Cacique

For other uses, see Cacique (disambiguation).

A Cacique (Spanish: [kaˈθike]; Portuguese: [kɐˈsikɨ, kaˈsiki]; feminine form: cacica) is a leader of an indigenous group, derived from the Taíno for the pre-Columbian chiefs or leaders of tribes in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles and the northern Lesser Antilles.

The Spanish used the word as a title for the leaders of the other indigenous groups that they encountered in the Western Hemisphere territories they occupied. In Colonial Mexico, caciques and their families were considered part of the Mexican nobility, often also holding the Spanish noble honorific don and doña and some having entailed estates or cacicazgos. The records of many of these Mexican estates are held in the Mexican national archives in a section Vínculos ("entails").

In Mexico, the Spaniards' use of the term cacique to designate indigenous rulers had important implications since individuals and communities might claim a status for which, in the indigenous system of nomenclature, they would not have fulfilled the criteria.

In the modern Spanish language, the term has come to mean a local political boss who exercises significant power.

The term is also used in the Portuguese language to describe the leaders of indigenous communities in Brazil. It is also frequently used in Portugal to describe how certain influential and well-known students use their powerful social character to influence student body elections in the student movement in Portugal's major universities.

In Spain, Portugal and Brazil, the word is most commonly used in a third sense, "a person in a village or region who exercises excessive influence in political matters."

History

Cacique comes from the Taíno word kassiquan, meaning "to keep house."

In the Taíno culture, the cacique rank was apparently established through democratic means. His importance in the tribe was determined by the size of his tribe rather than his warlord skills since the Taínos were mostly a pacifist culture. They also enjoyed several privileges for their standing: they lived in a larger rectangular hut in the centre of the village and had a special sitting place for the areytos (ceremonial dances) and the ceremonial ball game.

Caciquismo

The derivative term "Caciquismo" has been used to describe a democratic system subverted by the power of local bosses (caciques), who successfully influence the electoral process in their favour. It has been used most notably to refer to late nineteenth century Spain and twentieth century Mexico.

It is arguable that Galicia, a province in the northwest of Spain has been kept in a continual state of strangulated growth over centuries as a result of caciquismo and nepotism. As mentioned by Ramon Akal Gonzalez on Page 111 of his Obra Completa II [1977], "Galicia still suffers from this anachronistic caste of caciques". Among the scions of the Galician cacique clans that originated from this region of Spain are such absolutist rulers as Francisco Franco, Fidel Castro and Jorge Videla.

The persistence of archaic political forces in present-day Latin America manifests itself primarily in the large role that caciquismo still plays, even in countries sufficiently advanced to prevent personal dictatorships by caudillos.

Taino Dynasty

Main article: List of Taínos

• Agüeybaná (The Great Sun)
• Agüeybaná II (The Brave)
• Anacaona
• Arasibo
• Brizuela
• Caguax
• Comerío
• Enriquillo
• Guacanagari
• Guamá
• Guarionex
• Habaguanex
• Hatuey
• Hayuya
• Huarea
• Jumacao
• Loquillo
• Orocobix
• Urayoán

See also

• Cassique
• Curaca
• Kalku
• Lonko
• Machi (shaman)
• Gregor MacGregor, he claimed to be cacique of Poyais, a fictional Central American country.