The Indigenous World 2026: Jamaica

Written on 22 April 2026. Posted in Jamaica

The Indigenous population of Jamaica is primarily represented by the Yamaye Guani (Jamaican Hummingbird Taino) and the Maroon communities of Accompong, Charlestown, Moore Town, and Scott’s Hall. With an estimated Taino population of approximately 3,000 individuals, the Taino and Maroon communities find a unified political voice through the Yamaye Council of Indigenous Leaders (YCOIL).

Despite this active presence, the Jamaican state currently provides no formal national constitutional recognition for Indigenous Peoples, historically maintaining a narrative of Taino extinction. Consequently, 2025 was defined by urgent advocacy for the ratification of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) to address critical issues regarding constitutional reform, climate resilience, and the protection of Indigenous women.

This article is part of the 40th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

National update on Indigenous rights and Constitutional reform (2025-2026)

Legal Advocacy and the road to the Republic

The year 2025 marked a transformative period for Indigenous advocacy in Jamaica as the island moved closer to transitioning into a Republic. This political shift provided a critical leverage point for the Yamaye Guani (Jamaican Hummingbird Taino) and Maroon communities (including Accompong, Charlestown, Moore Town, and Scott’s Hall) to challenge the historical narrative of extinction. Through the Yamaye Council of Indigenous Leaders (YCOIL), the community transitioned from a focus on cultural resurgence toward assertive legal and political engagement with the state.¹

A primary focus of this advocacy was the Constitutional Reform Commission. In early 2025, the Yamaye Guani Council made formal submissions to the Joint Select Committee of Parliament regarding “The Constitution Amendment Republic Act 2024”. The Council’s central demand is the inclusion of the Yamaye Taino and Maroons in the Preamble to the Constitution in order to formally correct the “paper genocide” that has historically labelled these populations as extinct. Indigenous leaders have also emphasized the need for ratification of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) to provide a legal shield against colonial-era laws, such as the Obeah Act, which continue to threaten Indigenous spiritual practices.²

Environmental stewardship and climate resilience

The impact of extractive industries and climate change remains a significant threat to Indigenous territories and sacred sites in Jamaica. Throughout 2025, the leadership continued to monitor mining operations, specifically those conducted by the Rinker Mining Company in the Canoe Valley, which endanger both archaeological sites and local biodiversity. In response to these threats, the community has positioned Indigenous traditional knowledge as a vital component of national environmental survival.³

Following the impact of Hurricane Melissa in November 2025, the community demonstrated its internal governance capacity by conducting a rapid Post-Disaster Assessment in collaboration with UNESCO. This effort was specifically aimed at securing the integrity of sacred sites such as Woodside and protecting the physical safety of community members. Furthermore, members of the Yamaye Guani Council contributed to scholarly analysis on these issues, co-authoring chapters that link Taino ancestral warnings to modern climate and health dynamics.⁴

Institutional recognition and social security

The movement towards institutionalization saw tangible gains in 2025 regarding social security and data sovereignty. Indigenous elders and families from YCOIL communities, including Scott’s Hall and Charlestown, successfully accessed health cards through the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports (MCGES), marking a significant improvement in social welfare.⁵

Looking forward to 2026, a major milestone is anticipated with the national census. Following consultations with the Statistical Institute of Jamaica, it is expected that “Taino” or “Arawak” will be included as recognized options, finally providing the disaggregated data necessary for informed policymaking regarding Indigenous populations. This progress, combined with the ongoing revitalization of the Wahiyani (Island Arawakan) language, reflects a community that is successfully integrating its ancestral heritage into the formal structures of the Jamaican state.⁶

The Yamaye Guani Council is the primary representative body for the Indigenous Taino community in Jamaica, dedicated to disputing the historical narrative of their extinction through cultural revitalization and advocacy.

This article is part of the 40th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

Notes and References

• Yamaye Guani Council, “To the Jamaican Constitutional Reform Commission - Road to Republic,” 2025.
• Yamaye Council of Indigenous Leaders (YCOIL), “Indigenous Peoples in Jamaica,” 2025.
• Yamaye Guani Council, “Draft 2025 Yamaye Iguana Aganeuku JUN-DEC,” 2025.
• Kasike Kalaan and Kasikeiani Ronalda. “Echoes in the Conch Shell: Taino Warnings of a Changing Climate.” In Unveiling: The Climate Change & Health Dynamic, edited by Ash Pachauri and Saroj Pachauri. The POP Movement/POP Academy, 2025. ISBN-13: 978-1964789255. https://thepopmovement.org/projects/climate-and-health/
• Yamaye Guani Council, “2025 Yamaye Iguana Aganeuku JAN-MAY,” 2025.
• TenSix LifeFactors, “Chief of the Hummingbird Taino People of Jamaica, Kasike Kalaan Seeks Rights to Indigenous Practices,” YouTube video, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dcty3yDj06k.

Tags: Land rights, Human rights