October 26

1,200A.D: The Caribs invade and conquer the islands of the Lesser Antilles killing Arawak men and marrying Arawak women. The intermingling gave birth to the island Caribs.

1492: Columbus in the Caribbean Colombus and his Spanish crew meet the Arawaks and the Caribs. 1635: Arawaks and Caribs meet the Africans

The Caribbean Arawaks and the Caribs came in contact with the West Africans after two Spanish ships carrying slaves are wrecked at Becquia near St. Vincent. The intermarrying with these African slaves thus gave birth to the Garinagu people and Garifuna, the language.

1770: The Black Caribs are now so powerful on St. Vincent that they forced the Island Caribs to relinquish some lands to them.

1760: Rise of Joseph Chatoyer

1773: The Negroes on St. Vincent are referred to as ‘Black Charaibes’ for the first time. The British forced them to surrender all but a portion of St. Vincent.

1779: With French help, the Black and Island Caribs regain control of St. Vincent.

1783: The English again restrict the Black and Island Caribs to a small are of St. Vincent. The original Island Caribs are now few in number.

1795: Assassination of Joseph Chatoyer

At the instigation of the French, the Caribs attempt to regain control of St. Vincent under the leadership of Paramount Chief Joseph Chatoyer who is assassinated on March 14^th,

1795.

1797: April 12^th, the English deport 5,080 Garifuna men, women and children from St. Vincent to Roatan, an island off the northern coast of Honduras.

1802: The Garinagu arrival to Belize, British Honduras.

1811: Effects of segregation in Belize

The Garinagu are regarded as a dangerous people by the British rulers. The slaves and locals are warned against intermingling with the Garinagu to avoid civil unrest and maintain control.

1823 to 1832: Garinagu from Honduras flee to Belize under the leadership of Captain Alejo Beni to escape massacre in Honduras. Thus, Dangriga is founded.

1832 to 1900: The Garinagu in Belize consolidate their settlement and spread from Dangriga to Seine Bight, Monkey River, Punta Negra, Punta Gorda, Barranco, Livingston (Guatemala), Hopkins and Georgetown.

Presently, in Central America there are two Garifuna Settlements in Nicaragua, forty-six in Honduras, two in Guatemala and six settlements in Belize. In addition, there are 12,000 Garinagu in the US, namely New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

1922:  The visionary leader Thomas Vincent Ramos founded C.D.S. Carib Development and Sick Aid Society. T.V. Ramos’ concern was the provision of help to the sick, proper burial of the dead, cultural promotion and the re-unification of Garinagu in Diaspora namely, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. He also lobbied to have Garifuna nurses serve in the Dangriga Hospital.

1941: Founding of Garifuna Settlement Day in Dangriga by T.V. Ramos.

1943: Garifuna Settlement Day spreads and become a Public and Bank Holiday in the Southern Regions.

1950: Garinagu participate actively in the nationalist movement, which was mainly politics and trade unionism.

1955: Thomas Vincent Ramos passes away.

1972: First Miss Garifuna (Queen of the South Contest) Belize National Contest held under the leadership of Dr. Theodore Aranda, Mrs. Phyllis Cayetano, Sister Jean Martinez and Mr. Austin Flores.

1977: Garifuna Settlement Day is declared a National Public and Bank Holiday.

1981: Formation of the National Garifuna Council to promote economic, cultural and social development for the Garinagu people.

Source: Cayetano, Sebastian and Isabel, Luba Garifuna Cultural Museum: Footprints of the Garifuna: Information Booklet