The Walt Disney Company "Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3" Angers the Garifuna Nation Worldwide

Michael Polonio - President, National Garifuna Council of Belize protests Disney's protrayal of the Garinagu people as cannibals in their up-comming "Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3"

(PRWEB) March 26, 2005 -- The National Garifuna Council (NGC) is the legally constituted and recognized representative organization of the Garifuna people of Belize, who, along with other Garinagu in Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, are direct descendants of the "Black Caribs" of St Vincent and the lesser Antilles as we are referred to in the English language. We are also, therefore, descendants of the Calinago, the people called Caribs.

It has been brought to the attention of the Garinagu Nation that the Walt Disney Company intends to film a movie called "The Pirates of
the Caribbean" in which the Caribs or Calinago, the ancestors of the Garinagu (as we refer to ourselves in our language) are portrayed as
cannibals. We understand that preparations are underway to commence filming in Dominica in April of this year.

There is no credible scientific evidence or reliable report that the people in question were cannibals. They fought to the death to defend their islands against invaders in the colonial era which followed the arrival of Columbus to our shores. The myth about cannibalism was started because the Calinago were not intimidated by the European invaders and waged war in the defense of their territory and way of life. For 30 years they held back the British Army, the most modern fighting forces of the world at the time.

In May, 2001, the importance of the Garifuna culture (the culture of the Garinagu) to mankind was recognized in the United Nations Proclamation of the Garifuna Language, Dance and Music as Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

our ancestors stood up against early European conquerors and because they stood up. we were labeled savages and cannibals up to today. This cannot be perpetuated in movies."

Read more at http://www.SeineBight.Com/news.htm

# # #