Garifuna Migration Study Questions
Question   Answer
1.

Which group is NOT considered one of the Garífuna ancestors?

  1. Pech Indians
  2. Arawak Indians
  3. African Slaves
  4. Carib Indians
 
  1. Pech Indians
2. Why did local indigenous populations in the Greater and Lower Antilles suffer drastic declines in the 1500s? How did European settlers compensate for these labor shortages?

 

European colonizers introduced foreign diseases and an oppressive system of forced labor known as the encomienda.

European settlers compensated for labor shortages by bringing over African slaves to work on their sugar, coffee, and tobacco plantations.

3. Name two events that led to the rise of the Black Carib?

Note: the Black Carib are a mix of African and Amerindian peoples. 		 
  1. A Spanish slave ship shipwrecked off the coast of Becquia island in 1635 and survivors took Carib-Arawak wives.
  2. Cimarrones or runaway African slaves from European plantations were welcomed into Island Carib communities.
  3. During raids on European settlements, Carib Indians carried off African slaves as prisoners of war.
4. What historical injustice occured between 1796 and 1797?

   After nearly 150 years of defiance, the Black Carib surrendered to British enemies in 1796 after French troops withdrew their support. In this same year, the British launched a massive manhunt - raiding villages and exiling 4,644 overly "rebellious" Black Caribs to the neighboring island of Baliceaux. The lighter- skinned "Yellow or Red Caribs" were classified as "benign" and returned to St. Vincent. The darker-skinned Black Caribs were left on Roatan - an island off the North Coast of Honduras - on April 11, 1797 with limited food, seeds, tools, and fishing supplies. Family members may have been separated in this parting; and only 2,026 Black Carib survived the onslaught of disease, overcrowding, and inadequate provisions.
5. Why did the Spaniards rescue the Garinagu from Roatan, an island off the North Coast of Honduras?   The Spaniards faced starvations because their farming practices were not suited to the humid tropical climate. Therefore, the Garinagu were rescued from Roatan to produce food for the entire Spanish colony. They also replenished a diminishing labor supply and helped reclaim Spanish territory from British rivals.

6. What accounted for the mass migration of Garífuna peoples throughout Central America in 1832?   In 1832, the Garinagu were charged with treason for supporting the Spanish royalists' failed insurrection against Franciso Morazan, the president of the Federation of Central American States. Fearing persecution and death, many Garífuna peoples fled to Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Belize or retreated deep into the Mosquitia - a heavily forested region in Northeastern Honduras.

7. How did the collapse of the world banana market impact the Garinagu in the mid-1900s?   When a collapse in market prices caused banana corporations to suspend their operations, many Garífuna families were left with no alternative source of income. As a result, many Garífuna males enlisted in the U.S. and British merchant marines, who needed new recruits because many sailors had left to fight in WWII. After their service, many Garinagu settled in port towns around the world, particularly in the U.S. and Great Britain.

For more information, visit the Expressions' Current Events link, Banana Transnationals Lay off Workers
8. Today, the largest concentration of Garífuna peoples can be found in Honduras. In what country can the second largest population be found?   Today, 100,000 Garinagu are estimated to be living in Honduras. 90,000, the second largest Garífuna population, can be found in the United States. They are primarily located in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and New Orleans.
9. The Garinagu have demonstrated extraordinary resilience in the face of historical injustices and threats to their group cohesion. Browse through the Expressions of Honduras website. List the current threats to their cultural traditions and ethnic unity. Describe at least two examples of Garinagu working to preserve their cultural practices and artistic expressions.   Current threats to Garífuna cultural traditions and ethnic unity include prostitution, drug addiction, loss of cultural values, lack of political representation, limited economic and educational opportunities, immigration, among others. For more information, consult the Expressions' links: Garífuna society, Garífuna housing, Oh! To Build a Loubabagu Art School!, Garífuna Musicians: Yura and Calin.

Examples of Garífuna peoples working to sustain their cultural practices, artistic expressions, and group unity: Neta, Yura, Popo, Maxima, Dr. Rafael Selva Murillo. See the tribute to Garífuna women.
10. As a result of their history, the Garinagu have come in contact with many different peoples and blended African, Amerindian, and European traditions into their unique, hybrid culture. Explore the Expressions of Honduras' way of life, customs, and arts links. Describe a cultural tradition or art form that the Garinagu derived from two of its ancestors.  

African ancestors: punta and Wanaragua dances, sacred drumming, Anancy folk tales, ancestral worship, Elder's Council, banana dishes.

Amerindian ancestors (Carib and Arawak Indians): cassava farming and breadmaking, their passion for fishing and the sea, their division of labor, their ninth-night wake ceremonies, their language (Arawak), their use of maracas in festive dances, and their belief in a shaman as healer and counselor.

Note: the Garingu also appropriated elements of European culture including their household fittings, food practices, dress, folklore, and most importantly, Catholicism.

See the Expressions' Cultural History link.