HAPPY NEWS!!!

Austin Woman Magazine has recognized our Executive & Artistic Director as a Change Maker of the Year in Education! She is humbled to hear this news.

Read the full story and her bio below!
https://atxwoman.com/the-change-makers-list/
 
Dr. Tekina-eirú Maynard
Founding Executive & Artistic Director

Tekina-eirú Maynard is a proud blood descendant of the Tainos of Borikén (Puerto Rico). Her family line dates back 6000 years to the Arcaicos (Ancient Ones), the earliest Island inhabitants.

Dr. Maynard founded the Puerto Rican Cultural Center in 1997. Trained by Island Masters, she is an expert resource on the Mainland for Puerto Rico's cultural arts, history and heritage. She is a historical and cultural researcher, playwright, choreographer, songwriter, performer and teacher of Puerto Rico's traditional music and dance.

A proud lefty, Tekina-eirú plays a variety of instruments including guitar, folkloric and indigenous percussion, and Taino flutes. She has written over 30 original Taino Areytos for ceremony on earth clay and bone flutes to Mayohuacan rhythms, songs in Afro-Boricua tradition (Bomba and Plena), and Jibaro (mountain) songs fused with Taino language. A subtle activist, since 2004, she has written 21 original plays based in history in English, Spanish and Taino that honor unsung heroes and feature original music & dance.

Dr. Maynard is a Master Certified Spiritual Life & DreamWork Coach (trained through International Coach Federation), and a Pastoral Care Specialist focused on mental health (trained through the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education).

Kacike Tekina-eirú is the Tribal Chief and Spiritual Leader of Yukayeke Yara Cu (Tribe of the Sacred Place). Since 2008, the center’s community of Taíno & Guaytiao have been sharing living traditions with Texas. Tekina-eirú is a consecrated Naguety (Elder) and a Tekina -- a teacher of Taino traditions and writer of ceremonial music and dance. She enjoys sharing Nature's timeless wisdom through photo blogs and her published book based in Taino spirituality -- When Nature Sings: A Taino Journey – that remind that Nature enjoys communicating with humanity.

Dr. Maynard is an innovator (11 technology patents) holding a doctorate in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon. Her combined expertise is unique in Texas & the Southwest.

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THANK YOU SPONSORS!

Our 2024 season of cultural outreach is sponsored in part by Six Square, the Texas Commission on the Arts with the National Endowment for the Arts, and the City of Austin Economic Development Department. Since 2005, our Puerto Rican Cultural Center is proudly affiliated with the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture.

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