The paper brings attention to the past sacrifices of teachers as leaders in highlighting a poem written by Mr. Alfonso Cayetano entitled “A Tribute to Garifuna Teachers”. The following are excerpts from the poem. “Wherever a Union Jack Flag was erected in British Honduras, Garifuna teachers went like brave soldiers to establish schools. Garifuna teachers and pioneers enlightened and tilled the fertile minds of our Belizean children. You left your comfortable homes to serve the rural areas of Belize. You and your families lived in substandard housing. You waded in belly deep swamps to get to your teaching post. You were cut off from regular Belizean life to teach in labyrinth areas of Belize. Your family was deprived of medical attention because of the Remote areas of Belize. Your family members were bitten by mosquitoes, horse flies, scorpions, rats, bats and poisonous snakes. Your wives and children became sick and mentally ill..."

1. Garifuna Journey—Acknowledging Contributions
Giving Voice to Truth
I Myrtle Palacio
November 2020
The history of the Garinagu before and after arrival to Belize was one of brutal antagonism and
discrimination, when they suffered much cruelties and violence at the hands of the British.
Maltreatments and exploitations continued in their interactions with missionaries, primarily the
Roman Catholics in Belize. The recent news of access to the Graham Creek School in Toledo,
and the inhumane physical surroundings there, resembles a cruise trip, when compared to the
cruelties that Garifuna teachers and their families endured in the name of educating and
spreading Roman Catholicism in rural Belize. What a contribution! I am bringing attention to the
past sacrifices of these leaders in highlighting a poem written by Mr. Alfonso Cayetano entitled
“A Tribute to Garifuna Teachers”. The following are excerpts from the poem. “Wherever a
Union Jack Flag was erected in British Honduras, Garifuna teachers went like brave soldiers to
establish schools. Garifuna teachers and pioneers enlightened and tilled the fertile minds of our
Belizean children. You left your comfortable homes to serve the rural areas of Belize. You and
your families lived in substandard housing. You waded in belly deep swamps to get to your
teaching post. You were cut off from regular Belizean life to teach in labyrinth areas of Belize.
Your family was deprived of medical attention because of the Remote areas of Belize. Your
family members were bitten by mosquitoes, horse flies, scorpions, rats, bats and poisonous
snakes. Your wives and children became sick and mentally ill. Some died from dehydration and
were buried in those villages. Garifuna educators and pioneers paid the ultimate price with their
lives to educate Belize. Garifuna teachers and pioneers traversed the rough sea, forded flooded
rivers and explored virgin jungle to nurture the brains of our Belizean children. Garifuna teachers
and pioneers were transferred from north to south and from east to west of Belize. Garifuna
teachers and pioneers, you made tremendous sacrifices. Your work in the six districts of Belize
was perilous. For the education of Belize, you abandoned your families, relatives and friends.
You have been to Go To Hell Village, now called San Lucas. You climbed the hills of San
Benito Poite which were infested with Bush Master snakes and where Jaguars roamed, freely.
You have given your all to educate Belizeans.” Bandi seremei…Thank you lun Mr. Alfonso
Cayetano for the poem, houn the Teachers as leaders and contributors to our nation building. The
survival of the Garifuna people with culture intact is a major feat, and probably due largely to
courage—the fortitude, valor and resoluteness of leaders, which can be strongly felt in Alfonso
Cayetano’s poem. November 19th Garifuna Settlement Day has been a public and bank holiday
in Belize for over 4 decades. This was advocated for by three Garifuna leaders with the support
of the Garifuna community to recognize their contributions to Belize. Three advocators who
represented the people’s cause to the British Governor were leaders of the Dangriga community,
namely TV Ramos, Mateo Avaloy, and CJ Benguche. In the 1920’s leaders formed organizations

2. to mobilize people. One such was the Carib International Sick and Burial Fund Society (1924)
formed in Puerto Barrios, where several were employed in the banana industry. This
demonstrates leadership, mettle, a level of independence and pride of self. The initial leaders of
the Puerto Barrios Branch at June 1924 were: C. J. Locario as President, A. B. Ogaldez-Secretary
General, P. A. Franzua-Manager, and Nath Antonio-General Treasurer. In the 1970s, areas of
success at advocacy via the foresight of leaders: name change from Stann Creek Town to
Dangriga, Garinagu not Black Caribs, public and bank holiday for Garifuna Settlement Day
countrywide. Garifuna leaders were owners and workers in the mahogany and then sugar
industries in its heyday. They were in the forefront of Garveyism, and later unionism as leaders
and members; first in the General Workers Union (GWU) of the 1950’s. The GWU joined the
People’s United Party (PUP) to win the first elections after adult suffrage in 1954 and 1957.
Those leaders were Nathaniel Cacho, David McKoy and Faustino Zuniga. Others offered
themselves during this period, as independent candidates or members of the opposing party, the
National Party. They are Catarino Benguche, Max Arzu, Lem Benguche and Bernard Avilez.
Since then, Garifuna leaders have represented as standard bearers and members of parliament for
both the PUP and later the UDP in the southern Belize. For the 2020 election there was only one
Garifuna representing, that is for the UDP in the Dangriga constituency. Frank “Papa” Mena lost
his bid for Dangriga when the outcome of the election demonstrated a wide sweep or landslide
for the PUP—another anti-administration stance of the electorate. For the first time in over 6
decades (66 years) of electioneering, there was no Garifuna representing the PUP in the south.
Political representation is very important especially at this time—post COVID. The south of the
country to which the Garinagu were banished by the British is the most productive—banana,
citrus, pepper sauce etc., however the socio economic situation of its people is very damning, as
per the country’s social statistics—and the “culture” is yet to be taken seriously as a tool for
economic development by those at the governance table. Ka san megei bei Garinagu…courage
has skipped a couple generations?
Credits: Pictures courtesy National Heritage Library