University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations Dissertations and Theses November 2019 MULTI-ETHNIC STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR PERSPECTIVE OF CULTURE-BASED INTERVENTION PROGRAMS IN BELIZE: CASE STUDY OF PROGRAM FOR THE GARIFUNA PEOPLE Juan Nunez University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2 Part of the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons Recommended Citation Nunez, Juan, "MULTI-ETHNIC STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR PERSPECTIVE OF CULTURE-BASED INTERVENTION PROGRAMS IN BELIZE: CASE STUDY OF PROGRAM FOR THE GARIFUNA PEOPLE" (2019). Doctoral Dissertations. 1806. https://doi.org/10.7275/15142412 https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/1806 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations and Theses at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MULTI-ETHNIC STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR PERSPECTIVE OF CULTURE-BASED INTERVENTION PROGRAMS IN BELIZE: CASE STUDY OF PROGRAM FOR THE GARIFUNA PEOPLE A Dissertation Presented by JUAN C. NUNEZ Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION September 2019 College of Education Student Development Social Justice Education © Copyright by Juan C. Nunez 2019 All Rights Reserved MULTI-ETHNIC STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR PERSPECTIVE OF CULTURE-BASED INTERVENTION PROGRAMS IN BELIZE: CASE STUDY OF PROGRAM FOR THE GARIFUNA PEOPLE A Dissertation Presented by JUAN C. NUNEZ Approved as to style and content by: ____________________________________ Richard Lapan, Chair ____________________________________ Laura Valdiviezo, Member ____________________________________ Briankle Chang, Member ____________________________________ Jennifer Randall Associate Dean for Academic Affairs College of Education DEDICATION This study is dedicated all those who carry on the work of transmitting the Garifuna language to the next generation. To the members of my family – my siblings and parents – and especially to my wife, Vincent Nunez, who learned Garifuna to teach our children. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I received a great deal of support and assistance throughout my doctoral studies both at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and in Belize that led to the completion of this dissertation. First, I would like to thank Tom Schiff, my health educator supervisor as a graduate assistant, at the University Health Services. I would also like to acknowledge Bailey Jackson, chairman of my comprehensive qualifying/examination. A special acknowledgement to my doctoral dissertation chair and mentor, Richard Lapan, whose unwavering encouragement and expert advice made the difference in completing my studies. His dissertation team consisting of Briankle Chang and Laura Valdiviezo added value to my experience. I sincerely thank the Battle of the Drum Secretariat and its coordinators, the administration of St. Peter Claver School, and in particular, the teachers who allowed me into their classrooms and shared their perspectives. Special thanks to the children and their parents for their willingness to be observed and interviewed. Finally, to my family and friends, who sacrificed their time and effort, so that I can finish! v ABSTRACT MULTI-ETHNIC STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR PERSPECTIVE OF CULTURE-BASED INTERVENTION PROGRAMS IN BELIZE: CASE STUDY OF PROGRAM FOR THE GARIFUNA PEOPLE SEPTEMBER 2019 JUAN C. NUNEZ, B. S., MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY M. ED., UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA Ed.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Richard Lapan The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how the development of Garifuna cultural identity by the Garifuna Language and Arts and Crafts in Schools Program at St. Peter Claver School in Punta Gorda, Belize. Culture-based education is described as contextualized relating “what students learn to their culture, communities, lives, and land.” This is a case study designed to understand the purpose of the program, identify its participants, review its curriculum, observe instructional strategies, and interview its stakeholders over a three-month period. Data was collected through documentation, direct observation, interviews, and audio recording. A descriptive framework was used as a general analytical strategy to organize the case study. The theoretical framework attended to critical theory, postcolonial theory, critical pedagogy, and social justice education. It is hoped that such a study will assist stakeholders in implementing similar programs intended to serve indigenous and minority populations. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...................................................................................................v ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................x INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................1 Problem Statement ...................................................................................................2 Background ..............................................................................................................3 Purpose Statement ....................................................................................................8 Central/Research Question.......................................................................................8 Definition of Terms..................................................................................................9 Placed-based pedagogy ..............................................................................10 Community education ................................................................................10 Community-based education .....................................................................10 Description of Program ..........................................................................................10 Limitations of the Study.........................................................................................11 Significance of the study ........................................................................................12 Summary of the Chapter ........................................................................................13 LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................14 Introduction ............................................................................................................14 Interest in the Preservation of culture ........................................................15 Part 1: Cultural Identity Development of the Garinagu .........................................18 Ancestral Origins of the Garinagu .............................................................21 The Landing: The Arrival of Adam ...........................................................21 Demystifying the Adam and Eve Story .....................................................22 The Adaptation: Becoming a Carib/Garifuna ............................................25 Interaction with and Influence of Enslaved Africans (Blackness) .............28 Interaction with the French ........................................................................30 Interaction with the British ........................................................................31 Interaction with Spaniards/Mestizos ..........................................................33 The Belizean Garifuna Today ....................................................................34 Conclusion .................................................................................................41 Part 2: The Garinagu and Education ......................................................................42 Historical Overview ...................................................................................42 Pupil-Teacher System and Teacher Training Education/training ..............46 vii Influence of the Education System on the Garinagu .................................47 Garifuna Teachers’ Role ............................................................................56 Education Today ........................................................................................59 Conclusion .................................................................................................60 Part 3: Theoretical Framework and Conceptual Framework .................................62 Critical theory ............................................................................................63 Postcolonial Theory ...................................................................................64 Critical Pedagogy .......................................................................................65 Conceptual Framework ..............................................................................67 Part 4: Culture-based Education Programs ............................................................72