Professional Documents
Culture Documents
OF
THE
BLACK
CREOLE
INDIGENOUS
TERRITORY
OF
BLUEFIELDS
ON
THE
ATLANTIC
COAST
OF
NICARAGUA
JANUARY 2013
CONTEXT
OF
THE
TERRITORIAL
DIAGNOSIS
Introduc<on
Methodology
Background
and
Historical
context
Descrip<on
of
the
Territory
Internal
Organiza<on
of
the
Community
The
Popula<on
interviewed
Social,
Cultural
and
Economical
Background
of
the
Creoles
§ (Religion,
Educa0on,
Food,
Dances,
Music,
Poetry,
Art,
Spirituality)
Use
of
the
Natural
Resources
in
the
Territory
Judi<al
and
Socioeconomical
Study
of
Third
Par<es
on
Land
Overlapping
and
commun
use
of
communal
land
Legal
fundaments
of
Creole
Request
for
communal
land
I. HISTORY IN A CAPSULE OF THE ATLANTIC (CARIBBEAN)
COAST OF NICARAGUA
Nación
Indígena
Independiente
XV-‐XVI
Proceso
de
Protectorado
Demarcación
Británico
XXI
XVII-‐XVIII
Regiones
Reserva
Autónomas
Autónoma
XX-‐XXI
Mosquito
XIX
Zonas Departamento
Especiales Zelaya
XX XIX
INDIGENOUS
NATION
XV-‐XIX
CENTURIES
NICARAGUAN
MAP
IN
1858
–
XIX
CENTURY
BLACK
PEOPLE
IN
THE
AMERICAS:
FROM
SLAVERY
TO
RACISM,
THEN
TO
DISCRIMINATION
SLAVERY
RACISM
HATRED/DISCRIMINATION
PRESENCE
OF
BLACK
PEOPLE
ON
THE
MOSQUITIA
OF
NICARAGUA
–
ACCORDING
TO
HISTORIANS
OF
THE
COAST:
GERMÁN
ROMERO
CIDCA-‐2001,
CRAIG
L.
DOZIER
NICARAGUA
MOSQUITO
SHORE,
BISHOP
JOHN
WILSON
MORAVIAN
CHURCH
THAT
DEFINE
HISTORICAL
FACTS
WE
FIND
THAT
IN:
1640
THE
MISQUITOS
TALK
ABOUT
A
SHIPWRECK
OF
A
SLAVE
SHIP
IN
CAPE
GRACIAS
A
DIOS,
SOME
RELATE
THAT
THE
BLACK
SLAVES
WAS
FIGHTING
FOR
FREEDOM
AND
ENDED
UP
IN
CAPE.
THE
AFRICAN
SLAVES
WITHOUT
ANY
POSSIBILITY
TO
RETURN
TO
THEIR
COUNTRY
BEGAN
A
RELATIONSHIP
WITH
THE
INDIGENOUS
BAWIHKA
AND
TAWIRA
AND
PROCREATED
THE
PEOPLE
KNOWN
AS
SAMBOS-‐
OR
SAMBOS
MISQUITOS
1840
BLACK
PEOPLE
DESCENDANT
WITH
EUROPEAN
WERE
CALLED
CREOLES:
THE
BLACK
PEOPLE
WERE
ALSO
FROM
THE
CAYMAN
ISLANDS,THE
JAMAICA
ISLANDS
AND
FROM
OTHER
CARIBBEAN
ISLANDS.
1860-‐1880
THE
GARIFUNAS
REACHES
TO
NICARAGUA
SHORES
AFTER
BEING
ESTABLISHED
IN
THE
MOSQUITIA
OF
HONDURAS.
IT
IS
KNOWN
THAT
THE
GARIFUNAS
ROOTS
ARE
ALSO
IN
SAINT
VICENT
ISLAND
AND
THAT
THEY
ARE
MIX
WITH
THE
CARIBISIS
INDIGENOUS
TRIBES.
