Columbus was the first European to witness the artistry of the Taíno people, upon which this exhibit was focused. When the Genoan navigator arrived in the island region he named the “West Indies”, he and his crewmembers observed the unique shamanic rituals of the Taíno people, many of which were performed with the aid of mythical figures crafted from wood and bone, known as cemíes. This exhibit displays examples of these objects, along with many others related to the religious and social life of the Caribbean Taíno people.
