The Garifuna people are descendants of Carib, Arawak, and West Africans who mostly live along the Caribbean coasts of Central America countries like Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In 1796, around 5,000 black Caribs were deported from St. Vincent to Honduras by the British, but only around 2,500 survived. They petitioned Spain to settle and spread along the Caribbean coast. Key aspects of their culture include foods like cassava bread called ereba, and music like the popular dance genre called Punta which incorporates drums and hip movements.

1. Garifuna Culture By: Danielle Dye

3. Today they mostly live in Central America

4. They live along the Caribbean coasts of: Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, & Honduras

5. Total population: 600,00

6. Languages: Garifuna, Spanish, Belizean Kriol, & English

8. They considered black caribs enemies & deported them to Honduras

9. 5,000 were deported

10. only 2,500 survived

11. Petitioned the Spanish to be able to settle

12. Became employed

13. Spread through out Caribbean coast of Central America

14. Became known as Garifuna’sGarifuna HistoryDanielle Dye

16. Made from grated cassava, garlic, yuca & salt

17. Done by an ancient process involving long snake-like woven basket which strains juice from the cassava

18. Then dried overnight

19. Sieved through flat rounded baskets to form flour

20. Which is then baked into pancakes

22. The dance associated with it requires dancers to move their hips in a circular motion

23. Still played with traditional instruments

24. It has recently been modernized by adding guitars

25. There many more music & dances usually performed at holidays, parties, & social events

26. Drums contribute the most to their music

27. Two types: Tenor drum & bass drum