CREOLES
ARE
RELOCATED
IN
CORN
ISLAND
(SOME
HISTORIANS
MENTION
THAT
THE
CORN
ISLAND
CREOLES
ARE
THE
ONES
KICKT
OUT
OF
BLUEFIELDS
BECUASE
THEY
TRIED
TO
FIGHT
FOR
INDEPENDENCE
OF
THE
MOSQUITIA
UNDER
KING
HENRY
CLARENCE
COMMAND),
BLUEFIELDS,
PEARL
LAGOON
MONKEY
POINT,
GREYTOWN,
LA
BARRA
DE
RGM,
BILWI,
THE
MINES.
General George Hodgson
Mrs.
Inid
Hodgson
(Daughter
of
Senator
Hora<o
Hodgson)
RECOGNITION
OF
LAND
RIGHTS
TO
THE
BLACK
CREOLES
XV,
XVI
and
XVII
Century
the
Black
People
as
Maroons
founded
ci<es
and
had
possession
of
land
on
the
Atlan<c
Coast.
First
document
of
Recogni<on:
The
Miskito
King
Robert
Charles
Frederick
sign
a
dona<on
of
22,000
acres
of
land
to
the
Black
and
Creoles
on
the
24
of
July
1841,
whitness
to
this
was
Mr.
Machew
Willock,
George
Bell,
and
Peter
Shepherd,
this
is
the
moment
of
an
official
recogn<on
for
history
of
the
territorial
rights
to
the
Black
Creole
Indigenous
Community
of
Bluefields
Second
document
of
Recogni<on:
On
the
2nd
of
February
1916.
The
Titling
Commisión
of
the
Mosqui<a
extended
a
<tle
of
447
hectáreas
of
land
to
the
Creole
Community
of
Bluefields
over
a
part
of
Deer
Cay.
This
property
borders
with
rama
indian
land
in
the
south
side.
This
Title
was
inscribed
under
the
number
1,742
,
Tomo
34,
Folio
164,
first
seat
in
the
Public
Registry
of
Property
of
Bluefields.
Third
document
of
Recogni<on:
The
Legisla<ve
Decree
on
the
24th
of
May
1934
that
recognizes
“40,000
hectáreas
de
terreno
a
la
comunidad
Criolla
Indígena
de
Bluefields”,
located
according
to
decree
between
“
los
ríos
Mahogany,
Escondido
y
Kukra,
o
en
cualquier
lugar
del
departamento
de
Zelaya
RELATION
BETWEEN
BLACK
AND
INDIANS
ON
THE
MOSQUITIA:
A.
BLACK
PEOPLE
BROUGHT
NEW
FORMS
OF
CULTURE
AND
COMMUNAL
ORGANIZATION.
B.
THE
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN
BLACK
AND
INDIAN
BROUGHT
A
NEW
RACE
OF
WARRIOS
CALLED
SAMBOS
,
THIS
ALSO
BROUGHT
A
CONFLICT
IN
THE
INDIGENOUS
HIARCHY
ON
THE
MOSQUITIA.
THE
SAMBOS
WERE
ALSO
KNOWN
AS
MISQUITOS
IN
SOME
PART
OF
THE
MOSQUITIA.
C.
BLACK
PEOPLE
ASUME
IMPORTANT
ROLES
IN
THE
INDIGENOUS
MONARCHY.
FOUR
KINGS
OF
THE
MOSQUITIA
NATION
WERE
BLACK
MEN.
D.
THE
CREOLES
HAD
ACCESS
TO
EDUCATION
BECAUSE
OF
LANGUAGE
THIS
GAVE
THEM
BETTER
ACCESS
TO
JOBS
AND
ECONOMICAL
OPPORTUNITIES.
E.
CREOLES
AND
BLACKS
FORMS
THE
MOSQUITO
KING
COUNCIL
MEMBERS,
THIS
WAS
SO
BEFORE
THE
ANEXATION
AND
DURING
THE
FIRST
AUTONOMOUS
GOVERNMENT
OF
THE
MOSQUITIA
RESERVE
THAT
WAS
CREATED
IN
1860
DUE
TO
THE
MANAGUA
TREATY
OF
ANEXATION
TO
NICARAGUA
.
