The Way Forward: Garifuna Land, Culture and Future

The National Garifuna Council held a panel discussion today in Belize City. The discussion focused on the way forward for the Garifuna people as it pertains to their land, culture, and future. The panelists included former Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley, Matthew Martinez, and Seldra Castillo. The discussion was timely, as Garifuna Settlement Day draws near. Here are a few snippets of that discussion.

Darrell Bradley

Darrell Bradley, Panelist

“If I would signal out Ms Agnes Arana who was a true inspiration to me as I was growing up and was one of the reasons that I chose entre law and public life but people who have reflected their culture, their devotion to family, to public service and really a commitment to this country. So when you talk about the future of the Garinagu and you talk about land rights, if the Garifuna people have been committed to Belize and Belize’s development for two hundred years the people and the country of Belize must equally be committed to the Garifuna people.”

Ruby Reyes

Ruby Reyes, Moderator

“Communal land ownership is a part of our values as a people but you are not respecting that even though the government has been given these legal mandates from the international community but we are still stuck and that has been a part of Garifuna history. The British signed a treaty that gave us perpetual ownership of St Vincent and then exiled us from our home land and now we are here with the same issues. I know that in Toledo there is the St Vincent block. That is a communal land where Garifuna people can settle and you have many non-garifuna settling in that area. That is not a problem but against it goes back to the question that you asked, how do we reconcile our indigenous rights and values with national development.”