Book René Pérez Liciaga — Lecturer, Independent Researcher, Author, and Public Historian specializing in Taíno and Indigenous Caribbean history.

Rene Perez Liciaga is an internationally cited writer and independent researcher specializing in the history, language, and origin stories of the Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean—most prominently the Taíno, the first peoples to encounter Columbus in the Northern Hemisphere.

His landmark paper, “The Origins of the Word Taíno,” has reframed dominant narratives surrounding the Arawakan, Kalinago, and Carib ancestors. It has been cited by cultural institutions, universities, museums, and media outlets around the world, including the University of Massachusetts, Indiana University, Brown University, and more. He’s also a recipient of the prestigious Taíno Award.

Rene, of Puerto Rican ancestry and a Brooklyn native raised between Coney Island and East New York, is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on Taíno etymology. For over 15 years, he has lectured widely and published numerous articles, building a dedicated following on TikTok for his educational content about the Taíno people.

He has been mentored by scholars from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and is widely respected for his meticulous research, rare document collection, and in-depth knowledge of early European-Taíno encounters. His work continues to shape contemporary understandings of Indigenous Caribbean identity.

Rene is currently based in New York City and is available for lectures, panels, and programming related to the First Peoples of the Caribbean.