BLUEFIELDS
AND
ITS
TERRITORY:
On
the
11
of
Octubre
of
1903
Bluefields
was
declared
city
and
also
head
of
the
Zelaya
Department;
Amer
that
a
vast
piece
of
land
was
separated
from
Bluefields
to
form
what
we
know
as
Rama
municipality,
then
from
the
Rama
Municipality,
Muelle
de
los
Bueyes
en
1942,
Nueva
Guinea
en
1981,
and
El
Ayote
en
el
2000
was
separated.
In
1949
the
Rio
San
Juan
Department
was
created
from
part
of
Zelaya
and
Chontales
Department.
Also
the
municipality
of
Kukra
Hill
was
taken
away
in
1979
from
Bluefields;
BLUEFIELDS
LAND
CLAIM
BASE
OF
LEGAL
AND
HISTORICAL
FACTS:
1841
DONATION
OF
22,000
ACRES
OF
LAND
TO
THE
CREOLES
1914
CREOLES
AND
AFRODESCENDANTS
OF
BLUEFIELDS
PRESENTS
CLAIM
OF
COLECTIVE
LAND
CLAIM
UNTO
THE
CHALKEY
TITLING
COMMISSION
1916
DONATION
OF
NORTH
SIDE
OF
DEER
CAY
TO
THE
CREOLES
1918
DECREE
(26
OF
JAN)
THAT
DONATED
TO
THE
INDIANS
OF
THE
BLUEFIELDS
DEPARTMENT
OR
ZELAYA
DEPARTMENT
(AUTONOMOUS
REGIONS)
THE
HOUSE
LAND
AND
FARMS
THAT
THEY
WERE
USING.
1926-‐
INITIATIVE
OF
GENERAL
GEORGE
HODGSON
TO
RECOVER
THE
LIBERTY
OF
THE
COAST
1933
CREOLE
COMMUNITY
OF
BLUEFIELDS
OBTAIN
RIGHTS
TO
CLAIM
TERRITORY
1934
A
PORTION
OF
LAND
IS
ASIGN
TO
THE
CREOLE
INDIGENOUS
COMMUNITY
OF
BLUEFIELDS
1935
HORATIO
HODGSON
IN
HIS
MEMORIAL
DEFENDS
UNTO
THE
SENATE
THE
RIGHTS
OF
THE
PEOPLE
OF
THE
ATLANTIC
COAST
OF
NICARAGUA
1960
OPROCO
WAS
FOUNDED
WITH
THE
OBJECTIVE
FOR
DEVELOPMENT
FOR
COMMUNITIES
IN
AND
AROUND
BLUEFIELDS
1976
THE
SOUTHERN
INDIGENOUS
AND
CREOLE
COMMUNITIES
(SICC)ORGANIZATION
WAS
FOUNDED
1987
APROVAL
OF
THE
AUTONOMY
LAW
IN
1997
THE
CREOLES
AGAIN
ORGANIZED
TO
CLAIM
RIGHTS
TO
THE
PROPERTY
IN
A
COLLECTIVE
WAY.
THIS
STUDY
WAS
MADE
BY
CCARC
(CENTRAL
AMERICAN
RESEARCH
CENTER)
2003
THE
LAW
445
WAS
APPROVED
AND
THE
COMMUNAL
GOVERNMENT
WERE
INSTITUTIONALIZE
BY
ALSO
CERTIFICATION
OF
REGIONAL
COUNCILS
2006
–
THE
CREOLES
OF
BLUEFIELDS
PRESENTS
THEIR
CLAIM
UNTO
THE
CIDT/RAAS
JANUARY
2010
–
CIDT/RAAS
FINALLY
ADMITS
THE
CLAIM
OF
THE
CROELES
OF
BLUEFIELDS
AND
PROCEDES
TO
BEGIN
WITH
THE
FIRST
STAGE
OF
THE
LAND
CLAIM
AND
TITLING
JUNE
2012
–
THE
DIAGNOSIS
OF
THE
TERRITORIAL
LAND
CLAIM
WAS
PRESENTED
UNTO
CIDT-‐CONADETI
DESCRIPTION
OF
THE
INDIGENOUS
AND
AFRODESCENDANTS
TERRITORY
IN
THE
SAAR
ORGANIZATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE
BLACK CREOLE INDIGENOUS TERRITORY OF BLUEFIELDS
GENERAL ASSEMBLE
(TERRITORIAL)
All members of communal assembles in the territory
Operative
Commissions: Elder Council
Demarcatión, 4 members of each
Infrastructure, community
Social and Creole Communal
investigation, Government of Bluefields
Natural Resources , 13 members in Directive Board
Económics,
Divulgatión,
Justicie and Peace,
Women and Gender,
Children and Youth • Comunal Assemble of Bluefields
(Assembles in 18 Neighborhoods and /EL Bluff)
• C. A Kukra Hill
• C. A. El Rama
• C.A Nueva Guinea
• C.A. Muelle de los Bueyes
• C.A. El Ayote
• C.A. Rio San Juan Indio y Maíz
Each DB have 7 members each one with a coordinator,
communal judge (Whita), secretary, or any other name they
would like to us in their community.
