April 12, 1797-1997
Anniversaries, like birthdays, are a way of celebrating the arrival and departure of a point in time. They remind us of how long we've been somewhere, and start the clock from that moment to the next marker. The 200th anniversary of the deportation of the Garinagu is no different. 200 years ago, everybody wondered if we were going to survive as a people and live a long healthy life as a people. Two years after the great Garifuna Chief Joseph Chatoyer was killed on March 14, 1795, the Garifuna people were deported from their native land of St Vincent to Roatán, Honduras and from there we have dispersed.
However, 200 years later, not only have we survived but we are reuniting in Honduras to commemorate the Garifuna Bicentennial on April 6 - 12, 1997. The commemoration will take place in all Garinagu communities with the major events being held in La Ceiba, Roatán and Trujillo.
Garifuna World would like to encourage all Garinagu to participate in this historical event. We will serve as an information clearinghouse for the events that will take place in the different communities. The Garifuna Bicentennial will pave our way to the Twenty First Century and will provide us the opportunity to begin a new chapter in history.
In 1997, we have an opportunity to become the subjects of our own history rather than objects of someone else's, as we inevitably have been when others have told our story as a footnote to theirs in their own way and for their own sometimes unhealthy purposes. It is time for us to center ourselves in our own self-definition rather than allow ourselves to be defined by others whose self-interest is different from and often diametrically opposed to, our own. Most importantly, we must define ourselves within a global context rather than in the narrow confines of our scattered nationalities.
Garinagu have proven that modernization need not involve a sacrifice of all that is dear, yet neither must people be excluded from the benefits of the modern world, because they refuse to give up all their traditions. The Garifuna Bicentennial gives us an opportunity to recognize the achievements and contributions of Garinagu and to Let the Celebration Begin!
For More Information call: 1-(800) 859-1426 and leave your name and address to receive additional information or write:
Garifuna World
C/O Avila Realty
P.O. Box 333
Allen, TX 75013-0006