Yabisi Caona

Bohio Atabei is proud to announce that this year’s Yabisi Caona educational stipend has additional sponsors. These include the United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP) and its member organizations as well as Taino artist Gina Rixturey Robles Villalba and Mrs. Marie Taylor (Meherrin), the widow of elder Cyril Taylor (Karib).
This however is not the only change for the Yabisi Caona educational stipend as it has been renamed the “Grandfather Cyril Taylor Yabisi Caona Scholarship” in honor of our beloved Grandfather Cyril Taylor.
Until his passing last year, Grandfather Cyril was a respected elder representative of the UCTP. He was co-founder of a Washington D.C. cultrual organization called Biaraku,a staunch defender of our indigenous rights as Caribbean Indigenous peoples and a strong advocate of the Bohio Atabei Caribbean Indigenous Women’s Circle.As such Grandfather Cyril’s widow Mrs. Marie Taylor has honored us with her total support in this endeavor. Words alone cannot express our gratitude to her.
The UCTP will manage the scholarship fund that will be focused toward giving Caribbean Indigenous students’ some financial assistance with the purchase of school text books or supplies.
The “Grandfather Cyril Taylor Yabisi Caona Scholarship” scholarships are open to Caribbean Indigenous students between the ages of 17 to 25 entering or returning to college and/or technical school in the 2009-2010 year.
All applicants for this educational stipend must submit a 1000 (minimum) word essay describing what they have done to help their communities and how they see themselves doing this within the context of their future educational goals. Students should demonstrate pride in and respect for their ancestral culture and be active in their community.
Three students will be selected from among the submitted applications.
Selections will be based on essay content, school and community references. Each recipient will receive a sum no less then or greater then $250 dollars (U.S.) towards the purchase of his/her school curriculum books and or supplies.

After some consultation, the sponsors have decided to award these stipends using a selection process conducive to the ideals of Caribbean First Nations. Therefore applicants should be only individuals within the specified age category, and who are registered members of Caribbean Indigenous communities, organizations, groups recognized by the Caribbean Organization of Indigenous Peoples (COIP) and the United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP).
If you are of Caribbean Indigenous decent but do not meet the above criteria, to submit an application you must contact UCTP Grandfather Cyril Taylor Yabisi Caona Scholarship Board first for any possible consideration.

In our efforts to protect, promote and honor our culture, the UCTP and the Bohio of Atabei have sought ways to motivate the community into collective and collaborative efforts and as such these stipends are viewed as way to carry out our missions. The stipends will be presented at a community luncheon to be held in November 2009 during Native American History Month. Venue details to be announced.

All submissions for the 2009 Grandfather Cyril Taylor Yabisi Caona must be entered and postmarked no later than Monday, September 30, 2009. All documents must be neatly typed, double spaced, dated and signed and should include the following:

1.) Name and contact information.

2.) Brief Bio

3.) Essay

4.) Letter of reference from either or current school principal/headmaster/dean.

5.) Letter from current community council /chief/community leadership.

For those sending submissions via email, a signed original hard copy must follow via post.
All forms via Email must be in PDF format
Send to oirrc@uctp.org
Hard copies are to be mailed to: UCTP, P.O Box 4515, New York 10163, NY

For additional information, contact bohiatbei@aol.com or call 646-309-3722 or 212-604-4186.

No submissions will be accepted postmarked after deadline date.
Donations to Grandfather Cyril Taylor Scholarship Fund can be sent to United Confederation of Taino People UCTP.
Address listed above.

© Artwork for this post by Gina RixTurey Robles Villalba