Rhynna M. Santos

Bronx Yearning

Seeking a deeper understanding of my own Taíno roots, I documented a young Puerto Rican woman’s journey of connecting to her Taíno roots. Born in the Bronx, Mellisa educated herself by joining native community groups, attending powwows, researching native cultures, culminating with a trip to Standing Rock and a commemorative tattoo. Once I learned that Taínos were active in the Bronx, I was compelled to document Mellisa’s journey towards understanding her roots. My project bridges mainland-born Puerto Ricans with their indigenous past, showing that Taínos are active and welcoming of people like Mellisa, who yearn to understand their place in Puerto Rican and Taíno history. The native rituals and celebrations captured in these images provide the gateway to begin that journey right here in the Bronx. 

Mellisa Rivera stands by the shore of Clason Point Park in the east Bronx. In the background, is the Whitestone Bridge and rusted shipwreck. I began photographing Mellisa in September 2016 as part of a larger group project on indigeneity for the Bronx Women’s Photo Collective. Inspired to tell a story of the modern day Taíno experience, I documented Mellisa’s journey over four years. 

From her apartment in the Bronx, Mellisa looks forward to traveling around the world.

An active member in the Taíno community, Mellisa participates and advocates for indigenous rights. On her desk, she displays photos and stones she gathered from the Standing Rock protest in South Dakota.

Mellisa displays a #nodapl sticker on the window of her Longwood apartment. The Sioux Tribe continues to defend their lands against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) which threatens their water security, sovereign lands and cultural heritage.

Mellisa was one of hundreds of protesters who gathered in Foley Square in Lower Manhattan to demand that the U.S. Government and the Army Corps of Engineering cease construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. This was one of hundreds of protests across the United States on what was declared a National Day of Action.

Accompanied by her mother Carmen, Bronx native Mellisa Rivera takes the 6 subway train downtown to get a tattoo in honor of water protectors in North Dakota.

At a tattoo parlor in St. Mark's Place in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Mellisa gets a Standing Rock Thunderbird tattoo to commemorate the “No Dakota Access Pipeline” movement. She also wanted a permanent reminder of her transformative trip. The tattoo was designed by Stephanie Big Eagle. The thunderbird represents the “Great Spirit” who protects all those who stand in solidarity at Standing Rock.

Carmen Rivera and her daughter Mellisa have always been very close. In support of her daughter, she accompanied Mellisa to North Dakota and participated in the Standing Rock protest. “It was a transformative experience,” she recalls. Carmen supports her daughter’s Taíno journey and says that after their trip, “I see her grown-up now.”