Cocuyo Lights the Way — Danielle Smith-Llera

Created in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Latino, Nuestras Voces shares inspiring Latino stories. In the summer of 1493, eleven-year-old Cocuyo is eager to find her place within her Taíno community on the island of Quisqueya. But in less than a year, her home, her family and friends, and her daily life will be forever changed by the arrival of Europeans. As Cocuyo learns more and more about the strangers who arrive by sea—and what they want from Quisqueya and its people—she looks for ways to help her community. At first, the Taíno try to befriend the strangers, but later they must protect themselves from invasion, disease, and enslavement. As the Taíno resist and survive, Cocuyo becomes determined to help preserve the culture that she loves. In diary format, the Nuestras Voces series profiles inspiring characters and honors the joys, challenges, and outcomes of Latino experiences.