HISTORY ETHNICAL COMPOSITION OF BELIZE. Presented by Gian Vasquez

Transcription

1 HISTORY ETHNICAL COMPOSITION OF BELIZE Presented by Gian Vasquez

2 ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF BELIZE Mestizo 34% Kriol 25% Spanish 15% Maya 11% Garinagu 6% Mennonite 3% Other 6% -East Indians -Chinese -Taiwanese -Lebanese

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4 CREOLES IN BELIZE Creoles Born into Belize From Enslaved and European Lived in Belize City (Ebo Town) Settled in the Belize River Valley and Sibun areas. Runaway and formed Maroon community Formed a Creole Culture in Gales Point Manatee

5 CREOLES "AH WAH NO WHO SEH KRIOL NO GAT NO KOLCHA" The Creole in Belize are as a result of the miscegenation between the African enslave and their white European masters. Enslaved Africans were brought to the settlement during the 18th century and by 1779 roughly about 86% of the total population. The enslave experience in Belize has allowed for the survival of many aspects of African culture combined with some of the cultural aspects of the European settlers. In Belize it is the Creole language that serves as a unifying force among the various ethnic groups.

6 THE BRAM The Bram is a spree traditionally done during the Christmas season. The goal is to spread the merrymaking by singing, dancing and playing music at each house as a sign of good cheer. Traditionally, bramming occurred in Belize City (old Belize Town) and in the villages along the Belize River Valley; and later in most other Kriol (Creole) communities in Belize.

7 BROKDONG MUSIC Instruments: 1. the fork and grater 2. the two-sided Gombay drum 3. accordion, 4. mouth organ (harmonica), 5. banjo, 6. jawbone of an ass (or donkey), 7. the gourd shakka (maracas or rattle) 8. and anything else that could make good musical sounds and could be heard loud and clear. Essential is the call and response songs narrating historical experiences in satirical fashion. The lyrics are in the Kriol (Creole) language which has a distinct African grammatical structure, with most words borrowed from English, and some from Irish, Mesquito Indian, Spanish and Maya.

8 The Garifuna in Belize are the descendants of African slaves and the native Kalinago. The Garifuna arrived in southern Belize in 1802 in small numbers, and in larger numbers in 1823 after fleeing violent confrontations in Honduras. Garifuna free status and slavery did not match: 1. contact between African slaves and the Garifuna was largely discouraged. 2. The Garifuna were also restricted from entering politics 3. Their attempts to improve their living conditions through the sale of produce in Belize Town was dampened by an ordinance decreeing the need for the Garifuna to obtain permits in order to do so.

9 Belize today embraces the Garifuna for their contributions to 1. Music: Paranda, Punta, John Canoe 2. Food: Hudut, Darasa, Tapao 3. Arts: Painting, Drumming, Dances

10 GARIFUNA DUGU In this unification ceremony, the extended families of a person gather to give thanks and promote the healing of an ailing member. When someone falls ill in a family, the high priest, or buyei, will inform the family if a dugu is warranted or not. Throughout the weeklong ceremony, offerings are made in hopes that those ill regain their strength. Singing and dancing to particular beats often hypnotize participants and send them into trance-like states that captivate onlookers and convince them that this activity should be performed by trained personnel only!

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12 MAYA AND MESTIZO NORTHERN BELIZE The Mestizo of Belize are descended from the union of the indigenous Maya and the Spanish. (Gonzalo Guerrero) The Caste War of Yucatan (Guerra de Las Castas )

13 MESTIZO TRADITIONS Today, the customs of the Mestizo are a perfect blend of Spanish customs as well as those of the Maya. The food as well, shows the influence of the Maya, as many of the Mestizo dishes make use of corn in some way or form. The Mestizo in most instances are very fluent in Spanish and though the British brought with them their Protestant faith, the majority of the Mestizo populace in Belize is Roman Catholic, having adopted the religion of the Spanish. Carnaval: Easter Celebration

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15 MAYA IN SOUTHERN BELIZE The ancient Maya are the ancestors of the modern day Maya in Belize. Today there are three groups of Maya living in Belize, the Kekchi Maya, the Mopan Maya, and the Yucatec Maya.

16 THE MOPAN MAYA The Mopan Maya originally inhabited parts of central Belize and the Peten in Guatemala. In the 1600's some were converted to catholicism by the Spanish while others resisted. Many were struck by white man diseases such as small pox and all were driven out of Belize by the British in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1886, the modern Mopan began migrating back to Southern Belize from the village of San Luis in Peten, Guatemala escaping forced labor and taxation and searching for a place with fertile soils and clean rivers. These Mopan first settled near present day Pueblo Viejo, and eventually founded the modern village of San Antonio in the Toledo District, which continues to be the largest Mopan settlement in Southern Belize.

17 KEKCHI MAYA The Kekchi Maya are originally from the Verapaz region of Guatemala. They migrated to Belize in the late 1800's after losing their land and freedom to German coffee growers. The Kekchi settled in the lowland areas along rivers and streams, forming small isolated villages throughout Toledo. Because of their isolation, the Kekchi have become the most self reliant ethnic group in Belize. They are also peaceful people known for their cooperative practices in farming and cultural development. While over 30 distinctly Kekchi communities exist in Toledo, over the years the Kekchi Maya have mixed with the Mopan communities. The largest village of Kekchi Maya is San Pedro Columbia.

