24 Facts About The Garifuna Culture

1. The culture started in the North Eastern South America and the Caribbean (From the edges of the Orinoco River into the Caribbean Sea)
2. The Roots of the Garifuna culture come from Black Caribs and Arawak. Labeling is topical – ROOTS is where the answer is!
3. Saint Vincent is the place where between 1000AD to 1796AD the Garifuna were formed.
4. For the Garifuna, God is feminine.
5. The Arawak moved up from South America (Orinoco Basin) around 0AD (birth of Christ); the Caribs moved into the Caribbean around 1000AD.
6. Christopher Columbus met the Island Tainos (Arawak)

Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Space

7. On the islands, the Arawak had gold, elaborate dances, used tobacco and other drugs, they were a loving people who were organised via matriarchal lines.

8. The Caribs were raiders and traders. Among their raiding, they collected the Arawak women – which will sooner be a part of the larger Garifuna cultural mix and language.

9. After the biological mixing of Caribs and Arawak, the children were organized with a patronymic organization. They started to take their names form their fathers

10. The Garifuna people move extensively in a extensive territory

11. In the early days the Garifuna were dominant in long distance travel by land and by sea

12. There was egalitarian gender relations – where women could engage in extra-domestic realm, including warfare

13. In Garifuna culture, the Shaman – a one-person operation, dominated spirituality.

Dugu Ceremonies. A highly Spirtual Garifuna Ancestral Worship Activity

13. The British wanted to get rid of the “Devil Garifuna” from Saint Vincent

14. The Garifuna village system was dominated by kin groups with their head men

15. The Garifuna today, collectively, have blocked the period of violent terrorism of their fore parents from their minds

16. When the Garifuna first came to Belize it was basically only men who came. They worked in the mahogany camps. Families eventually started to come from Honduras and formed their own villages: Barranco, Hopkins Seine Bight, Dangriga.

17. Garifuna children are not as conversational with the language as the older generation today. Cultural change is having a stark effect on the transmission of the language to the new generations of Garifuna.

18. Garifuna language is dualistic – forms for male and female. Garifuna is an Arawak language – not Carib

19. In the Garifuna language, when there is a word with 2 syllables, the stress goes on the first syllable

20. There is no “Z” in Garifuna language; there is no distinction between “sh” and “ch” – “Sheese” and “Cheese”

21. In Garifuna culture, the religion is based on the concern for the unknown. To the Garifuna religion brings them to relationships with spirit ancestors. The religious process is done by ceremonies, music, dancing, healing ceremonies and they communicate through dreams.

22. In Garifuna culture everybody gets to Seri (Garifuna Heaven). Hell is an introduced idea. In general, there is forgiveness

23. The greatest challenge for Garifuna cultural erosion is happening now.

24. Click here for a massive treat from the Garifuna Culture of Belize: The Garifuna Collective.

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