Myrtle Palacio

Last updated

Iris Myrtle Palaciao OBE (born in 1948, Stann Creek Town) is an educator and social planner from Belize. She is an advocate for Garifuna culture, and good governance in the public sector.

Contents

Early life and education

Palacio was born in 1948 to parents Gwendolyn Trapp and Cornelius Cacho in Stann Creek Town. [1] Her family are Garifuna - a community of people of mixed black African and indigenous Carib Indian heritage. [2] Her brother was the politician Russell "Chiste" Garcia, he died in 2009. [3] She married the Belizean anthropologist, Joseph Palacio, in 1968. [1] They have two children. [4]

Palacio attended Stann Creek Methodist School, then Wesley College In Belize City and later gained a Teaching Diploma from Belize Teacher's College. [1] In 1981, Palacio decided to continue her education and was awarded a BA in Accounting and Business Management from the University of California, Berkeley. [1] Her postgraduate education continued and she was awarded an MSc in Urban Studies by the University of New Orleans in 1995. [1]

Career

Palacio has three parallel careers: as a computer industry entrepreneur, a politician and a historian of Garifuna culture.

Computing

In 1984, Palacio set up Glessima, the first company in the computer industry in Belize. It aimed to employ women, enabling them to forge careers for themselves outside the home. [1]

Politics

In 1999, Palacio was appointed to the role of Chief Elections & Boundaries Officer in Belize, and served as such until 2005. [5] [6] Her time as Chief Officer the department was computerized and she introduced voter education.

Palacio has formed part of or led teams on several occasions to observe international elections. In 2003, she led the team overseeing the voter re-registration procedures in Antigua & Barbuda. [7] In 2015, she was part of the Commonwealth Election Observers Team overseeing the election in St Vincent & the Grenadines. [8]

Also in 1999, she addressed the United Nations at the Hague, presenting a statement outlining the issues that Belize faced as a third world country and the measures that were being taken by the government to combat them. [9] This was followed by a report exploring the North/South divide in Belize and the impact on the people. [10]

Between 2005 and 2008, Palacio worked as the Director, Office of Governance. In 2010, Palacio produced a report on Belizean democracy, highlighting how far it had travelled, but also the issues it faced. [11] In June 2011, she presented two publications "Elections in Belize: the Naked Truth" and "Adugurahani: A Walk Through Garifuna Spiritualism". From 2011 to 2015, Palacio worked as General Secretary of the People's United Party. [12]

Palacio is an expert in the political history Belize. [13] One of her observations in how the prevalence on call-in talk-shows on radio between 2003 and 2008 enabled political candidates to start arguments between one another, supported by people using phone cards pre-paid by political parties to support one side or the other and therefore try to manipulate public opinion. [13] She has written about housing poverty in Belize, and measured that could be taken to change the situation for people in Belize. [14]

Garifuna Activism

Flag of Garifuna Flag of Garifuna.svg
Flag of Garifuna
Garifuna dancers in Dangriga, Belize Garifuna dancers in Dangriga, Belize.jpg
Garifuna dancers in Dangriga, Belize

Palacio is an outspoken advocate for Garifuna culture, writing some of the first books on the subject and speaking widely about her Garifuna identity. [1] She is an expert on the history of the Garifuna - particularly how the population and culture evolved in Belize. [15] One aspect she has written about is the how differently Garifuna and Creole populations were treated by the British colonisers: the Creole were less "stubborn" and so were given more official appointments, which led to them having significantly more political and economic power. [16] She has written about Garifuna emigration to the USA. [17]

In her book Adügürahani, Palacio is the first person to write a description of the Dugu Ceremony and its nine rituals, which are highly important to Garifuna spiritual life. [18] The Primer aimed to explain Garifuna culture to all, but with a particular focus on children's education. [19]

Honours

In the 1999 Birthday Honours, Palacio was given the Member of the Order of the British Empire award by Queen Elizabeth II, for service to community in Belize. [20] In the 2007 New Years Honours, she was awarded the higher honour of Officer of the Order of the British Empire. [21]

Publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Belize</span> Belizean musical traditions

The music of Belize has a mix of Creole, Mestizo, Garìfuna, Mayan and European influences.

