Economic Organization

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE AMERICAS

WHAT IS AN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

Economic activity involves the means by which the societies attained their specific and general needs whether by subsistence to surplus farming , by nomadic approach to hunting, forms of trade, utilization of natural resources(e.g. fishing). Economic activity will also highlight the roles and contributions of different gender and age defined individuals in the process of meeting their needs.

PART 1

The Tainos

TAINO

The economic activities that theTainos took part in are:

1. 2. 3.

4.
5.

Farming Hunting Gathering Trading Fishing

FARMING

They engaged in subsistence farming- just enough for themselves. One way of subsistence farming is:

Conuco cultivation: system of large-scale agriculture producing starch and sugar rich foods

Crops grown include: manioc

Cassava Sweet potato Yam Tania Peanuts Arrowroot Maize Peppers Beans Tobacco Cotton Pumpkin

FARMING CONTD

Fruits grown:

Pineapple

Naseberry Guava Hug plum Sweet sop Sour sop Mammey apple Cashews Paw-paw

Young men felled trees, heaped the soil ,planted crops, cleared drains. Children helped clear crops of pest , weeding and chasing away birds. Women took care of crops , cleared weds, watered planted seeds and roots.

HUNTING

They hunted animals as a source of meat:

Birds Reptiles Small brocket deer Agouti Wild pigeons Dove Iguanas Snakes Turtle Parrots

They had simple but effective hunting tools e.g. compromised spears, darts, slings , nets and traps

FISHING

Hunting could not be the only source of food as it was not always sufficient to feed large villages. Fishing contributed to a major part of Taino food culture. Though an abundance of fish existed the tainos were sometime limited by their own fishing technologies (e.g. spears, hooks)

They fished for: green turtle

Catfish Mullet Eel shellfish e.g. conch oysters

To note: the Taino diet was rich in proteins, sugar, starch and fats ; a bad diet, malnutrition and diseases were avoided due their diet.

TRADING

The Tainos built canoes to conduct trading between the Caribbean islands. Things traded include cloth, tools, tobacco, weapons.

Kalinagos
PART 2

KALINAGOS

The Kalinago people had a less organized economic society due to the fact that they were more nomadic when compared to a more settled Taino people

FARMING AND GATHERING

They were also subsistence farming They also did conuco farming They did very little farming. The fruits eaten were gathered and other foods cultivated. Foods and fruits cultivated include: cassava

Sweet potatoes Arrow root(more extensive than Taino) Coconut Plantain Sugar cane

Nb- In Taino and Kalinago society women were responsible for crop production mixing and selection .

HUNTING &FISHING
The Kalinagos liked hunting They hunted and fished as a back-up for their farming They reared Muscovy duck and ate it They hunted: lizards

crabs Agouti Fish They did NOT eat turtle meat for they feared it would make them stupid They had a more advance hunting technology than the Tanoes Hunting technology include bow and arrow

PART 3

The Mayans

FARMING
Engaged in surplus farming they had enough to store for the future as well as to trade. Crops: pumpkins

Papayas Pears Cocoa Corn(main starch)

ANIMAL REARING & FISHING

They had animals such as :

Deers Jaguars Turkeys Ducks Rabbits Birds

The Mayans had many rivers so a lot of fishing was done and fish was a part of their diet. Fish was smoked/stewed with chili peppers eaten with tortillas.

TRADING
This was the main economic activity as goods were produced in surplus for that purpose-to trade. Trading was done through the bartering system were cocoa beans were used in place of currency For expensive purchases gold, jade and copper were used as means of exchange

TRADING CONTD
Trade by land and sea was carried out by ppolms and chontals(merchants responsible for trade) respectively Things they traded:

Various foods Cotton textiles Minerals Ceramics Gold Marine items Implements

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lest You Forget Caribbean Economy and Slavery by Doris Hamilton-Willie CXC Lecture Series Caribbean History by Nadine C. Atkinson Liberties Lost Caribbean Indigenous Societies and Slave Systems by Hilary McD. Beckles and Verene A. Sheperd The People Who Came Book 2 by James Carnegie and Patricia Patterson Caribbean Revision History For CXC by Peter Ashdown and Francis Humphreys Grade 8 History notebook