La Historia Boricua - A History of Puerto Rico and her People

La Historia Boricua - A History of Puerto Rico and her People

Puerto Rico tiene una historia compleja y dinámica y poca conocida. Este podcast busca dar la a conocer contando los orígenes de su cultura y las luchas de su gente. Exploremos los cuentos que llenan los siglos desde que los primeros pies humanos pisaron las playas de la isla de Borinquen hasta hoy día, tejiendo así una narrativa cronológica y coherente de cómo hemos llegado aquí. Cubriremos la sociedad taína precolombina, la colonización y siglos bajo el imperio español, las luchas para independencia y autonomía como el Grito de Lares, la guerra hispanoamericana y la evolución política desde la Ley Foraker al Estado Libre Asociado y hasta la Ley PROMESA, las raíces de nuestra música desde la plena al reggaeton, y la formación de la diáspora puertorriqueña y cómo ha estado en constante diálogo con la isla. Acompáñanos en este recorrido si quieren entender los lazos históricos que han formado la nación puertorriqueña. Roberto Cancel Comas, boricua y antropólogo por formación con un posgrado en estudios de desarrollo y más de una década de experiencia en el ámbito internacional, será nuestro guía por este viaje por la Historia Boricua. --- Puerto Rico has a complex, dynamic, and little-known history. This podcast seeks to bring it to light by telling the story of its cultural origins and the struggles of its people. Let’s explore the tales that fill the centuries from the moment the first human feet touched the shores of the island of Borinquen up to the present day, weaving a chronological and coherent narrative of how we got here. We’ll cover pre-Columbian Taíno society, colonization and centuries under the Spanish Empire, the struggles for independence and autonomy such as the Grito de Lares, the Spanish-American War and the political evolution from the Foraker Act to the Commonwealth and the PROMESA Law, the roots of our music from plena to reggaetón, and the formation of the Puerto Rican diaspora and how it has remained in constant dialogue with the island. Join us on this journey if you want to understand the historical threads that have shaped the Puerto Rican nation. Roberto Cancel Comas, a Boricua and anthropologist by training with a graduate degree in development studies and over a decade of international experience, will be our guide on this journey through la Historia Boricua.

Episodes

May 24, 2025 8 mins

Presento mi visión e inspiración para este podcast y doy un resumen de los diferentes periodos de la historia de Puerto Rico que planeo cubrir. Comparto las referencias principales para el podcast que son los siguiente libros:

Si quieren apoyar a esta iniciativa educacional puedes visitar nuestra página en Patreon, aquí: patreon.com/HistoriaBoricua

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I present my vision and inspiration for this podcast and provide an overview of the different periods of Puerto Rico’s history that I plan to cover. I also share the main reference works for the podcast, which are the following books:

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Revisamos la información disponible, en base de la más reciente evidencia, sobre la evolución de los pueblos indígenas que primero poblaron Puerto Rico y su contribución a la cultura taína y eventualmente nuestra identidad puertorriqueña.

Para más información sobre este tema les comparto algunos de mis referencias para el episodio:

  1. Current Perspectives in the Precolonial Archaeology of Puerto Rico: https://www.researchgate.net...
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In this episode, we look at the information available about the evolution of the Indigenous peoples who first populated Puerto Rico, based on the most recent evidence, as well as their contribution to Taíno culture and, eventually, to our Puerto Rican identity.

For more information about this topic please see the primary references for this episode linked below:

  • Current Perspectives in the Precolonial Archaeology of Puerto Ric...
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Miramos lo que sabemos del Idioma taíno, las limitaciones que existen a nuestro conocimiento, y su impacto en cómo hablamos hoy día.

Si quieres más información sobre el tema puedes ver las referencias principales del episodio a continuación:

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July 23, 2025 32 mins

In this episode, we look at what we know about the Taíno language, the limitations that exist in our knowledge, and its impact on how we speak today.

If you'd like more information on the topic, please have a look at the main references I used for the episode below:

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En esta primera entrevista del podcast hablo con el arqueólogo boricua, experto en los pueblos prehistóricos de Puerto Rico y el Caribe, y en general muy buena gente, el Profesor Reniel Rodríguez Ramos de la Universidad de Puerto Rico recinto de Utuado. Conversamos sobre cuando llegaron las primeras personas al archipiélago y cómo vivían, sobre el concepto de la “tainidad”, y que son los mejores sitios arqueológicos para visitar si...

