March 11, 1797 – A Day of Sorrow in Garifuna History: We, the Garifuna people—descendants of the Indigenous Kalinagu and African ancestors who came together on these lands centuries ago—are not the children of enslaved peoples, but of a sovereign nation. Today, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Honorable Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and the government of Yurumein, now known as Saint Vincent & The Grenadines, for reclaiming Baliceaux—an island sacred to our people and an integral part of our ancestral homeland.
Before the British Crown declared war on our nation in 1773, a treaty was signed acknowledging our right to our lands and territories. That promise was broken. King George III and his government unjustly seized our lands, redistributing them to himself, private interests, and business partners. Our people resisted valiantly, taking up arms to protect our land, our sovereignty, and our freedom from colonial conquest and enslavement. The struggle endured until 1801, when the British claimed full control over our mainland.
Following their conquest, they redistributed our lands to British settlers who brought enslaved Africans to cultivate the land. During the conflict, thousands of Garifuna were captured, imprisoned, and exiled—many to the island of Baliceaux in 1796, others to Saint Lucia and different prison sites.
March 11, 1797, marks the date when approximately 3,000 surviving Garifuna men, women, and children were forcibly removed from Baliceaux and exiled by sea to Roatán, Honduras. There, they began the long, painful journey of rebuilding in new lands—spreading across Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and eventually the United States.
This exile was the aftermath of immense suffering. Recent research by Garifuna historian Andoni Castillo uncovered evidence in London revealing that about 3,000 of our people were imprisoned in Portsmouth Castle, England. Records also show that a rebellion on Baliceaux shortly after their arrival led to a massacre—about 2,000 Garifuna were killed and buried there, contradicting colonial narratives that attribute their deaths solely to disease and starvation.
From the original 5,000 who were unjustly imprisoned and subjected to inhumane conditions on Baliceaux, only about 3,000 survived. Those survivors were unlawfully deported on 12 British ships on March 11, 1797, and left on the shores of Roatán on April 12 of that year.
Today, the Garifuna diaspora numbers over 600,000, with the largest population in Honduras across 47 coastal communities, and the second-largest in the United States, particularly in New York City.
Baliceaux remains a sacred and sorrowful place—a crime scene of genocide committed by the British. The bones of our ancestors and the spirits of those unjustly taken remain there. The island must be preserved, honored, and protected.
As a global Garifuna nation, we bear a sacred duty to remember and to heal. Our ancestors speak to us still—in stories, ceremonies, and dreams. Their voices guide us as we seek justice and work to preserve our resilient Garifuna culture.
Let this day be one of deep reflection, remembrance, and a renewed personal commitment to honor, preserve, and celebrate who we are as a people.
March 11, 1797—A day never to be forgotten.
By: Wellington C. Ramos
Adjunct Professor of Political Science and History
