Rainbow Soul Presents:
Cacike & Behike Mark "Guatu Iri" Ortiz
President - Meaning of Cacike (Kah-SEE-keh): a leader / tribal chief of an indigenous group, derived from the Taíno for the pre-Columbian tribal chiefs in the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles.
Cacique comes from the Taíno word kassiquan, meaning "to keep house."
Meaning of Behike (Beh-HEE-keh): Spiritual leader and medicine person of the native Taíno group. Among the Taino, the behike or shaman, was usually in charge of curing the ills in the community, thanks to his or her knowledge of medicinal plants and interaction with the spirit-world.
Meaning of: Guatu Iri sounds like 'Gwa Too Ee Ree' which means Firebird.
He is from the Manicato Taíno Cultural Center in Lancaster, PA.
Mission Statement
Manicato Taíno Cultural Center Inc. of Lancaster, Pennsylvania has a life-long commitment to educating people and the preservation of Native cultural history through arts, language, music, literature, and traditions.
SPANISH: El Centro Cultural Taíno Manicato de Lancaster, Pennsylvania tiene un compromiso de por vida para la educación de las personas y la preservación de la cultura Nativa a través del arte, el lenguaje, la música, la literatura y las tradiciones.
WHO ARE WE?
Manicato Taíno Cultural Center Inc. of Lancaster, Pennsylvania is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, community based, multicultural service and multi-faceted center for the reclamation, restoration and preservation of the Taíno people's heritage.
We offer workshops, classes, seminars, community outreach and presentations that provide an introduction to the riches of the indigenous Taíno spiritual tradition, as well as opportunities to discuss broader issues of meaning in dialogue with thinkers and practitioners from other Native American traditions.
The center features a museum exhibit of artifacts, art and a library room. It offers space for the local Taíno community to conduct ceremonies and gatherings
