documented in a special publication at the end of this year.
"It's interesting what molecular biology does for us. The proportion of 6 out of 10 was totally unexpected, given the historical evidence that we have about the formation of the Puerto Rican people so far", commented Ortiz-Aguilú. He emphasized that, from the earliest grades, schoolchildren are instilled with the unquestionable fact that the Indigenous population simply "disappeared" during the Spanish conquest.
"Spanish Conquistadores co-habiting with African and Native American women, and then (later on in the period of colonization) marry European women. That was common knowledge. But, apparently the role of procreation (with regards to Puerto Rico) is better attributed to the Native American women who bore the children of Spanish and African men", the investigator points out.
According to the anthropologist, what stands out about that historical period in particular: the genocidal slaughter of the natives and the destruction of their establishments.
"Now that we know that 6 out of 10 Puerto Ricans have Amerindian mitochondrial DNA, we can clearly see that 16th Century Native American women played a more significant role during the historical formation of Puerto Rico than previously thought, with their very survival being their most important contribution (to the gene pool)", points out Ortiz.
The investigator insisted that "the survival of Native American women" is not the same as "the survival of Native American society". And although the society was destroyed, descendants or members of that society could have continued living on for decades.
Ortiz-Aguilú underscores this by pointing out that the proliferation of their vocabulary, ideas about natural traditional medicine, as well as their traditional diet, are all still intrinsic parts of our social reality today.
"Taino women were raising the children and, in doing so, kept their beliefs and customs alive."
Prohibited Education
The intention of this ongoing study is quite ambitious, it intends to expand its studies to the present-day population of Santo Domingo, as well.
The latest challenge now is to figure out the regional origins of the 19 Amerindian lineages and, which of those 19, apply specifically to Puerto Rico. These new genetic clues will provide more avenues for further research on the pre-Columbian history of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, as well as new theories on the processes that have led to the formation of today's Puerto Rican society.
Without wishing to stir up any controversies, but using scientific evidence to back them up, both investigators have agreed on one thing about Puerto Ricans: "We are not Indian, African, nor European. We are Boricuas with a multiplicity of biological characteristics. Although we have figured out (through studies) that 60% have Native American bloodlines, that doesn't mean that we are exclusively Taino (Native American)", indicated Ortiz-Aguilú.
He stressed that now is the right time for ethno-historians and anthropologists to reconsider the theory that has been taught to children in school. "The findings will enrich the way we teach history from a critical perspective. They incite curiosity to critically analyze our historical process", expressed Pedro Vega, Director of the Department of Education's Social Studies program.
Notwithstanding, whatever the final conclusion of these genetic and anthropological studies may be, would take some time before text books, which teach that the Puerto Rican is an amalgam of Spanish, African and Native American, actually change to reflect this new knowledge.
Joined: 04 May 2005 {Posts: 2021 } Location: santiago, chile
Posted: Sun 25 Feb 2007 02:17 Post subject: Great Job
Great article!
The truth is comming.
I believe the surprise in Puerto Rico is like the one Argentineans suffered when they discovered theirs grandmothers were Amerindians, and not Europeans as they believed.
I wonder, when a similar study will be done in the U.S.
Posted: Sun 25 Feb 2007 03:31 Post subject: Discovery of the Boricua "Eve" (translated article)
I have always felt this way about Puerto Rico, but because so many people are "passing" as white (for whatever reasons) it was difficult to tell. Well, now science has put on the blindfold and measured the masses. It would be interesting to see the outcome of all of this.
As for the U.S., they already are. I believe last month there was a documentary on PBS (the Public Broadcast System) for African-Americans. They took several well-known celebrities and challenged their roots: Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, astronaut Mae Jemison, Chris Tucker (the comedian-actor) and others. The results were surprising for some of them and emotional for all.
Joined: 04 May 2005 {Posts: 2021 } Location: santiago, chile
Posted: Sun 25 Feb 2007 04:02 Post subject: Re: Discovery of the Boricua "Eve" (translated article)
storm rydah wrote:
I have always felt this way about Puerto Rico, but because so many people are "passing" as white (for whatever reasons) it was difficult to tell. Well, now science has put on the blindfold and measured the masses. It would be interesting to see the outcome of all of this.
