Tanigua
The Tanigua are the largest of the two dominant cultures among the islands of Nawaquivo. Occupying the two largest islands in the region, Tukuwabali and Joawaneya, as well as the Guetoya archipelago, the Tanigua are an agricultural people, taking advantage of the fertility of their island homes as well as the bounty of the surrounding seas. Their chieftains, the caciques, rule the villages and larger settlements of their chiefdoms, ensuring there is always enough food to go around and rallying their people to defend themselves from raiding sea devils and ferocious creatures that stalk the coasts, forests and hills of the region.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Acabei,
Aipiri,
Anahei,
Annani,
Ayalibi,
Baganamay,
Cacicawana,
Cahoa,
Coshiwei,
Guahayi,
Guawura,
Hayanao,
Huabuya,
Iwanona,
Macaney,
Maora,
Mayana,
Onaney,
Samani,
Surey,
Tibabo,
Yuisa,
Yayma,
Yayo
Masculine names
Aguaybana,
Anayash,
Bayasi,
Caiguan,
Daguaco,
Eyduan,
Guinima,
Guamairi,
Hahaneshi,
Hiwacama,
Intiahua,
Jimani,
Mabo,
Macote,
Maroao,
Mayoracan,
Ocot,
Pani,
Puari,
Sararabo,
Tamaresh,
Tululao,
Yaabanesh,
Yaguaco,
Yayayo,
Zaguana,
Zoriato
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
The predominant language spoken by the Tanigua is Aroka, with three major dialects spoken by a majority of people across Nawaquivo: Classic Aroka, spoken primarily on Tukuwabali and it's surrounding islands and islets; Southern Aroka spoken on Joawaneya; and Guetoyan Aroka found on the Guetoya archipelago.
Shared customary codes and values
Taniguan society is roughly divided into three classes; the commoners (eiaboros), the nobles (sabanigua), and the priests (tahiques). At the head of each tribe is a chief (cacique) who leads either a village or a chiefdom of confederated villages over an expansive stretch of territory.
Common Etiquette rules
Tangiuan society places great importance on the concept of seniority. Younger Taniguan individuals and children are expected to address people older than them with a higher degree of respect and to heed an elder's instructions or advice. Numerous honorifics are used in the Aroka language to refer to one's senior and are dependent upon the relationship between the two individuals. Some examples include "abueyo" and "initeyo", used to refer to an elder brother or sister, "coneya" is a common honorific used for anyone significantly older than oneself, while "pawi" and "cewa" are gendered words the equivalent of sir or mam.
It is common within Taniguan society that when two people meet, the younger person typically bows their head, allowing the elder to touch or pat them as a sign of respect. Between two people of roughly the same age, this is not necessary and instead, each person places their left hand upon the other's shoulder in a gesture of trust and openness. When a commoner encounters a member of the priestly or noble class, it is typical for them to show deference by bowing with both arms outstretched upwards.
Common Dress code
Given the tropical environment of the Carneman islands, with its high temperatures and humidity, clothing is usually worn sparingly. The eiaboro commoners usually wear simple loincloths and skirts woven from cotton or palm fibres, along with sturdy sandals. The noble sabanigua social class typically wear longer skirts and tunics often made from higher quality cotton imported from Mayumana, or even rare silks traded in Porto del Paradiso.
Tattoos, body paints and piercings are common throughout Taniguan society, usually for spiritual purposes or to denote loyalty to a tribe, chiefdom or deity. Jewellery is commonly made from wood, shells, feathers, precious stones and gold or other alloys. The cacique typically wears headdresses or crowns adorned with rare and expensive materials, including gold and exotic feathers to indicate their status, along with a cobo, a medallion made from a rare alloy known as "ash gold", considered sacred and associated with the gods Elatabe and Boyomanka. The highest of the tahique priestly class adorn masks of their patron gods during religious ceremonies and rituals, using them to shed their earthly aspects to better commune with the Taniguan gods.
Foods & Cuisine
The staples of the Taniguan diet are vegetables, fruit, meat, and fish. Larger mammals are not native to the islands in the Carneman Sea, so the Tanigua typically capture and eat smaller mammals such as hutias, as well as birds, iguanas, lizards and turtles. Manatees, along with remora, oysters, mussels, freshwater fish and waterfowl, are also hunted for food. Most Taniguan societies rely more heavily on agriculture for sustenance, with yuca and sweet potato being the primary root vegetables cultivated. Yuca in particular is the principal staple crop, and the Tanigua process it into a bread that lasts longer in the tropical climate than say, corn bread. Corn is instead eaten off the cob, or used to make one of the signature alcoholic beverages of the islands, oucheci. Other examples of Taniguan agriculture include squash, beans, peppers, peanuts, pineapples and guava.
Thanks to the recent contact and trade with the Mossoran colony Porto del Paradiso, Taniguan cuisine has expanded to include a range of traded spices and herbs foreign to Nawaquivo. Pork and goat meat have also become popular with the Tanigua, given the ease of rearing and husbandry of imported pigs and goats.
Common Taboos
Winking is considered offensive in Taniguan culture, as it is associated with deception and a method for servants of the god of mistrust, Tozot, to communicate with each other. Winking insinuates that you do not mean what you say, or have an ulterior motive to your words or actions and thus are not to be trusted.
Harming or mistreating a crowned tamarin, one of the small simians endemic to the Carneman islands is also forbidden, as they are associated with the god of learning Anacuch, and to harm one is to bring bad luck.
Major organizations
Tukuwabli Chiefdoms
Imeco
Damona
Siguey
Naot
Related Locations
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