The Garifuna people are a people of mixed free African and Amerindian ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian Creole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in Belize</span>

Elections in Belize are the duly held elections held at various levels of government in the nation of Belize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punta</span> Traditional music and dance performed by Garifuna people

Punta is an Afro-indigenous dance and cultural music originating in the Caribbean Island of Saint Vincent And The Grenadines by the Garifuna people before being exiled from the island. Which is also known as Yurumei. It has African and Arawak elements which are also the characteristics of the Garifuna language. Punta is the best-known traditional dance belonging to the Garifuna community. It is also known as banguity or bunda, before the first arrival of the Garifuna people in Punta Gorda, Roatan, Honduras on April 12, 1797.

Paul Nabor, born Alfonso Palacio, was a Garifuna singer and musician from Punta Gorda, Belize. He is often credited with popularizing paranda, a style of traditional Garifuna music, and is considered to have been one of the most talented musicians of the genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Belizean municipal elections</span>

A series of local elections were held on March 1, 2006, to fill vacancies for town councils in Corozal, Orange Walk, San Pedro, San Ignacio, Benque Viejo, Dangriga, Punta Gorda, Belize City and Belmopan. All the councils except Belize City elected one mayor and six councillors; Belize City elected one mayor and ten councillors.

Delvin "Pen" Cayetano is a Belizean artist and musician.

Theodore Roosevelt "Ted" Aranda was a Belizean politician and Garifuna activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belizeans</span> People associated with the country of Belize through citizenship or descent

Belizeans are people associated with the country of Belize through citizenship or descent. Belize is a multiethnic country with residents of Ethnic groups of Amerindian, African, European, Asian and Middle-eastern descent or mixed race with any combination of those groups.

The Dugu is an ancient extended funerary ceremony practiced by the Garifuna people. The Garifuna is a small-to-medium-sized Central American ethnic group that has inhabited many Central American countries such as Guatemala Belize and Honduras since the 17th century. Their roots come from both the Caribbean and African coasts. The story goes that enslaved people being brought over to the Americas crashed into St. Vincent. The Indigenous Caribbean Indians and Africans soon formed a community and ethnic group called the Garifuna. They were identified as the "Black Caribs" to differentiate them from the native Caribbean population.

Adele Ramos is a Belizean poet, author, journalist and publisher. She is assistant editor of the Amandala, a widely circulated tabloid newspaper, published twice weekly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Vincent Ramos</span> Belizean activist (1887–1955)

Thomas Vincent Ramos, commonly known as T. V. Ramos, was a Belizean civil rights activist who promoted the interests of the Garifuna people, and is now considered a national hero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Belizean general election</span>

General elections were held in Belize on 4 November 2015 to elect members of the House of Representatives. On 28 September 2015 Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced that he had advised the Governor-General to dissolve the National Assembly and to fix Wednesday 4 November 2015 as the date for the next general elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Catholic Church in Belize</span>

This history of the Catholic church in Belize has three parts: the historical periods of the Catholic presence in Belize, religious congregations laboring in Belize, and apostolic works undertaken.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacred Heart Church, Dangriga</span>

Sacred Heart Church, in Dangriga, Belize, is a Roman Catholic parish.

Dangriga is an electoral constituency in the Stann Creek District represented in the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belize since 2020 by Louis Zabaneh of the People's United Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosita Baltazar</span>

Rosita Baltazar was a Belizean choreographer, dancer, dance instructor and founding assistant director of the Belize National Dance Company. In 2004, she was awarded the Lord Rhaburn Music Award as a dance ambassador and in 2009 she received the Chatoyer Recognition Award from the National Garifuna Council of Belize for her efforts at preserving Garifuna culture.

The National Garifuna Council (NGC) of Belize is a non-governmental organization that represents the Garifuna people of Belize. Their mission is to preserve, strengthen, and develop the Garifuna culture, as well as to promote economic development, interracial harmony among the Garifuna people, and maintain traditional respect for preserving the environment. It was established in 1981 and is managed by a board of directors with corresponding branches in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. These countries all share the unique Garifuna culture, as they all served as refuge to the Garifuna people when they were exiled from their homeland, St. Vincent.

