ABOUT

During the war between the French and Garifuna, it is said men disguised themselves in gounus in attempts to perform ambushes. It is believed this disguise worked on many instances during the surprise attacks. Gounu refers to the gowns, which are frequently made in vibrant colors. In this case, Kiara Garcia’s gounu includes a bright pink cotton skirt with gingham patterning and white embroidery connected to a matching white top with pink stitching. The gounu is a symbol of respect and maturity to younger girls when they first wear it. In this case, this guonu was given to Garcia when she was seven years old before she participated at her first Dugu. The gounu is a way for the Garifuna people to connect to their history. Originally from St. Vincent & Grenadines, people of the Gaifuna culture were exiled and found safety in Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. These countries still remain the home to many of the Garifuna people. Because of the migrating, the Garifuna people learned new customs.

—Kiara Garcia

ORIGIN
N/A

APPROXIMATE DATE
Unknown

MATERIALS
Cotton

COLLECTION OF
Kiara Garcia