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The Guanches: The Aboriginal People of the Canary Islands
I wanted to write this article because, through DNA, I can trace my lineage back to the Guanche people on both my paternal and maternal sides. These people are not as well known, and for those whose ancestry dates back hundreds of years in the so-called Americas (also known as Turtle Island), you may also have ancestry from them. I want to emphasize that, despite being recorded as extinct, there are living descendants and Canary Islanders who have preserved certain aspects of their culture, including place names, cuisines, traditional songs, folklore and even their DNA. As a descendant, I feel it is my responsibility to tell the oftentimes hidden histories and horrors of colonization. I want whoever reads my articles to understand that Indigeniety is not exclusive to Turtle Island. Those of us who are of the African diaspora, have Indigenous lineage from our African ancestors. They were tribal people, speaking their own languages, having their own cultures and stewarding the lands within the Motherland they were Indigenous to. I’ve talked about my West African ancestors in one of my articles but I also have roots from all over the Motherland, including Madagascar and North Africa. I acknowledge all of my ancestries.
A photograph by Mike Peel featuring a statue of Tegueste II, a Guanche mencey (king).
