Garifuna Culture

By: Danielle Dye

Garifuna people are descents of the Carib, Arawak & west Africa

Today they mostly live in Central America

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

Total population: 600,00 Languages: Garifuna, Spanish,

Belizean Kriol, & English Religion: Roman Catholic,

Rastafarian, & Muslim

Garifuna PeopleDanielle Dye

1796 British won claims over St. Vincent

They considered black caribs enemies & deported them to Honduras

5,000 were deported only 2,500 survived Petitioned the Spanish to be

able to settle Became employed Spread through out Caribbean

coast of Central America Became known as Garifuna’s

Garifuna HistoryDanielle Dye

A common dish Ereba (cassava bread)

Made from grated cassava, garlic, yuca & salt

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

Then dried overnight Sieved through flat rounded baskets

to form flour Which is then baked into pancakes It is also eaten with fish, plantains,

sticky sweet rice, or gravy

Garifuna FoodDanielle Dye

The most famous is Punta The dance associated with it requires

dancers to move their hips in a circular motion

Still played with traditional instruments It has recently been modernized by

adding guitars There many more music & dances

usually performed at holidays, parties, & social events

Drums contribute the most to their music

Two types: Tenor drum & bass drum

Garifuna Music Danielle Dye