Guacanagaríx facts for kids

Guacanagarix was one of five important leaders, called caciques, on the Caribbean island known today as Hispaniola. This was when Europeans first arrived in 1492 with Christopher Columbus.

Guacanagarix was the chief of the Marién area, which covered the northwest part of the island.

Guacanagarix and Christopher Columbus

Guacanagarix met Christopher Columbus after Columbus's ship, the Santa María, was wrecked during his first trip to the New World. Guacanagarix allowed Columbus to build a small settlement called La Navidad near his village.

However, the Spanish settlers who stayed there were later killed by a rival tribe. This happened before Columbus came back on his second trip.

A Difficult Choice

Guacanagarix chose not to join other caciques who wanted to force the Spanish out of the island. Instead, he often helped the European settlers by giving them information.

The "Guacanagarix Complex"

In the Dominican Republic, people sometimes use the term "Guacanagarix complex." This term describes someone who seems more interested in foreign cultures than in their own country's culture.

See also

In Spanish: Guacanagarix para niños

• Taíno people
• Spanish West Indies
• Chiefdoms of Hispaniola