upepo
Elder Lister
The history of the Garifuna (also known as Garinagu) begins before the year 1635 on the island of St. Vincent in the eastern Caribbean. St. Vincent was inhabited by a peaceful tribe of Indians who called themselves Arawaks. The Kalipuna tribe from mainland South America invaded St. Vincent and conquered the Arawaks. The Arawak men were all killed and the Kalipuna warriors took the Arawak women as wives. The inhabitants of the island were then the union of these two tribes. The Spanish called these people "Caribes" (Caribs) which means cannibals and that is the word from which "Caribbean" is derived.
Garifuna Dancers during "Yurumei" re-enactment
The Garifuna story begins in 1635 with the shipwreck of two Spanish slave Ships near the island of San Vicente. The ships were carrying West African slaves, probably from Nigeria (but I believe from Gold Coast now Ghana as their matrilineal inheritance system shows is a typical Akan Fante tradition and so also is their dancing styles and their staple food being cassava makes them to be more of Akan Fantes than Nigerians) to be used as slaves in the British colonies in the area of Martinica, Santa Lucia, Granada, Dominica, and Barbados. The slaves swam to freedom on the island of San Vicente. Follow the link to read more https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2012/09/garifunasthe-blacks-in-diaspora-who.html
Garifuna Dancers during "Yurumei" re-enactment
The Garifuna story begins in 1635 with the shipwreck of two Spanish slave Ships near the island of San Vicente. The ships were carrying West African slaves, probably from Nigeria (but I believe from Gold Coast now Ghana as their matrilineal inheritance system shows is a typical Akan Fante tradition and so also is their dancing styles and their staple food being cassava makes them to be more of Akan Fantes than Nigerians) to be used as slaves in the British colonies in the area of Martinica, Santa Lucia, Granada, Dominica, and Barbados. The slaves swam to freedom on the island of San Vicente. Follow the link to read more https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2012/09/garifunasthe-blacks-in-diaspora-who.html