Puntacana Blogs
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
    • Puntacana Resort & Club
    • Golf at Puntacana
    • Six Sense Spa PCRC
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
    • Four Points by Sheraton
    • Puntacana Resort & Club
  • Puntacana Village

WHY THE PALM LEAF IS SO IMPORTANT TO PUNTA CANA

11/13/2014

0 Comments

 
Imagen
A couple of months ago, a great post went up on our blog discussing the name of our beautiful region of the Dominican Republic.  As you have no doubt noticed from the name change from Punta Borrachón to Punta Cana, the palm leaf has a long and storied history both in our region and in the history of our resort, and it is that history that I am here to discuss today.   
Let’s dig deep and look at the fascinating history of the cana and answer a couple of big questions:  why is the cana leaf so important to our region and why is it so important to our resort?
For starters, we can’t really discuss our resort without going back - way, way back.  The palm tree was an important resource for the native Taino people, and some of the earliest anthropological evidence of human life in the Dominican Republic shows the importance of the palm leaf in Taino culture.  The Taino used the leaves for sustenance and survival, fashioning clothing and tools out of the leaves.  This art has not been lost as cana hats are still popular with workers on the resort, and woven baskets, known as “macutos,” are sold throughout the region.  The Taino legacy also lives on in one other important way:  the words “cana” and “macuto” are both Taino in origin and are used in Punta Cana to discuss palm leaves.
 
The importance of the palm has found its way not only into our vocabulary but also into the symbolism of our resort.  You may have noticed that the logo for PUNTACANA Resort and Club is two palm leaves, one prominently displayed in the front and another as a shadow behind it.  Of course the obvious connection is the word “cana” which appears in the name of our resort, but the connection runs a little deeper.  The palm leaf in the forefront of the image sets the tone for the future generations - it is clean, natural, and multifaceted.  The shadow image behind it represents the continuation of these ideals and the transition from one generation of PUNTACANA partners to the next.  The importance of the cana runs deep here.  

It runs so deep, in fact, that it even has an influence on the food we eat.  The aceite de palma (or palm oil) is used in traditional Dominican food preparation, and if you have eaten much Dominican food you have certainly had aceite de palma!  Furthermore, one of the more overlooked ingredients (but no less tasty) is the palmito (heart of palm), which is delicious stewed and frequently found as a raw ingredient in salads.  

As you can see, we have a long and varied history of using the cana to its fullest extent.  From the hats we wear to the food we eat, the cana plays a role in our day to day lives and proves itself to be one of our most important indigenous resources.  For these reasons, we are proud to refer to ourselves as Puntacana and to carry on the traditions that have been on the island for hundreds of years. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Puntacana Blogs

    Our new way of communication!


    Categories

    All
    Activities
    Corales Championship
    Four Points By Sheraton Puntacana Village
    Four Points By Sheraton Puntacana Village
    Fundación Ecológica
    Fundación Ecológica
    Grupo Puntacana
    Playa Blanca Restaurant
    Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ)
    PUNTACANA Village
    PUNTACANA Village
    Six Senses Spa
    Six Senses Spa
    Tortuga Bay Hotel
    Tortuga Bay Hotel
    Westin Puntacana Resort & Club

    ARCHIVES

    March 2021
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013

    Picture

    Picture
    • TripAdvisor



Click to set custom HTML
 Property of Grupo PUNTACANA
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
    • Puntacana Resort & Club
    • Golf at Puntacana
    • Six Sense Spa PCRC
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
    • Four Points by Sheraton
    • Puntacana Resort & Club
  • Puntacana Village