Honouring Belize’s Maya and Garifuna on Indigenous Peoples’ Resistance Day

The culture, stories, and traditions of Indigenous peoples take centre stage across the Americas today, October 12th, as the Indigenous Peoples’ Resistance Day. It is a day that celebrates survival, culture, and strength, and the enduring legacy of Indigenous communities.

The day replaces the old narrative of “discovery” with one of resistance, recognising that the lands Christopher Columbus reached in 1492 were already home to thriving societies.

For many decades, the day was known as Columbus Day to mark his arrival in the Americas in 1492. But as understanding of history deepened, it led to a historical shift in perspectives.

The day was redefined to honour the Indigenous peoples who resisted colonisation and preserved their way of life.

In Belize, the day pays tribute to the country’s two main Indigenous groups: the Maya and the Garifuna.

The Maya, one of the region’s oldest civilisations, continue to uphold ancestral practices, including farming, spiritual ceremonies, and community traditions. In Belize, three distinct Maya groups remain: the Yucatec Maya, the Mopan Maya, and the Ketchi Maya. Each group maintains its own language, customs, and cultural identity, yet all share deep historical and spiritual ties to the land.

Many Mestizos in Belize also carry Maya ancestry, a legacy of intermarriage between Indigenous peoples and Spanish settlers during and after colonisation. This formed a unique cultural identity that connects Mestizo communities to the Maya heritage.

The Garifuna, descendants of West and Central Africans who intermarried with Indigenous Caribbean peoples on the island of St Vincent in the 17th century, are also honoured today. This indigenous group is celebrated for their language, music, dance, storytelling and communal rituals.

The Garifuna culture was recognised by UNESCO in 2001 as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Beyond cultural expression, the Garifuna continue to play a vital role in local governance, education, and the defence of ancestral lands, and have ensured that their heritage and identity remain alive for future generations.

Today’s observance is a reminder of the need to protect Indigenous rights, cultural heritage, and land security. It is also a call for reflection on Belize’s multi-ethnic identity and shared history.