It was an occasion that called for the drums of the ancestors, the release of Myrtle Palacio's "The Primer on the People Called the Garifuna."
It's a concise but invaluable book that details a people's history and also answers and allows readers to decipher who are the Garifuna people? Jomarie Lanza was at the launch and here's how it went.
She first ventured into the history of the Garifuna people more than 30 years ago which led her to produce publications on Garifuna spirituality. Now Social Scientist and Author Myrtle Palacio has published a continuation of her research hoping to correct some of the misinformation in history revolving around the Garifuna and their history leading up to when they first came to Belize.
Myrtle Palacio, Author
"With all the questions and misinformation that is still coming up we all got together to do something and we presented the booklet last year and today is to carry the message of the booklet of the new history, new information. But to do it electronically. And this time having young persons and elders introducing each topical area that we are really interested in bringing out the "Who?" Who are the Garinagu? A mix of enslaved peoples from Africa and Amerindians. That is why they call us indigenous because of the Amerindian part of our heritage."
"As was said earlier, my 1994 publication was only for that time and as I immersed myself with more reading and using my level of analysis and also the unique perspective that I am a Garifuna and I will write my story, not anybody else - even though I have to look at what has been foretold before."
The publication titled "The Primer on the People Called the Garifuna" contains extensive timelines, maps and even a list of legal documents tying to their history. Palacio says she hopes the book will provide a deeper understanding of the culture and fill some of the gaps in their history.
Myrtle Palacio, Author
"I would like, I am learning like I mentioned the date of 1799 I would like that to resonate because that is a contribution to nation building another area is teaching, the educators and the map over there where out people our men from late 1800 were dying in villages just to teach that was the job they had accepted leaving their families for months for the whole term and that contribution to nation building I want us to understand that and to understand why we have the 19th of November those two areas to me are very much important."
Minister of State Dolores Balderamos Garcia was also at the event and applauded Palacio for her contributions towards the preservation of the Garifuna culture
Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of State, Office of the Prime Minister
"This is a continuation of work that she has done over a long period of time and I am so glad that this production has been put out today in the Imagination Factri because it is so rich in the history of our country that we need to know. Not only the history of the Garifuna people but our history as a nation of Belize from all the way back to the settlements coming right up to post independence, we are almost at 44 years since independence and so I am exceedingly happy that Ms Myrtle has one again along with the help of NICH and education, the library, everybody to have this as a continuing bit of our education going forward and I am so happy that it will be like a traveling exhibition."
Those interested in purchasing a copy can find it on the 501 Academy Website.
