Introduction
The Yurumein: The Holocaust of the Garinagu from St. Vincent
Your friend is originally from Dangriga Town but currently resides in Corozal and takes several courses along with you including Belizean History. He invites you to stay with his family in Dangriga as they prepare for the reenactment of the Yurumein on the 19th of November. Although the day is a public and bank holiday throughout the country, neither your school nor district has done anything to commemorate the day. Therefore, you don't know much about the origin of the holiday. This is the first time you will witness the reenactment celebration, and you are excited because you will get to be a cultural historian for the day.
Nonetheless, talking to your friend's parents opened your eyes to a public concern that the day will become a faded memory. Apart from Dangriga and Belize City, the local government and schools from the other districts have designated the day for other public activities, which overshadows the rationale of the holiday. Thus, creating a generation of learners disconnected from history.
On your journey home, you had so many questions that you decided you want to make a difference at your school.
What can be done at your school to revive the celebration?
Task
Your task is to prepare a speech for your class that proposes one approach for commemorating the Yurumein on November 19th at your school. You will submit your speech as an audio recording.
After completing the Webquest, you will be able to:
- Trace the historical context of the arrival of the Garinagu from Honduras to Belize.
- Identify the role Thomas Vincent Ramos played in promulgating Disembarkation Day.
- Discuss the rationale of the Yurmein celebration.
- Respect and appreciate people from different cultures and commit to equity and justice for all.
For you to achieve these learning outcomes, you must complete all the activities in the Process section.
Process
1. Go to the link below. Watch the video and answer the question in your scrapbook.
- Reflection Why is this day an important part of the Garifuna people throughout Belize?
2. Go to the links below and answer the question.
https://www.belizelivingheritage.org/thomas-vincent-ramos-and-garifuna-….
- Reflection- What are some challenges Ramos might have endured in promulgating the 19th of November as Disembarkation Day?
3. Listen to the song, Yurumein composed by Georgette Lambey. In essence, it translates to "Nevertheless, we are here...we are alive". Although the language might not be comprehensible to you, what feelings emerged as you watch the audiovisual?
4. Complete the graphic organizer in your scrapbook
.
5. Use what you learned to compose the script for your speech.
The speech should include:
- An introduction and background information.
- The goals and objectives for the speech
- Your rationale for preserving the 19th at the school level
- A call for action
- Closure to the speech
Take a look at the rubric for further guidance.
6. After writing the script, use an audio tool to record your speech. The speech should be no longer than ten minutes.
Evaluation
| Delivery |
Speaks with fluctuation in volume and inflection to maintain audience interest and emphasize key points |
Speaks with a satisfactory variety of volume and inflection |
Speaks in uneven volume with little or no inflection | Speaks in low volume and/ or monotonous tone, which causes the audience to disengage |
| Content/Organization |
Demonstrates full knowledge of the activities Provides clear purpose and subject; pertinent examples, facts, and/or statistics; supports conclusions/ideas with evidence |
Has answered most questions from the activities Uses some examples, facts, and/or statistics that support the subject; includes some data or evidence that supports conclusions |
Answers a few basic questions from the activities Provides weak examples, facts, and/ or statistics, which do not adequately support the subject; includes very thin data or evidence |
Does not have a grasp of information Does not clearly define subject and purpose; provides weak or no support of subject; gives insufficient support for ideas or conclusions |
| Enthusiasm/ Audience Awareness |
Demonstrates strong enthusiasm about the topic during the entire presentation Significantly increases audience understanding and knowledge of the topic; the approach convinces the audience to recognize the validity and importance of the subject |
Shows some enthusiastic feelings about the topic The approach raises audience understanding and awareness of most points |
Shows little or mixed feelings about the topic being presented The approach raises audience understanding and knowledge of some points |
Shows no interest in the topic presented The approach fails to increase audience understanding of knowledge of the topic |
| Comments |
Conclusion
Guess what?! You have made it to the end of the WebQuest activity. You were able to create a call for action on an issue, and possibly create a cultural tradition at your institution.
It took so much time and effort for you to complete this assignment. I'm so proud of you!
Credits
References:
Pelayo, P. (2020). Thomas Vincent Ramos and Garifuna Settlement Day. NICH-BelizeanLivingHeritage. https://www.belizelivingheritage.org/thomas-vincent-ramos-and-garifuna-….
Osberth Smith. (2020, November 3). Yurumein- Georgette Lambey [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImTlAMR9HSs
Ramos, W. (2022). THE REASONS THAT THOMAS VINCENT RAMOS FOUGHT FOR GARIFUNA SETTLEMENT DAY IN BELIZE. Amandala Newspaper. https://amandala.com.bz/news/the-reasons-that-thomas-vincent-ramos-foug…
YoungStarr Entertainment. (2014, October 4). (Yurumein) Garifuna Settlement Day [Video]. YouTube.
Resource for the rubric:
- Rubric was adapted from ReadWriteThink (2013)