Garifuna

In 2001, UNESC0 proclaimed the Garifuna language, music and dance to be among the masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity.

Originally coming to Belize from the Bay Islands of Honduras on November 19, 1802, nearly 7% of Belize’s population today includes the Garinagu with the largest population of Garifuna found in Punta Gorda and Dangriga as well as the villages of Seine Bight, Hopkins, Georgetown, and Barranco. 

For the older generations fishing and agriculture were the traditional way of life. Many of the younger generation of Garifuna are active in the civil service and have been successful in music and the arts.

There has been an active effort to retain the traditional rituals and practices of the culture resulting in the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) proclamation.