It is sad to see how our Corozal culture has been set aside to introduce one invented by those who are in charge of the preservation of our identity. There are so many things that can be mentioned which with time it had gradually been on constant changes and prohibition of our eating habits. For many years, from the time I know myself, we were already eating a fish we know here in the North as Macabi, commonly known as “bony fish.” Macabi has a special taste, unlike any other fish, because of the way it is roasted. We have been enjoying the delicacy of such sea food from time which I think there is no information of its beginning. Native and autochthonous Belizeans have been savoring the taste of this delicious fish in “panades” (empanadas) and fish balls. Nonetheless, for some unknown intelligent minds, it has been prohibited for Belizeans to taste their own food.
Now, our dear readers, Belize has 174 miles of waterfront, straight into the Caribbean Sea, as far as your eyes can see. It is impossible for a little handful of people to put in danger the extermination of such sea food. But, it seems as if it is of more value for the tourists to use it as bait for their fishing sport. It won’t take too long when we will be STOPPED from cooking rice and beans, since it will be served to us from some unknown transnational corporations which will process and tin it for the Belizean population’s consumption. Of course, for it to be nice and juicy, you’ll have to get yourself a microwave for your rice and beans to be heated.
The same, we can see how our cultural dance has been changed to a new invention of rhythm. Fortunately for us descendants of the Social War of Yucatan, our culture in its entirety is within us and, apart from that, we only have to cross the border and we meet up with our culture and our language which has been preserved for the last 500 years. Of course, there has been a little influence from the Conquistadores, but the spirit of our culture is still alive.
As human beings we are made of the essence of adaptability. What I mean to say is that we are easy to be adapted to any circumstances, but at the same time, we are MAYA. That is something no one or any other culture will be able to break away from us; we have proven it from since 1492.
On the other hand, there is our Mestizaje, which was born in Chactemal or Chetemal with the marriage of the Spanish renegade that became a Maya by the name of Gonzalo Guerrero and Nachankan’s daughter, Zazil Há, in the Maya culture. The encroachment of the European powers and their treaties had made the province of Chactemal or Chetemal to be divided from what is a little below San Felipe, Bacalar, with a straight line to the Caribbean Sea down South to the Rio Hondo. That has stayed on today, Mexican side. And from the Rio Hondo to New River lagoon stayed on the Belizean side. Nevertheless, in our hearts and minds we know who we are, where we came from, and what is our culture, regardless of those who want to invent cultures to replace our identity.
They can fool children, but not us, the adult, mentally mature parents. We play the fool but we teach our children the truth of who we are and as how I’ve mentioned before, human beings are adaptable to any circumstances. Even to that of being psychologically indoctrinated by those who believe deep down in their minds that they are free from mental slavery even though they have been serving the capitalist neoliberals with pleasure as common serviles. If they do not respond in that way, they won’t be able to enjoy the crumbs from the table and they are put aside becoming the scum of the society. That society lives in the swamp, yet when they hear the voice of the one-eyed king they go on their knees to praise the only one who can visualize the light.
August 5, 2016
Finca Solana
Corozal Town