A Local's Guide to Community Museums in Northern Belize

Community museums are a great place to visit if you want to learn more about local culture. Many of these small spaces are grassroots initiatives that allow the community to explore local histories and to provide educational opportunities for the younger generations.

Museums are built and maintained by the community, often without any monetary or curatorial help. Some are too small or too remote to have a Facebook page or a website, which puts them at risk of low visitation and therefore being unsustainable long-term. The COVID-19 Pandemic has taken a toll on small community museums and restricted the opportunities to share underrepresented histories.

As tourism is picking up, it is crucial that Belizean and international visitors take the opportunity to support these small spaces. Community museums are not your usual touristy hotspots, yet they can give you the most authentic experience of Belize and help you connect with people through their life stories. Making it easier to find these amazing places, here is a local's guide to community museums in Northern Belize.

U Kúuchil Úucben Mayaya Ba'alo'ob – Yucatec Maya Museum, Cristo Rey Village, Corozal

U Kúuchil Úucben Maaya Ba'alo'ob (A Place of Old Maya Objects) is a small Yucatec Maya community museum in Christo Rey Village, Corozal, Belize. The museum is led by Faustino Yam from the Yucatec Maya community and their goal is to raise awareness of Yucatec Maya Culture in Belize.

Contact:

Facebook • Mr Faustino Yam +501 655-2326

Darina Museum & Lisanigu Libertad Dance Group, Libertad Village, Corozal

The Darina Garifuna Museum is located in Libertad Village in the Northernmost district of Corozal. Libertad is also home to the Lisanigu Libertad Dance Group of young, talented people who safeguard the traditional art form of dance and drumming. The group was formed in 2006 by Samuel and Simeone Zuniga, who is also the curator of the Darina Garifuna Museum.

The name Lisanigu Libertad translates to “Children of Libertad”. The group actively engages children and Garifuna youth to safeguard culture and celebrate the Garifuna community in Libertad Village.

The community is also the heart of the annual Yurumein – the reenactment of the Garinagu people’s arrival to Belizean shores. The reenactment happens early on November 19th, the celebration of Garifuna Settlement Day in Belize.

CONTACT:

The museum does not have a Facebook page but you can contact the president of the National Garifuna Council – Libertad Branch, Mr Norman Zuniga or the group coordinator, Simeona Zuniga through their personal Facebook Pages or message the Corozal House of Culture for guidance.

Window Into the Past East Indian Museum

The Window Into the Past East Indian Museum was founded by Lydia Ramcharam Pollard in 2001 to bring awareness to East Indian heritage in Belize. Ms Lydia involved the whole community and encouraged them to share their stories and practices. Every artefact comes from families around the village and has a special story that reveals life in Belize.

Contact:

The museum does not have a Facebook page but you can contact the Corozal House of Culture to put you in contact with Ms Lydia Ramcharam Pollard. Ms Lydia opens the museum when visitors come and is always happy to take people around. There is no entrance fee but donations are welcome.

Malate Creole Musem of Progresso Village, Corozal

The curator of the Malate Creole Museum, Ms Cherry Mae Lamb had been collecting cultural objects for over seven years before she decided to open the museum around 2017. Visitors can see a display of objects that guide you through stories about life and culture.

Contact:

The museum does not have a Facebook page but you can contact the Corozal House of Culture to put you in contact with Ms Cherry Mae Lamb. The museum opens when visitors come and Ms Cherry Mae can take people around. There is no entrance fee but donations are welcome to keep the museum afloat.

U Chan Muul Yaas K'aas Museum (Little Mound in the Green Forrest), San Lazaro Village, Orange Walk

U Chan Muul Yaas K'aas means "Little Mound in the Green Forrest" in the Yucatec Mayan language. The small community museum was founded a few years ago, involving families and collections from the village to promote traditional Maya culture and to explore the histories of the Caste War period (1847-1901) in the region. The museum is run by a Maya family from San Lazaro Village, who aim to involve the younger generations by organizing events and creating a space for local research and memory.

Contact:

As the U Chan Muul Yaax K'aas Museum website is still in progress, the best way to get in touch is via the U Chan Muul Yaax K'aax Facebook page or via email to dbvoy@hotmail.com. As an alternative, contact Heritage Education Network Belize or the Belizean Ministry of Tourism directly.

Read more about things to do at the U Chan Muul Yaax K'aas Museum here!

Kanan Miatsil (Guardians of Culture) and Pachamama Ecological Park, Yo Creek Village, Orange Walk

Pachamama Ecological Park is run by an NGO called Kanan Miatsil. It is the family land of Ms Felicita Cantun, a Maya woman known as the "Cultural Warrior" in the area. Although not a traditional museum, it is worth mentioning since visitors can witness traditional Maya ceremonies, including a game by the 2017 world champion National Belizean Pok Ta Pok team (Maya Ballgame) and go on Maya medicine trails with Ms Cantun.

Contact:

You can send a message to the Kanan Miatsil Facebook Page and ‌reach‌ ‌out‌ ‌via‌ ‌email‌ ‌to‌ ‌‌kananmiatsil@gmail.com‌‌ ‌or‌ ‌contact‌ ‌them‌ ‌at‌ ‌+501 ‌660-8853, +501 605 3859 or +501 603 2307.

Epic Mayan Tours, a local tour operator company run by Jenny Cantun, the daughter of Ms Felicita Cantun, takes visitors to Pachamama.