Hatuey

Hatuey (/ɑːˈtweɪ/), also Hatüey (/ˌɑːtuˈeɪ/; died February 2, 1512), was a Taíno cacique (chief) originally from the island of Hispaniola, who lived in the early sixteenth century and fled to Cuba during the Spanish conquest. He has attained legendary status for leading a group of natives in a fight against the invading Spaniards, and thus becoming one of the first fighters against colonialism in the New World. He is celebrated as "Cuba's First National Hero".[1] The 2010 film Even the Rain includes a cinematic account of Hatuey's execution.

Hatuey
The monument of Hatuey, in Baracoa city, Cuba—the place he besieged the most while fighting the Spanish forces.
Diedc. February 2, 1512
OccupationTaíno Cacique (chief)
Known for"Cuba's First National Hero."
Monument of Taino chief Hatuey in Yara city, depicting the moment he was burnt by Spanish soldiers, bound to a Tamarind tree planted in 1907.
Plate at the base of the monument. It reads "To the memory of Chief Hatuey, unforgettable native, precursor of the Cuban liberty, who offered his life, and glorified his rebellion in the martyrdom of the flames on 2/2/1512. Monuments Delegation of Yara, 1999".

History

In 1511, Diego Velázquez set out from Hispaniola to conquer the island of Cuba to steal gold and Taíno as slaves (Cuba's indigenous people, the Taíno, were previously recorded by Columbus). Velázquez was preceded, however, by Hatuey, who fled Hispaniola with a party of four hundred in canoes and warned some of the Native people of eastern Cuba about what to expect from the Spaniards.[2]

Bartolomé de Las Casas later attributed the following speech to Hatuey. He showed the Taíno of Caobana a basket of gold and jewels, saying:

Here is the God the Spaniards worship. For these they fight and kill; for these they persecute us and that is why we have to throw them into the sea... They tell us, these tyrants, that they adore a God of peace and equality, and yet they usurp our land and make us their slaves. They speak to us of an immortal soul and of their eternal rewards and punishments, and yet they rob our belongings, seduce our women, violate our daughters. Incapable of matching us in valor, these cowards cover themselves with iron that our weapons cannot break...[3]

The Taino chiefs in Cuba did not respond to Hatuey's message, and few joined him to fight. Hatuey resorted to guerrilla tactics against the Spaniards, and was able to confine them for a time. He and his fighters were able to kill at least eight Spanish soldiers. Eventually, using mastiffs and torturing the Native people for information, the Spaniards succeeded in capturing him. On February 2, 1512, he was tied to a stake and burned alive at Yara, near the present-day City of Bayamo.[4]

Before he was burned, a priest asked Hatuey if he would accept Jesus and go to heaven. Las Casas recalled the reaction of the chief:

[Hatuey], thinking a little, asked the religious man if Spaniards went to heaven. The religious man answered yes... The chief then said without further thought that he did not want to go there but to hell so as not to be where they were and where he would not see such cruel people. This is the name and honor that God and our faith have earned.[5]

Legacy

The town of Hatuey, located south of Sibanicú in the Camagüey Province of Cuba, was named after the Taíno hero.

Hatuey also lives on in as a beer brand name. Beer has been brewed in Santiago de Cuba and sold under the Hatuey brand name since 1927, initially by the native Cuban company, Compañia Ron Bacardi S.A.. After nationalization of industry in 1960, brewing was taken over by Empresa Cerveceria Hatuey Santiago. Beginning in 2011, the Bacardi family again began making beers in the United States to market under the Hatuey label.[6] Hatuey is also a brand of a type of sugary, non-alcoholic malt beverage called Malta.[7][8] Hatuey is also a brand of soda cracker.[9]

In a 2010 film shot in Bolivia, Even the Rain, Hatuey is a main character in the film-within-the-film.[10]

The logo of the Cuban cigar and cigarette brand Cohiba is a picture of Hatuey.

See also

References
  1. Running Fox, 'The Story of Cacique Hatuey, Cuba's First National Hero', La Voz del Pueblo Taíno (The Voice of the Taíno People) (United Confederation of Taino People, U.S. Regional Chapter, January 1998)
  2. J. A. Sierra. 'The Legend of Hatuey', The History of Cuba (August 2006). Retrieved September 9, 2006.
  3. Bartolomé de Las Casas, Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies. Translated by Nigel Griffin. (London: Penguin, 1999) ISBN 0-14-044562-5
  4. Barreiro, Jose "A Note on Taino," in Akwe, Cornell, View From the Shore, Pon Press, 1990
  5. "A violent evangelism: the political and religious conquest of the Americas", Luis N. Rivera, Luis Rivera Pagán, Westminster John Knox Press, 1992, ISBN 0-664-25367-9
  6. Klein, Lee. Hatuey Beer Returns as a Microbrew. Miami New Times, Dec. 6, 2011.
  7. Soda Pop Stop Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Malta Hatuey", Sodaficionado!, 30 July 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  9. "Hatuey".
  10. "También la lluvia".
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