In 1492, two remarkably dissimilar cultures would meet, bringing about an era of cultural exchange between Europeans and Native Americans. One portion of this fateful encounter was the interchanging of religious beliefs – sometimes voluntary, others brutally enforced. These two cultures, the Spanish and the Taino Indians, both have an explanation about how the world came to be. Weighing the two perspectives provides some insights into the similarities and differences between the two traditions and their respective world outlooks. The two origin stories differ in the regard of the creation of humans. In the Taino origin story, several humans are born inside two mountain caves, and they gradually migrate to the surrounding island. In the Genesis
