CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
- REPARATIONS:
In March 2012, The Garifuna Heritage Foundation (TGHF) organized an International Conference here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines which featured presentations by many scholars from around the world on subjects pertinent to the survival, existence, and advancement of the Garifuna Heritage and Culture…
The 2012 International Conference concluded with “THE YURUMEI DECLARATION” which supported the call for Reparations. Every International Garifuna Conference held since 2012 including the 2024 Edition has repeated the call for Reparations.
In 2013 CARICOM made the Call for Reparations for Slavery and Native Genocide as part of which a Caricom Reparations Commission was established. The CRC elaborated a Ten Point Plan two elements of which impact indigenous people.
Full Apology: The descendants of the indigenous peoples subjected to genocide, the loss of several cultures, and the erasure of numerous languages require a full and formal apology. A full apology accepts responsibility, commits to non-repetition, and pledges to repair the harm caused. Governments from countries responsible for the destruction have refused to offer apologies and have instead issued Statements of Regret. These statements do not acknowledge that crimes have been committed and continue to represent a refusal to take responsibility.
An Indigenous Peoples Development Plan: As a result of European conquest and colonisation, the indigenous peoples within the Member States of CARICOM have been subjected to forced migration within countries and across the region; to brutal work conditions, and genocide. Indigenous peoples were brutalized and killed as a result of official instructions to the European military commanders who came to the region. Those who were not immediately killed had their ancestral lands seized and a community of 3 million people in 1700 was decimated to less than 30 thousand in 2000. This also led to the destruction of their languages and unique cultural heritage. Their descendants remain traumatized, landless, and are one of the most marginalized groups in the region as a result of the deliberate and racist discrimination on the part of the European colonizers.
Despite the efforts of the newly developing CARICOM Member States which have inherited the situation, the rebuilding of these communities cannot be done without responsible European States taking on the responsibility of correcting the damage and where possible, restoring the communities that still exist.
For countries where Garifuna reside which are not Member states of CARICOM (Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua) efforts can be made to identify the issues such as Land Rights and other Human Rights violations which support a case for Reparatory Justice before relevant international courts. This work has already commenced and borne fruit in Honduras where the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH) commenced a process of International Petitions in the Interamerican System of Human Rights and also before the Mechanisms established by the UN Commission against Racial Discrimination .
As such, OFRANEH presented a multi-community land rights case before the Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) which included the communities of Tornabe, Triunfo de la Cruz and San Juan. They also presented two separate Claims concerning the Communities of Punta Piedra and the community of Cayos Cochinos. These cases were later referred to the Inter American Court of Human Rights.
On August 29, 2023, the Inter American Court of Human Rights again found Honduras Guilty for the violation of Garifuna territorial rights in another significant victory. But like previous judgments, the court’s decision lacks an enforcement mechanism. Its implementation requires political will on the part of the Honduran government.
BALLICEAUX
In the case of the Garifuna, it has been stated that the deportation of over 2,027 Garifuna indigenous people to the island of Roatan in Honduras was an act of Genocide and calls have been made for the island of Balliceaux to be acquired by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for public purposes. Balliceaux is the island which where the Garifuna were kept for six months in 1796 before being transported to Roatan. While on Balliceaux in that six month period approximately 2000 died from an unknown disease. On January 3rd, 2024 the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Hon. Ralph Gonsalves committed to acquire the island of Balliceaux.
In 2007 the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) was ratified by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. More recently in 2016 the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People was concluded by the Organization of American States (OAS). These documents seek to promote the rights of Indigenous People to all aspects of their Heritage and Culture, including protection of Sacred Sites like Balliceaux and may provide some new international interest for implementing and designing cultural preservation programmes. Balliceaux’s sacredness stems from this tragic history. Since 2001, Garifuna communities have made pilgrimages to the island to honour their ancestors who suffered and died there.
However, the island’s future remains uncertain due to its ownership and potential for commercial development. Historically, the island was privately owned, and records suggest that it was under the possession of a Mr. Campbell when the Black Caribs were exiled there.
He was even receiving a gracious rent for allowing the Garifuna people to stay…or die… on his estate. By 1899, ownership had passed to the Linley family, who still own Balliceaux today. The above mentioned pilgrimage to the island requires permission from the Linley family through their lawyer and it could not be legally possible without their cooperation. In recent years, Balliceaux has been listed for sale on multiple real estate websites, with prices ranging from $27 million to $35 million USD.
The island’s proximity to luxury destinations like Mustique and Canouan has made it a target for development, raising concerns about the potential loss of its cultural and historical significance. The Garifuna Heritage Foundation strongly opposes the sale and advocates for the island to be recognized as a protected national heritage site, ensuring that the history and legacy of the Garifuna people are preserved for future generations.
The ongoing debate over Balliceaux reflects broader tensions between cultural preservation and economic interests. As a site of immense sorrow and remembrance, its protection is vital to maintaining the Garifuna heritage and honouring the memory of those who suffered there.
