We are The Garifuna Nation, a Non-Profit Organization based in the United States. We represent a voice for the voiceless of our Garinagu people. Prior to the British defeating our people in March of 1796, our ancestors controlled our nation; “Yurumein” now known as Saint Vincent & Grenadines. The subsequent removal, unlawful imprisonment and tortures that took place on the island of Baliceaux, led to the dismantling of our nation state and our removal to the island of Roatan, Honduras where about 2,500 of our people arrived on April the 12th 1797. From Honduras our people have migrated through out to countries such as; Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize, the United States of America, and others where they currently reside.
As of recent a Gas Station construction was started in the midst of a residential area on Garifuna land. This Gas station property was titled to someone who does not have any rights in Garifuna territory. We feel that the Indigenous Rights of the Garifuna are being violated by titling our lands to the highest bidders on the world market.
This is what is happening at Seine Bight in Stann Creek District, Belize. According to the 2007 precedence for indigenous people in the Maya land rights case, Judge Conteh linked the identity of Maya to their particular way of using the land. As such the same holds true for the Garifuna. This land was settled in pre-colonial times by the Garifuna of Belize. That makes the land the property of the indigenous Garinagu of Belize. And we believe that the Belizean Government is in violation of the rights of the Garifuna. This same land grab can be seen in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua where Garifuna hold land collectively.