Joseph Palacio is a Garifuna Belizean anthropologist. He was the first Belizean Garifuna to complete a doctorate degree in anthropology and is a leading promoter of Garifuna language, history, and culture. He also serves as Chairman of the Barranco Village Council, his birth village.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Crawford, Linda. "BELIZEAN SPOTLIGHT OF THE MONTH- NOVEMBER 2011" . Retrieved 2020-01-01.
  2. ↑ "Garifuna (Garinagu)". Minority Rights Group. Retrieved 2020-01-01.
  3. ↑ "Russell "Chiste" Garcia, former UDP politician of Dangriga, loses battle with renal failure | Amandala Newspaper". amandala.com.bz. Retrieved 2020-01-01.
  4. ↑ "Premdas: Belize - Identity and Ethnicity in a Multi-Ethnic State". www.open.uwi.edu. Retrieved 2020-01-01.
  5. ↑ Nain, Gemma Tang; Bailey, Barbara, eds. (2003). Gender equality in the Caribbean: reality or illusion. Kingston, Jamaica: Ian Randle. p. 13. ISBN   976-637-166-0. OCLC   54754031.
  6. ↑ USA, IBP (2015). Belize Electoral, Political Parties Laws and Regulations Handbook: Strategic Information, Regulations, Procedures. Lulu.com. p. 78. ISBN   978-1-5145-1640-9.
  7. ↑ "33. Antigua & Barbuda (1981-present)". uca.edu. Retrieved 2020-01-01.
  8. ↑ "Commonwealth observers report on St Vincent and the Grenadines 2015 election | The Commonwealth". thecommonwealth.org. Retrieved 2020-01-01.
  9. ↑ Palacio, Myrtle. "Statement to the Hague Forum 8-12 February 1999" (PDF). UNFPA.
  10. ↑ "Food Security and the Poverty Paradox: The case of Belize" (PDF).
  11. ↑ "International election Observation: A Critique of The Commonwealth Secretariat's Observation to Belize's 2008 Parliamentary Election" (PDF).
  12. ↑ Garcia, Chris (2015-12-18). "People's United Party national executive sets policy for national convention". Breaking Belize News-The Leading Online News Source of Belize. Retrieved 2020-01-01.
  13. 1 2 "The Electoral Dimension as an Indicator of Democracy in Belize". Universidad Quintana Roo. hdl:20.500.12249/228.
  14. ↑ Palacio, Myrtle (1998). "Self-Help Housing, the Poor, and the State in the Caribbean". American Anthropologist. 100 (2): 543–544. doi:10.1525/aa.1998.100.2.543. ISSN   1548-1433.
  15. ↑ Greene, Oliver N. (2002). "Ethnicity, Modernity, and Retention in the Garifuna Punta". Black Music Research Journal. 22 (2): 189–216. doi:10.2307/1519956. JSTOR   1519956.
  16. ↑ Kanters, C. L. (2011-08-02). Narration, Navigation & Negotiation (Bachelor thesis). Utrecht University. p. 22. hdl:1874/207219.[ dead link ]
  17. ↑ "Dangriga BZ or USA? Outmigration experiences of a Garifuna community in post independent Belize" (PDF).
  18. ↑ Teo, Tio. "Garifuna Woman I MYRTLE PALACIO Writes and Releases One Book on Garifuna Spirituality and One Book on Belizean Politics | Being GARIFUNA News or Noticias de SIENDO GARIFUNA" . Retrieved 2020-01-01.
  19. ↑ Pollard, Velma (2014-06-01). "Black Carib to Garinagu". Caribbean Quarterly. 60 (2): 127–138. doi:10.1080/00086495.2014.11671893. ISSN   0008-6495. S2CID   160928694.
  20. ↑ "BBC NEWS | Special Report | 1999 | 06/99 | Queens birthday honours | Commonwealth Honours". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-01-01.
  21. ↑ "New Years Honours - 2007". www.7newsbelize.com. Retrieved 2020-01-01.
  22. ↑ Palacio, I. Myrtle. (2011). Adugurahani: a walk through Garifuna spiritualism. Belize City, Belize: Gleesima Research & Services Ltd. ISBN   978-976-8197-45-0. OCLC   794558983.
  23. ↑ Palacio, Myrtle. (2011). Electoral politics Belize: the naked truth. Belize City: Glessima Research & Services. ISBN   978-976-8197-44-3. OCLC   810077545.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.