18 FESTIVALS, MUSIC, AND DANCE Maya maintain a strong link to the past through rituals, folklore and family. Fiestas, dancing and traditional music remain important as several festivals and celebrations occur throughout the year. On these special occasions, masks and elaborate costumes are worn by dancers, singers, and musicians. One tradition occurs on the 1st and 2nd of November-All Saint's Day and All Souls Day. On this day, huge feasts are prepared for ancestors. Late evening, these meals are set on tables along with candles in the houses of those who have lost their loved ones. If the food is gone in the morning, the people believe that their ancestors came for the food. The Feast of San Luis is celebrated during Easter. Traditional dances such as the Cortes Dance and the Deer Dance are held. The Cortes Dance uses drums, flutes, and rattles to dramatize the combined forces of the church and army during the European conquest. The Deer Dance is accompanied by the marimbas and symbolizes the important relationship between humanity and nature.

19 EAST INDIANS

20 EAST INDIANS "West Indies" The "East Indians" as they were referred to, perhaps in order to distinguish them from the original "Maya Indians" that inhabited this part of the world, were first brought to Belize to supplement the African laboring population. East Indians first arrived between 1870 and 1880 in Belize. The census of 1891 lists only 291 persons living in the colony who were born in India. East Indians were put to work in the sugar estates in the Toledo and Corozal districts. Their descendants can still be found in areas such as Calcutta in the Corozal District and Forest Home in the Toledo District. They have now largely become "Creolized

21 EAST INDIAN FOOD, a significant aspect of culture, is still very much prevalent in the homes of the contemporary East Indian population

22 MENNONITES Mennonites are said to have adopted their name from a Dutch priest known as Menno Simons. The backbone of their lifestyle and the way they appear to others is a result of very firm, established religious beliefs that notably prevents them from indulging in some of the more "modern" practices that many Belizeans take for granted, such as utilizing electricity in their homes, or the use of motor vehicles. Mennonites first arrived in Belize in 1958, totaling 500, and was embraced by the government, who immediately saw that the Mennonites would bring with them their knowledge and propensity towards farming. In Belize, the Mennonite community can be distinguished by two vastly dissimilar sects - the Old Colony and the Kleine Gemeinde. The Old Colony Mennonites prefer to live in isolated, self-sufficient communities; they also eschew anything that represents modern innovation. The Kleine Gemeinde Mennonites however have slowly eased away from the practices of the Old Colony, and today can be seen driving tractors, and making use of modern amenities.

23 In the history of Belize - that shows a very dire reliance on imported goods, the contribution of the Mennonite community is clear. Belizeans today rely on the Mennonite community for a multitude of goods: rice, poultry, eggs, milk, and furniture. The majority of the Mennonite community continues to live in isolated, pocketed communities, far away from the urban areas. Despite this Belizeans have accepted the Mennonite community, and continue to support and respect their right to theological and societal freedom

24 CHINESE After slavery was abolished in Belize in 1838, the Chinese were brought to work as indentured or contract labourers in the mid- 1860s. In 1865, about 470 Chinese labourers arrived in Belize to work on newly established sugar estates in the Corozal and Orange Walk districts. Most of them were male. By the following year about 100 of them were dead. Overwork, combined with the shock of a new diet and the environment, all very alien to them were considered reasons for the death of the earliest Chinese immigrants to Belize. Many that survived that first year chose to relocate to Quintana Roo or elsewhere in the hope of starting a new life for themselves away from the plantations. In 1871, as the Chinese left the estates in search of better prospects, the importation of Chinese labourers and contract workers on the plantations was deemed a failure and was discontinued. Some Chinese chose to remain in Orange Walk and Corozal while others relocated to sugar estates in Toledo, others used the opportunity to move to Belize Town, then the capital of the growing settlement. Many of them initiated ventures into the retail industry, opening small shops and laundries.

25 CHINESE They have maintained the richness of their culture, including food, customs, and language. Though many of them have adopted a Belizean identity, and are at home here, the knowledge of the past and an appreciation for their culture has made them an example of having to their credit, the kind of cultural pride and affinity that can foster nation building.

26 CENTRAL AMERICAN MIGRANTS More recently, the civil wars in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua during the 1960s to the 1990s caused considerable amounts of immigration to occur. The first wave of immigration in the current era took place in the late 1970s when middleclass citizens of El Salvador began leaving their country for Belize due to local conflicts. Next came village people called campecinos from El Salvador. These campecinos came from war ravaged areas like Santa Ana, Sonsonete, Ahuachapan, Chalatenango, Cabañas, Cuscatlan and La Libertad in northern El Salvador. These were villages where guerrilla activity was being suppressed by the Salvadorean government using scorched earth policies such as burning of crops and forests or killing of livestocks and villagers. To travel to Belize, these immigrants first entered Guatemala at places like Jutiapa and Chiquimula. They then boarded trucks or buses and headed for the Peten region of Guatemala. The final leg of the journey was the crossing from Peten into Belize near Benque Viejo Town. The journey from El Salvador to Belize took about two days. Numerous Guatemalans have also immigrated to Belize starting in the 1980s. Most were from the Alta Verapaz, Izabal and Peten departements of Guatemala. These refugees were running from the rural pacification hostilities initiated by General Rios Montt in Guatemala. Rural pacification meant the killing of large numbers of village people who did not agree with the government of Guatemala.

27 In 1981, the government of Belize and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) began a refugee resettlement project on 15,000 acres of uncleared land in the upper Belize River Valley. This area was named Valley of Peace. Land was given to the refugees to encourage food production. This resulted in a number of small farms dedicated to vegetable production. These farms helped to improve Belize s self sufficiency in fresh vegetables. In addition to vegetable production in Valley of Peace, Central Americans were also incorporated as semiperanent workers in the banana industry which was revived in the CowPen and Trio Branch areas in the 1970s. These new immigrants also replaced Creoles as the unskilled labour in the various aspects of the citrus industry starting around the time of independence.