The Desmond Center for Community Engagement and Wellness, a Mount Saint Mary College initiative, will present a screening of the documentary We Are Still Here: The Taino Lives! on Wednesday, October 16 at 6 p.m.
The closing event of the Desmond Center’s Hispanic Heritage Month series will feature the film’s director, Ermelinda Cortes, giving an insightful post-film question and answer session.
The event will take place in Guzman Hall on campus, room 101. The Mount is located at 330 Powell Ave., Newburgh, N.Y. The showing free, but space is limited and you must register to attend. To register, visit bit.ly/dccewoctober2024. Confirmation will be sent to accepted registrants 24 to 48 hours prior to the event.
We Are Still Here: The Taino Lives! encompasses a decade of research on the diversified people of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. It addresses the vibrant evolution of the ancestral amalgam of the African, Spanish, and Taino, an indigenous people previously believed to be extinct.
The award-winning film features the Curator of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, Dr. L. Antonio Curet, discussing the Archaeological Project of Tibes, Puerto Rico. The film explores the findings of this groundbreaking DNA study, confirming Indigenous Taino MTDNA in present-day Puerto Ricans.
Many share their personal histories, including Tai Pelli, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues speaker; Taino Elder, a Smithsonian NMAI Researcher from the Dominican Republic; and Jorge Estevez, who educates the public on the Taino Identity Beyond Columbus.
For more information about upcoming Desmond Center events, visit www.msmc.edu/wellness