METODOLOGY
AND
SAMPLE
OF
THE
SURVEY:
TO
MAKE
THIS
DIAGNOSIS
THE
BLACK
CREOLE
INDIGENOUS
COMMUNITY
OF
BLUEFIELDS
AND
THE
CIDT/RAAS
MADE
AN
ETHOGRAPHICAL
SURVEY
IN
2011
IN
COMMUNITIES
AND
CITY
OF
BLUEFIELDS,
BLUFF,
RAMA,
KUKRA
HILL
AND
NUEVA
GUINEA;
THE
SURVEY
USED
THE
FORMATS
THAT
WAS
AUTHORIZED
BY
CONADETI
IN
THE
MANUAL
OF
PROCEDURES
;
THE
SURVEY
TOOK
ONLY
A
SAMPLE
OF
THE
CREOLE
BLACK
AND
INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE
IN
JUST
A
PART
OF
THE
TERRITORY
THAT
IS
CLAIM
BY
THE
COMMUNITY
WITH
THE
OBJECTIVE
TO
KNOW
WHERE
THE
PEOPLE
ARE
UBICATED
ALSO
TO
HAVE
AN
IDEA
OF
THEIR
POPULATION
AND
THE
SOCIAL
CONDITION
IN
WHICH
THEY
LIVE.
THE
SAMPLE
WAS
TAKEN
BY
RANDOM
BETWEEN
BLACK
CREOLES
AND
INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE
IDENTIFIED
IN
NEIGHBORHOODS
AND
COMMUNITIES
IN
THE
TERRITORY.
THEY
SURVEY
TOOK
INFORMATION
FROM
BLUEFIELDS
(1028),
BLUFF
(60)
RAMA
(25),
KUKRA
HILL
(51)
AND
NUEVA
GUINEA
(496);
THIS
REPRESENTED
A
SAMPLE
OF
2.78%;
IN
THE
SURVEYS
WE
FOUND
MIXED
FAMILIES
WITH
ONE
OF
THE
FAMILY
MEMBERS
BEING
CREOLES,
BLACK
OR
INDIGENOUS
MIX
WITH
SPANIARDS
OR
INDIGENOUS.
THIS
CASES
WE
FIND
OF
MIX
FAMILIES
BETWEEN
INDIGENOUS
FROM
THE
RAMA,
ULWA
Y
MÍSKITU,
AND
MESTIZOS;
PRINCIPALLY
IN
NUEVA
GUINEA
WITH
1,072
PLEOPLE
IDENTIFIED
IN
THE
SAMPLE
SURVEY.
