Yale Peabody Museum will present a temporary exhibition from the Smithsonian Institute called Caribbean Indigenous Resistance / Resistencia indígena del Caribe ¡Taíno Vive!, bolstered by displays developed with local collaborators.
The exhibition will run from December 13, 2025 through June 21, 2026 on the Museum’s second floor. Admission to the Peabody is always free.
The bilingual exhibition brings to life the story of a people whom traditional scholarship once labeled as “extinct,” disproving that narrative through examining the history of resistance and survival in the Caribbean, and the current Taíno movement in the United States.
“Taíno culture has roots in Puerto Rico, Haiti, Jamaica, and other ancestral homes throughout the Caribbean. The culture is also strongly represented in New Haven and across Connecticut. The Yale Peabody Museum is delighted to work alongside Taíno cultural practitioners to help share the history of this community,” said interim director Erika Edwards.
The Peabody is committed to centering community voices and have gathered a team of talented collaborators as curatorial partners for the added elements of the exhibition. This approach to developing exhibition content and programming demonstrates the renovated Peabody’s shift from methods it employed in the past.
“By centering the work of cultural practitioners who examine the history of the islands and the impact of Caribbean Indigenous knowledge throughout the world, we hope to help them convey the story of legacy and endurance,” said Kailen Rogers, associate director of exhibitions. “This community-centered approach will inform how we work with partners moving forward, especially when sharing stories of cultural heritage.”
Members of AraYeke Yukayek, a New York based Caribbean Indigenous Taíno community, Luis Sanakori Ramos, behique or medicine person, and Stephanie Bailey, archeologist and Tribal Chief, curated a list of Peabody collection items to be displayed alongside the Smithsonian’s offerings, and wrote label text for the exhibition.
“As a Caribbean Indigenous person and emerging archaeologist, working with the Yale Peabody Museum on my first exhibition has been the opportunity of a lifetime—one that allowed me to bring together my passions for archaeology and culture in a shared space that amplifies Caribbean Indigenous voices. Collaborating with an inspiring team dedicated to bridging culture and academia, and to centering Indigenous perspectives within museum spaces, has been a deeply meaningful experience and a model for how institutions can honor and uplift the communities they represent,” Bailey said.
Carlos Torre, a professor at Southern Connecticut State University, worked with students from New Haven’s Sound School to create a conuco garden, an important aspect of Taíno heritage and culture.
“By working directly with a team of collaborators who are themselves Taíno cultural practitioners, the Peabody is better able to understand and meet the desires of the community for the exhibition,” said Charlie Catacalos, interpretation manager.
Visitors will learn about the Caribbean Indigenous survival journey through stories, contemporary crafts, musical instruments, and both ceremonial and everyday objects. The exhibition will include video storytelling and more than 60 striking images and graphics.
The Peabody has developed additional content with collaborators and members of the Taíno community. This includes:
- Historical materials from the Peabody collections, including religious materials, household items, and other objects that illustrate the Taíno community’s rich cultural life.
- Yale’s Marsh Botanical Garden will offer a display of living plants to complement the Peabody’s exhibition. Exhibition content created in partnership with New Haven Public Schools.
- Educational materials created in partnership with Carlos Torre, a professor at Southern Connecticut State University.
- A series of portraits of members of the Connecticut Taino community from the Afro Caribbean Cultural Center, located in Waterbury, CT.
- Public programming throughout the run of the exhibition.
“It will explore the rich and enduring cultural legacies of the region, the value and impact of the culture’s knowledge on the world, and the complicated questions around heritage, ancestry, and race that emerge from Taíno identities today,” Rogers said.
