Flowers Bank Festival 2018

The NKC participated in the 9th and 10^th annual Flowers Bank Festival held in the village of Flowers Bank. This event is held every year and is organized and funded by the Flowers Bank Community, The National Kriol Council (NKC) and the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH). The primary purpose of the Flowers Bank Festival is to celebrate and honor the 14 men who changed the course of Belize’s history. On June first 1797, the men swayed a vote to stay and fight for Belize and have become known as the “Flowers Bank fourteen”. Most of the men were residents of the Flowers Bank Village. The festival also serves to promote and celebrate the Kriol culture.

The festival was attended by many Belizeans mostly from Flowers Bank and other Kriol communities in the Belize River Valley.  The day was filled with Bruk down music and dance and many fun activities including Kriol games for the children, Softball, Cricket competitions, Canoe racing, coconut husking, and watermelon eating competition among others. The Maypole plaiting by the children and young people was one of the highlights of the event. 

The festivals were a success and the NKC is looking forward to working the Flowers Bank Community and NICH to organize the 2019 Festival.

Di Reel Hischri a Bileez

                                                                    Di Flowaz Bank Stoari

Dis weh unu wahn reed da how Bileez  mi reeli geh fi bee ya az wahn Konchri. Da chroo dat di Batl a Sin Jaaziz Kee mi did tek plays, bot dat da oanli paat a di stoari.

                                Dehn mi ga dis man weh mi nayhn Adam Flowaz. Hihn da mi ansesta fi di Flowaz famili da Flowaz bank. Dat deh op Bileez Riva. Hihn mi kohn fahn wahn set a slayv weh pipl mi noa az “Flowaz Neegro Dehn”. Wahn Inglish man weh mi nayhn Wilyam Flowaz weh mi kohn fahn Bristal doz oan dehn. Eena di semteen fiftiz hihn bring ih slayv dehn da wichpaa dehn doz kaal di Maskito shoa.

                   Wel ih soh hapm dat eena 1756 di Inglish man Wilyam Flowaz disaid fi goh bak da Inglan. Ih free aala ih slayv dehn. Dehn doz werk haad haad, ahn noabadi doz bada dehn.

                   Eena 1786 Wilyam Flowaz ded. Wel wahn laaya hihn da Inglan tek it pahn fi hihn self fi disaid seh dat di slayv dehn neva reeli free fi chroo, an ih mi waahn sel dehn. Di slayv dehn neva mi wahn tek dat ataal. Dehn brok eena pipl hows  ahn teef gon, ahn food, ahn kloaz, den dehn ron weh eena bush.

                   Now dehn mi ga dis man weh mi nayhn Jaymz Pit Laari. Hihn da mi di soopa-intendent deha taim deh. Hihn ahn di Kongsl disaid fi paadn di slayv dehn, kaa dehn seh dat dehn mi free fi di laas 30 yaaz. Afta dat dehn kohn bak da Bileez wid dis Jaymz Laari. Dehn taim deh dehn doz kaal Bileez “Di Setlment”.

                   Ih soh hapm dat werd mi-di goh rong dat di Spanyad dehn mi-di chretn fi atak Bileez. Di majischrayt dehn kaal wahn meetn da di sayhn lokayshan weh Citi Haal deh now. Dehn mi waahn di pipl dehn weh mi setl da Bileez fi moov out ahn lef di plays. Dis meetn da mi pahn di semteent a Aktoaba, 1796. Aal kain a bak-ahn-foat ahn kwaaril mi-di goh aan da da meetn. Wel Misa Adam Flowaz fahn Flowaz Bank get op ahn seh dat hihn neva gwen no way. Hihn ahn fi hihn faamli dehn mi-di mek wahn nais livin wichpaa dehn mi liv pahn di riva, ahn dehn mi free. Ih seh, “If da fait wi hafu fait, den wi wahn fait ahn difen fi wee lan!”

                   Dehn mi ga moa meetn afta dat. Pahn di fos a Joon, 1797, dehn disaid fi voat az tu weda dehn fi stay ahn fait fi dehn lan er ron goh lef it. Wel di voat mi tai-tai. Wen dehn sen tel Misa Adam Flowaz dat di voat mi tai, ahn fi mek ih rong op man fi kohn voat, hihn ahn ilebm moa man dehn padl dong way fahn Flowaz bank fi kohn kohn voat. Wen dehn reech, dehn ahn  too wait man dehn voat in fayva a stay ahn difen di plays.

                   Wen Jaymz Laari yehr dat di voat fi lef di setlment geh ton oava, ih seh dat ih shuda mi kil di slayv dehn insteda paadn dehn.

                   Da neva til di neks yaa, di tent a Septemba, 1798, wen di akchual fait  wid di Spanyad dehn mi tek plays.

                   Soh unu si, da sayka weh dehn foateen man dehn brok di tai a di voat mek wee deh ya tudey day.