SOCIAL,
CULTURAL
AND
ECONOMICAL
CONDITIONS
OF
CREOLES
CREOLE
LANGUAGE
AND
EDUCATION:
Pre-Escolar
Primaria
Secundaria
Universidad
SPIRITUALITY
AND
HEALTH:
TRADITIONAL
MEDICINE
PAINTING
AND
DANCING
(ARTS)
MAY
POLE
SINGING
AND
POETRY
ARQUITECTURE
AND
HOUSE
STYLES
ECONOMICAL
ACTIVITY:
FOREST
LOG
CUTTING
FISHING
CRUISE
LINES
USE
OF
THE
LAND
AND
TERRITORY
JUDITIAL
STUDY
OF
THIRD
PARTIES
ON
THE
LAND
It
is
important
to
iden<fy
that
the
mayority
of
people
of
the
interior
(colonos)
are
part
of
the
problem
that
the
agriculture
fron<er
created,
this
problem
appeard
in
the
SAAR
in
the
30
and
it
got
worst
in
the
50
y
70
of
the
past
century.
In
the
80
the
problem
slowed
down
becuase
of
the
war
but
then
in
the
90
it
con<nued.
This
situa<on
is
well
documented
by
the
State
of
Nicaragua
and
especially
by
INAFOR.
To
prove
this
the
INEC
census
in
2005,
presents
that
in
the
SAAR
the
popula<on
growth
is
the
highest
one
in
the
country
since
1963,
in
the
documents
it
establishes
that
the
SAAR
is:
“Como
área
de
colonización
y
expansión
de
la
frontera
agrícola,
aparte
de
un
crecimiento
natural
elevado,
ha
recibido
flujos
importantes
de
población,
lo
que
ha
permiLdo
pasar
de
casi
7%
de
la
población
total
del
país
en
1963
al
14%
en
el
2005,
su
peso
porcentual
se
duplicó
en
unos
40
años¨
JUDITIAL
STUDY
OF
THIRD
PARTIES
ON
THE
LAND
As
a
par<cularity
of
the
colonos
in
the
agricultural
fron<er
we
see
that
they
have
a
great
mobiliza<on
on
the
land,
they
also
and
frecuently
sell
the
land
and
they
con<nue
cupng
down
the
forest
and
keep
on
selling
now
to
the
cacle
ranchers.
In
the
Rama
Kriol
Diagnosis
they
found
out
that
86%
of
the
people
declared
to
have
less
than
20
years
living
on
their
land
and
61%
declare
to
have
less
than
10
years.
JUDITIAL
STUDY
OF
THIRD
PARTIES
ON
THE
LAND
JUDITIAL
STUDY
OF
THIRD
PARTIES
ON
THE
LAND
Another
factor
that
is
needed
to
point
out
is
that
the
mayority
of
third
par<es
on
the
land
in
the
SAAR
doesnt
have
<tle
of
property
as
how
it
is
shown
in
various
studies
such
as
the
Rama
Kriol
diagnosis:
where
66
%
of
the
surveyed
people
(1.086)
declared
that
they
dont
have
any
document
over
land
tenure;
and
regardless
of
the
remaining
34%
that
said
that
they
have
a
document,
they
did
not
show
any;
at
the
end
of
the
survery,
the
4%
presented
a
supletory
<tle,
11%
said
that
they
have
Agrarian
Reform
<tle
and
17%
said
they
have
Public
documnets
that
show
purchase
of
mejoras
or
cesion
of
rights
or
posesion
between
two
people.
However
this
by
nature
doesnt
cons<tute
rights
over
the
indigenous
land.
JUDITIAL
STUDY
OF
THIRD
PARTIES
ON
THE
LAND
According
to
the
Diagnosis
of
the
Rama
Kriol
81%
of
the
people
surveyed
(698)
are
located
in
farms
less
than
100
Mzs.;
out
of
this
32%
use
less
than
50
Mzs.;
also
48%
uses
farms
between
50
and
100
Mzs.
These
informa<on
coincides
with
other
studies
made
in
the
protected
area
Cerro
Silva
and
Punta
Gorda
by
the
Proyect
of
Conserva<on
and
Forest
Development
(PROCODEFOR),
the
Bluefields
Indian
&
Caribbean
University
(BICU)
and
the
Ins<tuto
Nicaragüense
de
Reforma
Agraria
(INRA)
with
the
objec<ve
to
order
the
reserves
areas.
The
INRA
made
two
studies
one
in
1998
and
the
other
in
2000
about
land
tenure
in
the
Reserve
Areas.
PROTECTED
AREAS
IN
THE
TERRITORY: