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HISTORY OF THE GARÍFUNA PEOPLE OF LIMÓN, COLON, HONDURAS

By: Ernesto Martínez Rivas

Introduction

The information contained in this historical sketch of the Garifuna people of Limon comes from stories narrated by elderly natives of this community, among them are Mr. Silverio Martínez (RIP) better known by Silí, Don Pedro Miranda (RIP) better known as Boru and Mrs. Eufemia Marín Martínez (RIP) affectionately called Fema.

The other data was acquired from the works of the North American anthropologist Nancie González "History of the Garifuna People", the Garifuna writer Prof. Virgilio López García "Lamumeha Garífuna" and the Garifuna cultural artist Nino Ramos, director of the magazine "Garifuna Dance and Culture" a each one of them I give a thousand thanks for that call to the conscience of all Garifuna and their interest in making known to the world part of our rich history.

HISTORICAL PROCESS

On April 12, 1797, at three in the afternoon on Wednesday, the Garifuna from San Vicente and Grenadine (Yurumein) officially landed at Port Royal on the hill called Punta Caribe, Roatan, department of the Bay Islands. During the night of April 22 of the same year the ship Prince William Henry was captured by two Spanish frigates taking them to Trujillo department of Colón. British and Spanish negotiated to exchange prisoners without success, for this reason the British attacked Trujillo recapturing the ship and forcing the Spanish to exchange prisoners.

Days later on April 26, the prisoners including Garifuna were transferred to Roatan (British position).

On May 18, 1798, two thousand Garifuna surrendered to the Spanish and they were transferred to Trujillo, leaving around 3,080 on the island (Punta Caribe). Feeling nostalgic for their homeland (Yurumein) they tried to get there by rafts, their attempt to return was unsuccessful due to the strong storms that hit the Atlantic coast of Honduras, the sea current sent them to Punta Patuca department of Gracias a Dios.

Towards the year 1800 the shipwrecked Garifuna were founding communities in the departments of Gracias a Dios and Colón, from 1804 entire Garifuna families left Trujillo (Sugabiu) heading east in search of their race brothers also in search of a place that could provide everything necessary for survival.

Around 1812 five of these Vincentian families headed by Dirigan, Yurima, Mazulei, Gagali and Gueu arrived at a river bar where they found a branch hanging a lemon fruit on it, knowing its use they used rubbing it on a sick person among them.

Seeing some nearby population (upstream was a benque, the village of France) they proceeded in their search exploring the area finding it suitable for cultivation, hunting, fishing and above all safe, they decided to inhabit it calling it by the name of Limuru with the subsequent arrival of Spanish-speaking people to populate., also the area, they probably realized the reason why the community was baptized Limuru they decided to call it Limón using the Cindurun translation which in the Garifuna language means Limón, instead of Limuru which means branch.

These first Garifuna settlers divided this population in the following way: Lucinda, Sawei, Liranagua, Opapanu and Falumougu.

Dirigan: It was located in the eastern part today known as the Lucinda neighborhood (probably where the pipe lounge is). Her housemate was known by the name of Dá-wabuamu with whom she had six girls Isidora Viney (chanada), Basilia Viney, Felipa Viney, Juliana Viney, Gregoria Viney and Florencia Viney.

Yurima, Masulei and Gagali: They settled in the part of the center that they subdivided in the neighborhoods of Sawei, Liranagua and Opapanu. Today these names do not exist but the Valencia family still retains the nickname of Sawainas.

Gueu: It was located in the western part called today Cocalito (Falumougu) according to the elders Silverio Martínez, Pedro Miranda and Eufemia Marín; Gueu was known as a great hunter and in one of his hunts he was stung by a poisonous snake causing him to die almost immediately. A daughter named Martha Elena Castillo (martela) was known to her and she had sons and daughters. There is also a jetty that bears his name.

Yurima: This man did not live long in this newly populated place, he formed a family in the bar of the Aguán River (municipality of Santa Rosa de Aguán) where he decided to live permanently. He frequented Limón through a land route known as Lemeri Yurima (the Yurima road) that crosses Malawasi to the Masigalu jetty.