The Ar The Arawak Indians once liv awak Indians once lived in South America and on islands ed in South America and on islands in the Caribbean Sea. The island Ar in the Caribbean Sea. The island Arawak, or T awak, or Taino, wer aino, were the e the Indians the explor Indians the explorer Christ er Christopher Columbus met on his first opher Columbus met on his first journe journey t y to the Americas. o the Americas. The Ar The Arawak liv awak lived in lar ed in large villages. The ge villages. They built their houses fr y built their houses from om logs, poles, and the lea logs, poles, and the leaves of palm tr es of palm trees. The ees. They got most of their y got most of their food b food by farming. The y farming. They also fished, caught shellfish, and hunted y also fished, caught shellfish, and hunted bir birds, lizar ds, lizards, and other small animals. ds, and other small animals. The Ar The Arawak first liv awak first lived in nor ed in northern South America. Then the thern South America. Then they spr spread t ead to the Caribbean islands. Shor o the Caribbean islands. Shortly befor tly before E e Eur uropeans opeans arriv arrived, the warlik ed, the warlike Carib people pushed the Ar e Carib people pushed the Arawak off the awak off the islands called the Lesser Antilles. Columbus met the Ar islands called the Lesser Antilles. Columbus met the Arawak in awak in 1492. A 1492. At that time the Ar t that time the Arawak liv awak lived only on the Gr ed only on the Greater Antilles eater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puer (Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico). o Rico). Columbus’ men and the Spaniar Columbus’ men and the Spaniards who followed them tr ds who followed them treated eated the Ar the Arawak harshly awak harshly. The . They for y forced the Ar ced the Arawak t awak to work in fields and o work in fields and in mines. Some Ar in mines. Some Arawak died of star awak died of starvation. Many others died of ation. Many others died of diseases br diseases brought b ought by the E y the Eur uropeans. opeans. By 1550 the island Ar By 1550 the island Arawak population had been r awak population had been reduced fr educed from 1 om 1 million or mor million or more t e to almost nothing. Their tr o almost nothing. Their traditional wa aditional way of lif y of life lar largely disappear gely disappeared as well. Small gr ed as well. Small groups of Ar oups of Arawak managed t awak managed to sur surviv vive. Their descendants now liv e. Their descendants now live in Cuba, Puer e in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and o Rico, and Florida. Florida. "Ar Arawak. awak." Britannica Libr Britannica Librar ary, Ency , Encyclopaedia Britannica, 7 F clopaedia Britannica, 7 Feb. eb. 2020. 2020. libr librar ary.eb.com/le .eb.com/levels/childr els/children/ar en/article/Ar ticle/Arawak/352774. Accessed awak/352774. Accessed 12 A 12 Aug. 2020. ug. 2020. Taino/Arawak Fact Sht