The Garifunas: half afro half amerindian

Garifunas are well known for their famous "Punta" dance, for their Creole gastronomy and the beat of their drums, enriching the coasts of the Central American Atlantic, in Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. An ethnic group that has preserved its customs in spite of the strong trans-culturization in the last few years. Their dances, music, cuisine and traditions remain intact. Many Garifunas prefer to be called “garinagu,” the African name for Garifuna.

The Garifuna culture is an hybrid of the arawak, African, and European traditions. Its history begins before 1635 in the island of St. Vincent in the Eastern Caribbean. Saint Vincent was inhabited by a tribe of Arawak Indians. The Kalipuna tribe, originally from the South American continental territory, invaded Saint Vincent and conquered the island. The Arawak men were killed and the Kalipuna soldiers took their women as wives. The inhabitants of the island were a mix of both tribes. The word “Garífuna" probably descends from the word “Kalipuna”.

In 1635 two Spanish ships with Nigerian slaves on board were shipwrecked in the island of Saint Vincent. At the beginning, the Spaniards, Nigerians and Kalipunas battled against each other, but, as time went by, they learned to coexist and they allowed mixed marriages. A new race was originated, the Black Caribbeans.

Years later, Saint Vincent was taken over by the British, but the Caribbean inhabitants tried to establish an independent control of the island. France supported the Caribbean and therefore, they battled against the British. In 1796 both Caribbean and French surrendered to the British, and had to face a problem. In the island, Black Caribbeans were free. In order to avoid conflicts, the British decided to deport the Caribbean to Balliceaux where half of them died of yellow fever.

In 1797 the Caribbean survivors were chartered to the Island of Roatan in the coast of Honduras. Along the journey, the Spaniards captured one of the British ships and took it to Trujillo where the Caribbean were set free and settled there.

Gradually, the Caribbeans spreaded to the coast of Belize. During the 20th century, some served the American and British navy during World War II and traveled around the world. As a result of these trips, many small Garifuna communities have settled in Los Angeles, New Orleans and New York.

In the Garifuna Culture, music, dance and history are essential. They have their own religious beliefs, which are a mix of Catholicism, Africanism and Indian traditions. The way of living of the Garifunas has its roots in their amerindian ancestors. This legacy is evident in their culture, the way they cook, their passion for fishing and afinity with the sea, as well as the way they assign the duties in the community, divides the tasks. In addition, they've inherited a special tradition to hold funerals, as well as the use of "maracas" in festive dances, and their faith in the “buyei” (healer or advisor). The Garifuna language has its originis in the Arawak's dialect, although they have also incorporated some terms in Western, Spanish, Miskito, English, Bantú African, and French to their language.

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