Popular history's account of the Tainos' fate is incorrect; descendants of the Tainos are alive today.  According to Science Daily, the confirmation came in the form of scientists who sequenced the mitochondrial DNA from the tooth of a "Taino" woman who lived during the 8th - 10th century in what is now the Bahamas.  The DNA showed significant matches to modern day Puerto Ricans and people in Northern South America.  Additional studies will be needed to confirm the genetic legacies of other people claiming Taino heritage.

Why were the Tainos believed to be dead?

The National Geographic article 'Meet the survivors of a ‘paper genocide’ used the term "paper genocide" to describe the Tainos no longer being included in census counts.  The same article claims that following a 1565 census count approximately 200 Tainos in Hispanola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) were declared extinct.  A woman in the article traces her family to the mid 1700s were they are identified as Negro one year and Indo some years earlier.  Were the Tainos being falsely represented on paper? This begs the question, did the same thing happen in Jamaica?

Do contemporary Jamaican Tainos exist?

Back in 2014, Jamaican newspaper, the Gleaner, told the story of Dr. Erica Neeganagwedgin (pictured here) and her family lineage of African and Taino peoples.  The article declares Jamaican Tainos "alive and well".

How does this revelation change our understanding of history?

As we learn more our history changes and our understanding of the world evolves.   For those with Taino ancestry they get to reclaim a part of them if they were previously unaware.  For those who were aware of their lineage they get to live their truth out loud.