Belizean Pride: What's In A Name?

Belize is a small country with a population of around 360,000 to 430,000 people. It is a multiethnic country with a diverse population, recognised as a melting pot of cultures. People from Belize are called Belizeans. They are associated with the country through citizenship or descent and are made up of various ethnic groups that coexist harmoniously.

Mestizos

Mestizo culture is strongest in northern Belize, in Corozal, Orange Walk, Ambergris Caye, and the western region in Belmopan, San Ignacio, and Benque Viejo del Carmen. Mestizos in these areas observe traditions such as "Posada" at Christmas, a "nine nights" celebration where they move from house to house asking for shelter, re-enacting Mary and Joseph's journey. Another tradition is the "Fajina", where villagers voluntarily work on community projects. Mestizos also celebrate "Carnaval" before Lent, a parade where participants dress in outlandish costumes and paint their faces.

Maya

The Maya are an ethnolinguistic group of indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica, with ancient roots in modern-day Belize, as well as parts of Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and five Mexican states. The earliest records of the Maya in Belize date back to around 2000 B.C., marking the beginning of the Maya Preclassic Period (2000 B.C. to 200 A.D.). During this time, the ancient Maya inhabited Cuello in northern Belize, which is recognised as the earliest settled community in the Maya world.

During the Maya Classic Period (250 to 900 A.D.), Belize’s Maya territory supported a population of 1 to 2 million people, with large and notable cities like Xunantunich, Caracol, and Lamanai. The Maya built impressive cities and created a sophisticated society with a highly developed system of writing, art, mathematics, and astronomy.

In the 19th century, the Maya population in Belize was augmented by an influx of refugees from the Yucatán Peninsula, fleeing the Caste War. Today, there are three main groups of Maya living in Belize: the Yucatec, Kekchi, and Mopan Maya. The Yucatec Maya primarily reside in Northern Belize, in Corozal and Orange Walk, and have merged with the Mestizo population. The Kekchi Maya are the most populous Mayan group in Belize, settling in Southern Belize and creating many small isolated villages throughout the Toledo District. The Mopan Maya came to Belize in the 19th century from the Peten region of Guatemala, escaping conflict and seeking abundant natural resources. They settled in San Antonio, Toledo, and Western Belize, with a notable presence in the village of San Jose Succotz in the Cayo District.

The Maya in Belize speak a variety of languages, including Yucateco, Mopanero, and Kekchi. Many modern Belizean Maya are bilingual or multilingual, speaking English and Spanish in addition to their mother tongue. The Maya's traditional diet is centred around agriculture, with corn being the staple dish, accompanied by beans, pork, and fish.

In terms of traditional clothing, the Kekchi Mayan women wear embroidered blouses and skirts with colourful embroidery in geometric designs, weaving their clothing themselves.

The Maya have a rich cultural heritage that includes a unique syncretic religion combining Roman Catholicism with indigenous Maya beliefs. Additionally, they have a strong oral tradition, as evidenced by works like the Popol Vuh, a compendium of Maya stories and legends aimed at preserving their traditions.

Despite their contributions to Belize's culture and history, the Maya of southern Belize have faced a harsh history of colonisation and human rights violations, particularly regarding their traditional lands and resources. In recent years, there have been efforts by Maya communities to seek legal assistance and initiate international litigation to protect their rights and address ongoing issues with the government of Belize.

Garinagu

The Garinagu (or Garifuna, for an individual or their language) are the descendants of an Afro-indigenous population from the Caribbean island of St Vincent. They are a mix of West/Central African, Arawak, and Carib ancestry.

The Garinagu were exiled to the Honduran coast in the 18th century, and subsequently settled in Belize. They are thought to be the survivors of shipwrecks or captives who took over the ship they came on. The Garinagu were historically known as 'Black Caribs' or 'Island Caribs' by European explorers, who used the term ''Black Caribs' to differentiate between two groups with similar cultures by their skin colour. The Garinagu themselves use the term ''Black Caribs' to refer to those with higher Amerindian traits, while those with more African features are simply 'Caribs'.

The Garinagu were exiled from St Vincent by the British in 1796, after fighting against them in what became known as the 'Carib Wars'. Over 5,000 Garinagu were deported, but only about half survived the voyage to Roatán, an island off the coast of Honduras. The Garinagu settled in several places in Belize, including Seine Bight, Punta Gorda, and Punta Negra, as early as 1802. However, 19 November 1832 is officially recognised as 'Garifuna Settlement Day' in Dangriga, which has the largest Garinagu population in Belize.

