Spiritual Values: A Study of Continuity Through Change Among the Garinagu of Belize
Abstract
The Garinagu are also known as the Garifuna (which is more specificaIIy the
language they speak) and as the Black Caribs. They are a people who currently live
primarily all along the Caribbean coast of Central America, but are dispersed in
various places all over the globe. Theirs is a short but intriguing history born of the
African slave trade and colonial expansionism. Three hundred years ago, a mixed
group of West Africans, brought by Spanish galleons, landed and met the native
Caribs on the island of St. Vincent. Since then, these displaced Africans have become
very much a part of the larger West Indian/Caribbean culture of conquest and
displacement. They have fully changed their native land no fewer than three times in
300 years, the first move being from Africa. Each move has been characterized by
cultural change and growth. The Garinagu have been involved in a number of
military disputes with French, the English, and others in the area, yet they have
retained their strong continuous group identity. If you are not a current K College student, faculty, or staff member, email dspace@kzoo.edu to request access to this SIP.