Garifuna land security in (post) colonial Belize : The curious case of the ‘Carib reserve’ at Punta Gorda

Gough, Alex (2023) Garifuna land security in (post) colonial Belize : The curious case of the ‘Carib reserve’ at Punta Gorda. Journal of Caribbean History, 57 (2): 3. pp. 55-87. ISSN 0047-2263

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Abstract

In the last fifty years, the recognition of indigenous identity and associated rights has emerged as a well-established norm within the international legal system. In Belize, the Toledo Maya have become globally renowned due to the twenty-five years legal battle they have fought for tangible recognition of their customary land rights. However, it was Toledo’s ‘other’ indigenous people – the Garifuna – who first used legal redress to claim their own collective rights in Belize. This article documents the unique story behind the purchase, reclamation, and struggle to maintain the land known as the St Vincent block, outside Punta Gorda town.