As for the U.S., they already are. I believe last month there was a documentary on PBS (the Public Broadcast System) for African-Americans. They took several well-known celebrities and challenged their roots: Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, astronaut Mae Jemison, Chris Tucker (the comedian-actor) and others. The results were surprising for some of them and emotional for all.
Well, I don't mean a study to look for African roots, but for Native roots in the general population. I believe many whites and blacks have Amerindian ancestors, and they don't even know it.
I hope PBS or other institution do that one day, at last. Remember that the denial is with respect to Native American heritage. That happened in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina and some other countries of the Americas that used to say theirs Natives were "extinct". Genetics show them wrong.
The U.S. hasn't done a similar large scale study as yet. Why?
I leave that one alone for someone else to answer. I understood your question in reference to the U.S.
I am putting together something on this myself ( I am a filmmaker). The amount of info is enormous, even in relation to PR. There's so much to sift through.
At least people are finally getting into the DNA swing of things.
Joined: 04 May 2005 {Posts: 2021 } Location: santiago, chile
Posted: Sun 25 Feb 2007 04:33 Post subject:
storm rydah wrote:
I leave that one alone for someone else to answer. I understood your question in reference to the U.S.
I am putting together something on this myself ( I am a filmmaker). The amount of info is enormous, even in relation to PR. There's so much to sift through.
At least people are finally getting into the DNA swing of things.
Hiali
That's amazing!
Perhaps when you finish your report, and after is broadcasted, you could send me a copy. I would be very glad to see it.
And I am glad the extinctions of the Tainos was just a myth.
And yes! You know why I am looking that information about the U.S. . Nobody else noticed it before, but you got it at once
Posted: Wed 30 May 2007 19:18 Post subject: Re: Discovery of the Boricua "Eve" (translated article)
Storm Rydah wrote:
I have always felt this way about Puerto Rico, but because so many people are "passing" as white (for whatever reasons) it was difficult to tell. Well, now science has put on the blindfold and measured the masses. It would be interesting to see the outcome of all of this.
As for the U.S., they already are. I believe last month there was a documentary on PBS (the Public Broadcast System) for African-Americans. They took several well-known celebrities and challenged their roots: Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, astronaut Mae Jemison, Chris Tucker (the comedian-actor) and others. The results were surprising for some of them and emotional for all.
Who says they are passing? White is a subjective ethnic term. While Mitochondrial DNA is predominantly Native, Y-Chromosome DNA is predominantly European. As there is no specific one drop rule, it has to do with identification purely. If most have been raised to identify with their European roots, they will probably consider themselves White, regardless of what their DNA says. So technically they are not passing. They are stating what they see themselves as.
And, that makes a world of sense, but it does not hold true for everyone. Some people DON'T want you to know about certain traits which run through the family. Puerto Rican literature of the 20th century has many works which focus on the "identity" aspect of Puerto Rico. The fact that a poem called: "Y tu abuela, donde 'ta" resonated so well on many levels for a lot of us inidcates a tendency to create false realities based on our knowledge of our own actual ones. Events such as the Blood Registry (c.1815) allowed persons to "purchase" their whiteness if they could prove that at least ONE parent was Spanish for FOUR GENERATIONS back. We DID have a focus on "race" issues, otherwise these laws would NOT have existed to begin with.
Read Clara Rodriguez work on the "Browning Theory"..... there are excerpts which point towards the topic of self-perception, as well as how we perceive others. I can't recall the titles, but I am sure she is googable. There are many books which address "race" and how Puerto Ricans perceive it. One such book is Kinsbruner's "Not of Pure Blood". While there are plenty of others to choose from as well, this one is a good jump-off point for the avid ethnographer/historian. Its footnotes can lead you to other source materials.
And, since books are simply people's personal opinions based on whatever, the only thing we can go by are intellectual discourses based on the scientific and other evidential facts that arise as salient points within those books.
'
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. Nobody else noticed it before, but you got it at once 