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August 20, 2025 37 mins

Exploramos el mundo espiritual de los pueblos taínos, incluyendo sus principales figuras, los ciclos míticos, y otras de sus creencias.

Si quieres más información sobre el tema puedes ver las referencias principales del episodio a continuación:

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September 3, 2025 32 mins

In this episode, we explore the spiritual world of the Taíno peoples, including their main figures, mythic cycles, and other beliefs.

If you want more information on the topic, please see the main references for the episode below:

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September 17, 2025 33 mins

Repasamos algunas de las características de las sociedades taínas, incluyendo sus divisiones, roles importantes y celebraciones, y como estas variaban entre diferentes comunidades.

Si quieres más información sobre el tema puedes ver las referencias principales del episodio a continuación:

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In this episode, we have a look at some of the characteristics of Taino societies, including their divisions, important roles, and celebrations, and how these varied among different communities.

If you want more information on the topic, please see the main references for the episode below:

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En esta segunda entrevista del podcast hablo con dos representantes de la Confederación Unida del Pueblo Taíno, una institución representativa indígena para promover la autodeterminación y la protección de los derechos humanos, la cultura, las tradiciones y las tierras sagradas de los Taínos y otros Pueblos Indígenas del Caribe. Específicamente tengo el honor de hablar con el presidente de la Confederación Kasike Múkaro Agüeibaná B...

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In this second podcast interview, I speak with Kasike Múkaro Agüeibaná Borrero, the President of the United Confederation of Taino People, an indigenous representative institution that promotes the self-determination and protection of the human rights, culture, traditions, and sacred lands of Taíno and other Caribbean Indigenous Peoples. We discuss how the Taíno peoples have continued to exist to this day, the Classical Taíno langu...

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En esta segunda entrevista del podcast hablo con Tai Pelli, Oficial de Relaciones Internacionales y Derechos Humanos de la Confederación Unida del Pueblo Taíno, una institución representativa indígena para que promueve la autodeterminación y la protección de los derechos humanos, la cultura, las tradiciones y las tierras sagradas de los Taínos y otros Pueblos Indígenas del Caribe. Conversamos sobre cómo los pueblos taínos han conti...

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October 22, 2025 29 mins

Celebramos el rol de las mujeres en guiar y sostener los pueblos taínos del siglo XV y vemos cómo se compara a sus contrapartes en la sociedad europea de la época.

Si quieres más información sobre el tema puedes ver las referencias principales del episodio a continuación:

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October 29, 2025 24 mins

In this episode, we celebrate the role of women in leading and sustaining their Taíno communities in the 15th century and see how this compares to their counterparts in Europe at the time.

If you want more information on the topic, please see the main references for the episode below:

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Ya conocemos los pueblos indígenas que habitaron a Puerto Rico en el siglo XV, ahora toca hablar del otro lado del intercambio colombino, los europeos y su llegada al archipiélago y el Caribe en general.

Si quieres más información sobre el tema puedes ver las referencias principales del episodio a continuación:

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We already know the indigenous peoples who inhabited Puerto Rico in the 15th century, now it's time to talk about the other side of the Columbian exchange, the Europeans and their arrival to the archipelago and the Caribbean in general.

If you want more information on the topic, please see the main references for the episode below:

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A pesar de que la flota del segundo viaje de Cristóbal Colón llegó a Puerto Rico, tomó más de una década para que empiece la colonización española del archipiélago. Veremos por qué y cómo reaccionaron los pueblos indígenas inicialmente.

 

Si quieres más información sobre el tema puedes ver las referencias principales del episodio a continuación:

  • Historia general y natural de las Indias por Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés ...
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Although on Christopher Columbus's second voyage his fleet reached Puerto Rico, it took more than a decade for Spanish begin to colonize the archipelago. In this episode, we'll see why it took so long and how the indigenous peoples of the archipelago initially reacted to their arrival.

If you want more information on the topic, please see the main references for the episode below:

  • Historia general y natural de las Indias por G...
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