It all happened so fast. Ships coming into the shore line and landing, women, men and children screaming, the white people claimed they found this land. We, the Tainos, raised our children here before the white people arrived. It was the beginning of a new hell.
The day they arrived was the day we thought we would die. The worst thing to say is, I wished we died that day. We were all pulled into a circle and this white man named Columbus gave us instructions. We were to find gold and a certain amount of it. If we didn’t we paid the price. This land was his now. As unfair as it was, we were out numbered. His people were armed with weapons such as muzzle loaders, battle axes, machetes, and armour. My dearest friend tried to rebel and declare his words of freedom, but Columbus killed him where he stood. We were too frightened and we didn’t know what to do. The men disposed of the body. Columbus protested if we didn’t do what was told we would be put to death.
I remember one day we were standing in line to hand in our gold and the man in front of me didn’t have any in his hands. Columbus’ men didn’t let the man put one word in, the grabbed his hand and chopped it off at the wrist. I witnessed the whole ordeal. It was incredibly painful to just stand there and watch this go down.
Us, Tainos put up with a lot while Columbus was our “ruler”. There was slavery, discrimination, abuse, sprees of murders, starvation, and the fear death always crossed our minds. This is our story.
Miranda Deline
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