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Popo shares his views on Garifuna social problems today. Photo credit: Drew Irwin. | |
Barauda Dance Troupe Director
Triunfo de la Cruz, Honduras
Garífuna Social Organization
Garífuna society is organized around the principle of a matriarchy. Our mothers and grandmothers take control of the childrens' education. While our fathers and grandfathers are in charge of farming, fishing, and other domestic chores. However, the patriarchy also plays an important role. It has less influence in the educational aspect because children are educated by their mother with their grandmother's counsel. In other words, the mothers are those that govern the vital family nucleus. And the fathers are the ones who impose rules in such a way that they are obeyed.
Loss of Cultural Values
Before, our parents' organizational system was based on the Elders Council, which determined all of our laws. I believe this has its historical roots in Africa. All of the Garífuna communities in Honduras used to practice these customs. I'm worried about the loss of these cultural values. If there was an Elders Council nowadays in the Garífuna communities there wouldn't be so much delincuency, drug addiction, promiscuity, prostitution, and other sorts of problems.
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Garífuna women meet in the community of Triunfo de la Cruz, Honduras. Photo credit: Drew Irwin. | |
Despite 200 years living in Honduras, the Garífuna people have still not found a substantial base of power from which to integrate into society. Little by little we have integrated into the soccer aspect. The Garífuna here is only looked upon as a good soccer player, a good actor, a good singer, a good cook, a good waiter, a good professional. He/she is not given the capacity to develop themselves and occupy high positions in society. There isn't one Garífuna who represents our ethnic group in the National Congress. And this despite the fact there are many Garífuna professionals - lawyers, architects, agronomists, engineers, college graduates, doctors all types of professionals. But what has happened? We have not been integrated into society. We are only looked on as numbers, numbers inside a society in which we form an integral part. We are only sought for votes when the presidential elections come around. These are some problems - the integration of Garífuna society into Honduran society.