Me and Garifuna Settlement Day

Garifuna Settlement Day is almost here. This holiday was created to celebrate the coming of the Garifuna or Garinigu people to Belize, their survival, and their gratitude for the refuge they found in Belize. I meet this holiday with mixed feelings.  While I appreciate cultural identity and the struggle of a culture, I am concern that the Garinigu are over celebrating themselves, sort of like a reverse.  The time of oppression is over and we can remember the past with gladness that it is over, but still let's look ahead to a new day and celebrated that all people are people.

I have been spending some time in Dangriga, The majority of the people living in Dangriga are Garifuna or part Garifuna. This town is also known as the cultural capital, a nickname I resent because the Garifuna group is not the only ethic group of Belize with a rich sense of cultural heritage. With this said, I plan to send the weekend in Dangriga and I plan to celebrate Garifnua Day the traditional way... watch the reenactment of the coming of the Garifuna in their dory, the beating of the drums, eating hudut and sere, and well, just doing what the people do. I will get back to you about my feelings regarding it all.

That said.  I hope all my readers are safe and that all is well. I hope that there is refuge and safety and that no feels like their identity is at questions