The Garinagu in Belize have held on to most of their traditions, especially their attachment to the sea. They have influenced Belizean music and their language has absorbed elements of their past, including Arawak and African. They are known for their gift for languages, with many able to speak English, Spanish, French, Miskito, and Maya. They have also maintained their traditional food staples, including Hudut (a fish coconut stew eaten with mashed plantains), Bundiga (grated banana cooked in coconut milk and seasoned with local herbs), and Ereba (a hard flat biscuit made from the cassava root).

The Garinagu comprise about six per cent of Belize's population and have established six communities that have taken a leadership role in maintaining global Garinagu culture.

Creole

The Creole language, Belize Kriol, developed initially through interaction between Africans and Europeans. It is derived mainly from English but is influenced by other languages due to the slave trade. Its substrate languages are the Native American Miskito language, Spanish, and various West African and Bantu languages brought to the country by slaves, including Akan, Efik, Ewe, Fula, Ga, Hausa, Igbo, Kikongo, and Wolof. Belize Kriol is the first language of some Garifunas, Mestizos, Maya, and other ethnic groups.

In Belize, 'Creole' is the standard term for any person of at least partial Black African descent who is not Garinagu, or any person who speaks Kriol as a first or sole language. Immigrants from Africa and the West Indies who have settled in Belize and intermarried with locals may also identify as Creole. The concept of Creole as mixed-race embraces nearly any individual with Afro-European ancestry combined with another ethnicity, including Mestizo or Maya.

The Creole constituted the majority of the population until the 1980s and became synonymous with the Belizean national identity. In the 21st century, Creoles are found predominantly in urban areas, such as Belize City, and in most coastal towns and villages. Creoles are also known for their rich traditions, music, and cuisine.

Mennonites

Belize is a multiethnic country with residents of Amerindian, African, European, Asian, and Middle-Eastern descent, or mixed-race with any combination of those groups. The people of Belize are diverse, but the primary cultures are the Mestizo, Maya, Garinagu, and Creole. Smaller but established ethnic groups include the Mennonites, East Indians, and Chinese.

The Mennonites in Belize are immigrant farming families of Dutch/German descent who live in several communities in the Orange Walk and Cayo Districts of northern Belize. Mennonites are members of a Protestant religious sect that originated in Switzerland and the Netherlands during the time of the Protestant Reformation. They are divided into two streams: the progressive wing, which believes the church should be more involved in the world and has incorporated engines and electricity into their lives; and the traditional, more conservative wing, which believes that the modern world, including contemporary machinery, contaminates their faith.

In Belize, there were 4,961 Mennonite members as of 2014, but the total number, including children and young unbaptized adults, was around 12,000. Of these, some 10,000 were ethnic Mennonites, most of them Russian Mennonites, who speak Plautdietsch, a Low German dialect. There are also several hundred Pennsylvania German-speaking Old Order Mennonites in Belize. In addition, there were another 2,000 mostly Kriol and Mestizo Belizeans who had converted to Mennonitism.

The Mennonites have been living in Mexico and Central America since the 1800s, having fled religious persecution in their home countries. The Mennonite religion requires its followers to live peacefully and avoid modern conveniences. They pay taxes but do not participate in other forms of government or take any government support. In 1957, several Mennonite communities were living in Mexico, but when the Mexican government changed the law to allow Mennonites to be drafted into the army, they realized they needed a new home. At the same time, Belize was taking its first steps toward independence from the UK and needed to show that it could be self-sufficient in terms of food production—something the Mennonites specialized in.

The Mennonites made a deal with the Belizean government: they would help Belize produce a wide variety of agricultural and dairy products, and in return, they could practice their religion free from persecution and their children would never be drafted or sent to war. In 1958, the Mennonites established their first community in Spanish Lookout in the Cayo District. They speak English, Spanish, and their own variation of German. They use traditional, organic farming techniques to produce eggs, milk, cheese, potatoes, corn, papayas, watermelons, chickens, peppers, and honey. They are also known for their carpentry skills, producing furniture, cabinetry, and custom-built homes.

The Mennonites have their own schools, churches, and financial institutions in their communities. They are easily identified by their clothing, which includes bonnets and long dresses for women, and denim overalls, hats, suspenders, and dark trousers for men.

Frequently asked questions