Independence Fervor

Independence Fervor

Everyone in Belize is gearing up for the celebration of independence day, September 23, with flags waving and lots of marching. The Chinese stores (all the grocery stores) are selling red, white, and blue cowboy hats. Each school has children ready to perform. Unfortunately, most of the schools are run by missionary groups that perpetuate the colonizer’s purpose. Belize has the worst literacy rates in the region.

One thing I have learned is that people in Central America live in fear of being murdered in their sleep. Consequently, they build house that can be completely closed up at night, where people sleep in the heat.

I have finished a few more books. The two latest are a dual language Garifuna/English easy reader and Holocaust of Native America: An Introduction. The other two are Mr. Finnegan and the Bears and Code Talkers. I am working on sketches for A Ride Through Chaco Canyon. When I was working on my dissertation, I amused myself by writing children’s stories, sci-fi, and poetry. I hope to have a few more Garifuna/English books by mid-2020.

I haven’t been able to get down to Tumul K’in yet. When I go, I have lots of Native American materials, books, journals, and DVDs, for them, enough to start a library. I am hopeful that the students in the school might come up with some publishable stories in Mopan or Queche Maya. I am also donating linguistic and composition texts and journals to the Department of Eduation and Arts, University of Belize. I can get most of those professional journals online now, and I have hung up my researching shoes.

I have also learned that rabbits can growl. I think my rabbit spends too much time with the dogs. One day, he growled at me when I was trying to feed him. The dogs continue to grow into really good dogs, Ikana moreso than Amafo Little Foot, who is the smaller one. He just wants to be babied a lot.

I miss all of you guys. Let me know how you are doing.