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Caciques and Cemi Idols: The Web Spun by Taino Rulers Between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. José R. Oliver. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2009. xx + 306 pp. (Paper US$ 34.95)
BRIAN D. BATES
Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice
Longwood University
Farmville VA 23909, U.S.A.
Scholars and readers with a general interest in Caribbean prehistory are familiar with the class of artifacts known as cemis, although an understanding of the role that these artifacts played in the social, political, and religious fabric of the Amerindians of the Caribbean has been lacking. José Oliver presents a detailed analysis of the cemi in pre-Columbian Caribbean culture and of the vital contribution of cemiism to the proper functioning of native culture and power structures. The book, divided into six parts, begins with Oliver's introduction of the subject and his theoretical premises. He then describes the form, personhood, and identity of cemi idols, followed by a section that explores the social relations and circulation of cemi idols and human beings. The fourth part looks at the material culture that embodies cemiism, namely the stone collars, elbow stones, three-pointers, stone heads and guaizas (face masks). The fifth part examines the battles for the cemis in Hispaniola, Boriquen, and Cuba. This part offers an interesting example of religious syncretism, as Oliver explores two historic cases in which the Virgin Mary...