Garifuna People of Belize: History and Culture of the Ethnic Group

Belize is considered one of the important parts of the great Mayan Empire, with its first inhabitants being the Maya. Aside from the Mayan, Indian, and Asian people, Garifuna people have also been residing in Belize with their own culture and history.

According to Adventure Life, the Spanish ruled Belize since their arrival in the 16th century. However, it was a country that they could not really control.

Due to their lack of control, Belize eventually became a sanctuary for pirates coming from England and Scotland during the 17th century. Belize's roots became more British than Spanish after the British gained full control from Spain in 1798.

Great Britain then declared Belize to be a colony of British Honduras. Its neighboring country, Guatemala, has always threatened the country's independence and rule.

Guatemala has maintained that Belize has always been its rightful property. Before the colonization of several nations, Belize has five ethnic groups that have been living in the country, which include the Garifuna people

Garifuna People in Belize

The Garifuna people, also known as Garinagu, are the descendants of an Afro-indigenous population from the Caribbean Island of St. Vincent. They were exiled to the Honduras coast in the 18th century and then moved to Belize, according to Minority Rights.

The Garifuna people usually live on the coast, but some are also present in towns and villages. Some of the group members also live with the Creole population in the main towns.

Garifuna communities make their livelihood through agriculture, fishing, and foreign remittances sent by relatives.

Some Garifuna people are also involved in the technical trades, with others choosing to be in the urban areas and pursue professional occupations.

The Garifuna are of mixed African and indigenous Kalinago-Taino origin. They are from the line of African survivors of human cargo ships that were wrecked off the island of St. Vincent around 1675.

The minority group also fought with Spain against British pirates and military attacks, with some taking the Royalist side in the Central American independence wars against Spain.

Culture of Garifuna

The Garifuna have their own rich cultural background, with food being a prominent component of their cultural identity. The traditional Garifuna dishes are mainly made of fish, chicken, cassava, bananas, and plantains.

Among the well-loved Garifuna dishes is Hudut, made with mashed plantains and fish in a coconut stew, as Island Expeditions noted.

Bundiga is also one of the most popular Garifuna dishes. It is a fish soup made with seasonal fish, coconut milk, green bananas, and okra, and it is sometimes served with cassava bread or coconut white rice.

Cassava bread in the Garifuna culture is called Ereba, which is made from grated cassava root and yucca. It is usually a flatbread with a hard and thin characteristic like a cracker.

Another distinct cultural characteristic of the Garifuna people is how they celebrate death. The Garifuna perform a Dugu, a sacred ancestral rite known as the "Feasting of the Dead," as the Cultural World reported.

It is performed as a sign of respect and appreciation for the ancestor of the Garinagu. The Dugu is performed when a deceased ancestor has a request to a living one, with the ceremony being held by a shaman or healer.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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