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From Mendoza to Quintanilla

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Juan Quintanilla, wife and daughter Adelita   Benigna Quintanilla 1847 Benigna Quintanilla vivió una vida larga y extraordinaria, alcanzando la edad de 105 años, llevando consigo historias marcadas por el amor, la pérdida y la supervivencia. Estuvo casada con Arcadio Mendoza, y juntos se establecieron en el tranquilo pueblo pesquero de Sarteneja durante la época de la Guerra de Castas. La vida allí era sencilla pero incierta, ya que los ecos del conflicto persistían en la región. Con la esperanza de encontrar paz y un futuro mejor, la pareja más tarde se trasladó a Chetumal, creyendo que la guerra finalmente había terminado y que podían comenzar una nueva etapa juntos. Sin embargo, sus esperanzas pronto se desvanecieron cuando se dieron cuenta de que la Guerra de las Castas estaba lejos de haber terminado. El caos regresó y, en medio del conflicto, Benigna fue llevada a la fuerza a Chiapas para servir durante la guerra, mientras que su esposo fue separado de ella y enviado a otro...
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 From Mendoza to Quintanilla  Benigna Quintanilla Benigna Quintanilla lived a long and remarkable life, reaching the age of 105, carrying with her stories shaped by love, loss, and survival. She was married to Acadio Mendoza, and together they settled in the quiet fishing village of Sarteneja during the time of the Caste War. Life there was simple but uncertain, as the echoes of conflict lingered in the region. Hoping for peace and a better future, the couple later moved to Chetumal, believing the war had finally ended and that they could begin a new chapter together. However, their hopes were soon shattered when they realized that La Guerra de las Castas was far from over. Chaos returned, and in the midst of the unrest, Benigna was forcibly taken to Chiapas to serve during the war, while her husband was separated from her and sent to a different place. Alone, frightened, and pregnant, Benigna endured unimaginable hardship. Days turned into months, and with no news of Acadio,...
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Stranded In Town...

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 Stranded In Town...  Narated by Wilhemina (Minita) Young My name is Wilhemina but many know me as "Mina" or simply "Minita". I was 16 years old when I first saw the real force of nature. I was a teacher's assistant at the local primary school at that time, when nature taught me my greatest lesson. I was the oldest daughter of Miss Dominga and Mr. Peter Young and the older sister of Wilhem, Doglas, Nora, and Madeline. Madeline, my youngest sister, was sky flying with fever. My parents were concerned for Madelin's health, so my father hired Mr. Hernan Perez to transport my mother, Madelin and myself to Corozal Town despite the weather conditions. Madeline needed to see a doctor as her fever was only increasing. We knew that Janet was on its way to Belize, but Madelin's life was also in jeopardy and we needed to move quickly. We departed for Corozal Town at around 2 pm on that stormy afternoon. I clearly remember that the weather was already harsh at the t...
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Salvada por un jalon… Por Nora Scheunone

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 Salvado por un jalon… Por Nora Scheunone Nora tenía 5 años cuando presenció el peor huracán de su vida. Era la segunda hija más joven de la señorita Dominga y el señor Peter Young. Wilhem, Wilhemina y Douglas eran los hermanos mayores de Nora, mientras que Madeline era la más joven. El siguiente pasaje es un recuento de los hechos ocurridos aquella noche del huracán Janet. Me quedé devastada con lágrimas corriendo por mis ojos al ver a mi madre navegar hacia el pueblo de Corozal en busca de atención médica para mi hermana menor, Madeline. Madeline tuvo fiebre fuerte durante los últimos días y necesitaba atención médica urgente. Wilhemina y Douglas acompañaron a mi madre en ese arriesgado viaje en bote a Corozal mientras Wilhem y yo teníamos que quedarnos con papá en Sarteneja. Después de partir esa tarde tormentosa, nos dirigimos a casa y nos preparamos para lo desconocido. Recuerdo claramente asegurar la casa y luego mudarme al refugio más tarde esa noche. Llegamos al refugio mie...
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Saved by a Tug...

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Saved by a tug….. By Nora Scheunone Nora was 5 years old when she witnessed the worst hurricane of her life. She was the second youngest daughter of Miss Dominga and Mr. Peter Young. Wilhem, Wilhemina, and Douglas were Nora's older siblings while Madeline was the youngest one. The following passage is a recount of the events that occurred that night of Hurricane Janet. I stood devastated with tears running down my eyes seeing my mother sailing to Corozal Town seeking medical attention for my younger sister Madeline. Madeline had a severe fever for the past few days and needed urgent medical attention. Wilhemina and Douglas accompanied my mother on that risky boat trip to Corozal while Wilhem and I had to stay with Dad in Sarteneja. After leaving on that stormy afternoon, we headed home and prepared for the unknown. I clearly remember securing the house and then moving to the shelter later that evening. We made it to the shelter while the storm was approaching. The winds starte...
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The story behind the phrase ‘Tza-ten-a-ha’…

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According to a number of elders and fluent Maya speakers the phrase "Tzaten-A-Ha" means "Give me water".  The phrase “Tza-ten-a-ha” was used by the Maya people who came to these shores when the village was first established in 1846. The area had new settlers but it was still visited by the ancient Maya of the peninsula. These visitors were native to Belize and probably to the ancient city that is now Sarteneja. ‘Tza-ten‐a‐ha’ was the phrase used by the Maya when they asked for water. The phrase ‘Tza-ten‐a‐ha’ means ‘give me water’ and not ‘water between the rocks’ as we are told by the internet. The Maya people stopped, rested and refilled their containers with fresh drinking water from the numerous wells created by their ancestors. The Maya visited these shores so often that the phrase became a common phrase for the new settlers. As the years went by, the people of this newly built community began calling their home: ‘Tza-ten‐a‐ha’ which was then contorted and tran...
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Janet…Swallowed by the Waters of the Bay Part 2    Jorge was 21 years old when the most powerful hurricane in the history of Northern Belize; Janet, slammed Sarteneja and left his entire community homeless. This is his story:   I remember the day when Janet came like a demolisher back in 1955. It was a very stormy morning due to an unusual cold front that was affecting our region. Despite this uncommon weather condition, my day started like any other day. I was at Punta Col, south of Sarteneja when I was informed that a very strong storm was about to hit Belize. This shocking news caused panic among the other fishermen in the area and they left everything to go back to their families. I was young and adventurous, this news didn’t cause a single drop of fear and so I continued as if nothing was happening.     I fished that entire afternoon until I caught enough fish to take back home. As I was paddling back around four in the evening, I became concerned when...
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