Who Owns the Land? Indigenous Groups Challenge Government Plan

A growing alliance among indigenous groups is putting new pressure on the government over land rights in southern Belize. The National Garifuna Council is gaining support as Maya leaders step forward to stand in solidarity with Garifuna communities caught in the ongoing Sittee River–Hopkins dispute. At the heart of the tension is a government-led effort to redraw village boundaries, one that Garifuna leaders say threatens ancestral land claims. As the issue draws national attention, the Sittee River Village Council is also weighing in, signaling its willingness to work with authorities on the process. But with competing interests on the table, the bigger question now is whose claim will shape the future of these lands? News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Pressure is mounting on the government to settle long-running land disputes in southern Belize, as officials press ahead with plans to formally define village boundaries. Now, the issue is gaining even wider attention. The Garifuna Nation, a global advocacy group, is stepping into the conversation, making its position clear and backing calls to protect ancestral land rights. With voices growing louder at home and abroad, the push for a resolution is only intensifying.

 

On the Phone: Wellington Ramos, Co-founder, The Garifuna Nation

“Belize did not become independent until September the 21st, 1981. That’s a lot of years. We have been living autonomously in our communities since then. So for them to come now and say, “Oh, you know what? We own this land, we gonna tell you all what to do,” that’s not gonna happen.”

 

Maya leaders are now adding their voices to the fight. In a strong statement this week, the Maya Leaders Alliance declared full solidarity with the Garinagu, backing their push to defend ancestral land rights under international law. The group says real justice will only come through unity and resistance, and they’re committing to stand side by side with Garifuna communities. Garifuna advocate Joseph Guerrero welcomed the support, calling it a powerful endorsement from a group he describes as pioneers in the struggle for indigenous rights in Belize.

 

On the Phone: Joseph Guerrero, Co-founder, The Garifuna Nation

“The Honduran government was doing the same thing Belize is doing to us, which is to title out our territorial land to individuals without our free, prior, and informed consent, from which they won their at the IACHR. They have won all the cases they have taken against the Honduran government at the IACHR level. If you recall, I think the Maya also tried that after the government of Belize courts initially barred the Maya from even going to court for their rights.”

 

Joseph Guerrero

“Their support is greatly appreciated by the Garifuna Nation. We do have a relationship with the Maya Leaders Alliance.”

 

Meanwhile, even as calls for indigenous land rights grow louder, the Sittee River Village Council is striking a more measured tone. The council says it’s committed to doing things by the book, working with the government to clearly define village boundaries. Chairman Windell McDougall Jr. says they’re already providing key information to guide that process, but he’s also making it clear that the council has no intention of harming neighboring communities. So, as pressure builds on all sides, the challenge now is finding a path forward that respects both due process and long-standing ancestral claims.

 

 

Windell McDougall Jr., Chairman, Sittee River Village Council

“They’re our neighbors, our friends, our family, and like I said, we don’t have any issues with our people. We’ll remain friends, family. We have loved ones, neighboring villages you know, it’s just for us, it’s just following the process. The indigenous rights and different stuff they wanna put forward, that’s a different matter. That’s not for to dive us in. And that’s a different matter, you know, if any group want to see something like that through. Well, you know, that’s a process for the high courts to take up.”

 

Kendis Kelly reiterates that while the council is determined to resolve the issue, they wish to keep all the proceedings amicable.

 

 Kendis Kelly, Treasurer, Sittee River Village Council

“We’ve been back and forth with this from over the past fifteen years, and we’ve met with the village council, different village council, different chairperson from Hopkins trying to resolve the matter. It just so happens now that the time has come that the government has appointed a commission now to see the matter forward. But it has nothing to do with the expats fighting against the Garinagus.”

 

The National Garifuna Council is rallying support, calling on Garinagu at home and abroad, and all Belizeans, to stand up for indigenous land rights. The group says land is the foundation of identity and culture, and it’s backing that message with action, launching a Legal Defense Fund to fuel advocacy and court battles. Britney Gordon for News Five.

 

The Sittee River Village Council says that it has already submitted all relevant documents and maps to proceed with the matter.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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