By: Wellington C. Ramos

Saturday, December 30, 2023

In the school of Leadership there is always the question as to whether leaders are born, or if a person can be groomed and trained to become a leader. I believe that leaders derive through training and acquiring leadership skills. This is why most institutions and organizations have leadership programs and workshops for their members. The programs and workshops are designed to align with the institution’s goals, objectives and mission.

About five years ago, Joseph Guerrero introduced a young man to me by the name of Marley Chatuye Nunez in one of our Garifuna Land Rights Workshops. This workshop had about twenty students who were enrolled. The purpose of the workshop, was to educate our young Garifuna men and women about all aspects of our Garifuna Land Rights.

This included UNDRIP, ILO-169, Treaties, Charters, Constitutions and other related legal instruments. After the workshop was held, Joseph Guerrero asked me to evaluate some potential young Garifuna leaders from the workshop. We both came to the conclusion that Marley Chatuye Nunez was the top candidate because of the passion and commitment he displayed for Garifuna activism during the workshop. Our recommendation was forwarded to the executive members of the Garifuna Nation. We had a conversation with him and he made us aware of the land problems our Garifuna people were facing in Hopkins Village. He said he is committed to do something about this problem. Below is a profile and accomplishments of Mr. Marley Chatuye Nunez:

A picture of Garifuna activist Marley Chatuye Nunez

Hailing from the village of sand and sea, Marley Chatuye Nunez was born on the 30th day of May 1985 to Mrs. Judith Nunez and Mr. Noawel Nunez of beautiful Hopkins Village.

He is the eldest of four siblings; three brothers and one sister. Marley spent most of his childhood years with his grandparents, since his parents worked at the cayes. Unlike many other kids who enjoyed playing on the streets with friends and sports, Marley was very interested in fishing, farming and making cement blocks with his grandfather. He was also a caring big brother who made sure that his brothers and little sister were well taken care of.

Marley attended primary school in Hopkins. He obtained his primary school diploma and then moved on to ANRI high school. After he completed his secondary school education, Marley joined the family business (Noawel Fishing and Snorkeling Tours) as a boat captain. He enjoyed working on the sea.

Apart from working with his dad, Marley was known as a DJ who went to parties with one computer and no CD. He often DJ’d for school parties and teen dances. A few years later, Marley decided to open a barber shop in Hopkins and he did some barbering which was added to his talents.

He was not into playing sports, but he managed a male basketball team and helped to organize friendly competitions for the youths during summer break. Marley started writing lyrics and rhymes as a teenager. Singing while taking a shower became his new hobby. He wrote some of his own songs that he sang and recorded in the studio. He also tried acting, and his first role was the major character Eddi in a play titled: “Stranded N Dangriga”.

Music has always been a part of his genetics. After researching and studying his Garifuna culture for many years, Marley developed a new interest in Garifuna music. He recently recorded a song entitled “Genocide”, which speaks about Garinagu in Baliceaux. Also, he is in the process of recording and producing a new album.

Today, Marley has become popularly known as an activist, a Garifuna land defender and advocate for the rights of his indigenous Garinagu people. Through his words and actions, he has garnered the support of many Garinagu in his community, other Garifuna communities in Belize and abroad.

Currently, thousands of acres of Garifuna indigenous lands in Hopkins and throughout the country of Belize, are being Used, Leased and Titled under the Belize Land Tenure System (BLTS) to Non-Garifuna people, without their Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). This is while Garifuna citizens are applying for lots and lands to build homes for their families and to engage in farming to feed their families and are being denied by the Belize Government.

Garifuna Indigenous land for sale in Hopkins, bought by a land developer

Marley said to me, this is the injustice that drives his motivation to be a part of the Garifuna Nation and the movement to reclaim all Garifuna lands in Belize. He sees land as the Garifuna people’s best hope to maintain their autonomy, culture, religion, customs, traditions and to economically improve their living conditions.

The preservation and promotion of Garifuna culture go hand in hand with them constantly being engaged in the use of their lands. Today, Marley is one of the leaders in the Garifuna Nation that is actively working with his team to deal with the land issues in Hopkins Village.

Without his activism, the Garifuna Nation would not have known about all the land grabbing that is taking place in Hopkins Village today. The Garifuna Nation is recruiting other people from Hopkins who reside in the United States and in Hopkins to join the Land Rights Movement (LRM). If the Garifuna people in Hopkins and Belize do not act now, we risk losing all of our lands in Belize to the rich who already have, but still want more.

When we look at the land distribution system in Belize over the years, most of the lands have been given to the same families who support the major political parties, PUP and UDP, financially. The working class and the poor are constantly being left out. Even if they get a lot, most of them do not have the money to build a home, and end up selling the lots they were given to the same rich families.