REFLECTIONS ABOUT CAGUAX

Written by:  Juan David Hernandez

Translated into English by:  Carmen Colon Delgado

This is written with the goal of exposing our position about Chief Caguax and his trajectory, as a representative of our city.  Caguax was considered by far one of the most important Taino Chiefs on the Island of Borinken; which motivates our study.  When Admiral Christopher Columbus arrived in America on his first trip, he stopped by the Island of Guanahani (San Salvador), Haiti and La Espanola, among others.  On his first trip he runs the Santa Maria ashore at La Espanola on 25 December 1492.  With its wood, the Fort of the Natividad is built.  The name of this religious holiday on which the event took place is given to the Fort.  Since Columbus was in need of sailing for Spain, he left 39 of his men back at the Fort, with the promise that he would come back for them the following year.
(1)  The next year, upon his return to Espanola, Columbus came across a sad surprise.  Here is what happened: "But they found that, the Fort had been destroyed and all of it's armor with their Commander Diego de Arana.  They died at the hands of the Indians"
(2).  Dr. Gonzalez Chanca and Fernandes Mendez, Salvador Brau
From that moment on, the conquistadors knew that their norms which, they imposed were no being well received by the native population.  Also, that the armed confrontation was an alternative which the native Antillian Americans would not renounce.  This is diametrically in opposition to the reality, which has been presented to us, not only through traditional formal education, but also through the judicial legal system.
Through time we have been led to believe that, our Native American ancestors were peaceful and that our people of Puerto Rico rejected violence.  We see that the documents which have been written point towards a contradictory reality; which we can temper down, based upon daily life's reality.  Dr. Fernando Pico has written several books related to the violence perpetrated upon the Puerto Rican people such as; "The Least Expected Day, The War after War and The Fighting Cocks," among others.

Supporting this affirmation, Gonzalez Fernandez point out a fact about Oviedo as follows: Just the same on this coast of the Meridian there are many good ports, and the manner of ships, animals, fish and, trees and the dress and habits of the people do not greatly differ from that of which I have said about the people of Hispaniola.  Except that the Indians of Sanct Johan are more war like and better with the arrows, but they do walk around naked and are of the same skin color and size" (3)

When Ponce de Leon gets his mandate to conquer Borinken, he could not conquer it without a fight.  This is why Ponce de Leon comes to our Island in 1506 and establishes a treaty of no aggression with the Paramount Sovereign Chief of the Natives, Chief Agueybana.  Don Aurelio Tio points out as follows: "Ponce de Leon arrived at Borinken in 1506 from Santo Domingo.  On this trip, Juan Gonzalez arrived as the interpreter.(4)
Dr. Alvarez Chanca We can then infer that, this was a trip of exploration, during which the blood pact (the Guaytiau pact) took place.  Dr. Loyda Figueroa sees this event as quite possible. (5)

As Fernandez de Oviedo points out: "And to this effect, he took a large caravel with some people and good Indian scouts, and it was on the land of the Principal King or Chief of that Island, who was Agueybana, like the river which is named after him.   He was very well received, the Indians having given them many things for their sustenance and, showing forth that they were glad to meet Christians and to be their friends.  His mother and the stepfather of the Chief demonstrated that they were glad to give things to the Christians, and to Juan Ponce de Leon's Captain; whose name was Luis de Anasco.  Chief Agueybana gave his name to Juan Ponce de Leon, him having taken his name of the same; with which they established a peace treaty.  This same Chief was a person of good report and very obedient to his mother.  She, being a woman of good, being old, had heard news of things having taken place during the conquest and pacification of the Hispaniola; therefore, to be prudent she counseled her son that the Indians befriend the Christians, if they did not wish to die at their hands." (6)  

 Besides having known that they would have to fight the Natives of the Antilles, the Spaniards knew that, the Indians had contact one with another, and also that there was contact between the Islands. The situation, then required much caution in each movement they made, because of the real possibility that the Natives could form alliances among themselves against the Spaniards.

 There are several sources, which establish that, there was a previous trip prior to the actual colonization of Puerto Rico.  The fact is self-evident in the cross- examination of Juan Gonzalez Ponce de Leon by the Council of the Indies.  This might indicate something different did happen, due to the fact that the questioning of the eye-witness did not happen until after 30 years of the event having taken place.  

The colonization of Puerto Rico commenced in 1509.  If there is something which we can attest to, is the fact is that the Spaniards came to our Island without a resistance on the part of our Natives.  This happened not because the Natives were peaceful, but because they had established a peace treaty with the Spaniards, known as the "Guaytiau" or blood pact.  The fact that Ponce de Leon's visit happened before the conquest started speaks of this.  Some historians establish that, it was in 1506, others that it did not happen until the year 1508.

We make this affirmation here because, at the Island of Hispaniola there had been a confrontation between the Spaniards and the Natives; which motivated the invaders to carry out this military strategy.  This had been confirmed by Chief Agueybana's mother, in her advise given to her son to carry out the pact.  Obviously the whole idea that the Natives thought of the invaders as immortal is pure fantasy and what happened to Salcedo is more a legend than an actual historical fact.  The reason for us to establish this fact here is because:

1) Our natives were warriors
2) There was communication between the Native aborigines of the different Islands
3) The Guaityau or blood pact carried out between Ponce de Leon and Chief Agueybana