Gales Point is a small creole village located on a narrow, beautiful peninsula that stretches into the Southern Lagoon. Historically the community subsisted on fishing, hunting and logging. In recent years, however, there has been a shift towards a dependence on tourism income, based on the culture, traditional drumming, opportunities for good fly fishing, and the presence of manatees.https://rris.biopama.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/Gales%20Point%20Community%20Development%20Plan%202008_0.pdf # History Gales Point was established in the late 1700s or early 1800s as a remote Maroon (*Maroons are slaves that escaped slavery and settled in remote areas*) settlement, beyond the reach of colonial authorites.https://www.blackcentralamericasproject.org/map-locations/gales-point In 1944, Gales Point became the first village in Belize to establish a formal village council, initiated by Nurse Cleopatra White, the community's first trained nurse. Recognizing the need for local self-governance and coordination of public health and community affairs, she organized a council of elected residents to collectively manage village matters. This grassroots model was later adopted by the national government and became the foundation for Belize's village council system in rural communities across the country.https://www.blackcentralamericasproject.org/map-locations/gales-point A large hurricane shelter was constructed in 1963. https://www.google.com.co/books/edition/Government_Gazette/Ix1bY6rnEaUC?hl=en&gbpv=1 Under SI 92 of 1998, the entirety of the Southern Lagoon was designated as the Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary. The protected area, an estimated 9,097 acres, consists of the Southern Lagoon system (including Quashie Trap Lagoon, Bar River and Quashie Trap tributary, 2.286km up the Manatee River, 1.287km up Cornhouse Creek), and also includes the 66’ shoreline along all the lagoons (except for the shoreline of Gales Point peninsula).https://rris.biopama.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/Gales%20Point%20Community%20Development%20Plan%202008_0.pdf ## Etymology Gales Point is referred to as *Malanti *by locals.https://www.blackcentralamericasproject.org/map-locations/gales-point ## Infrastructure The Burdon Canal was constructed in 1920, which connected the lagoons via canals to the [[waterway:131]] in [[settlement:12]]. This canal was used for shipping logs and other produce to the city.https://rris.biopama.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/Gales%20Point%20Community%20Development%20Plan%202008_0.pdf ## Police In 1949 the police force consisted of 1 officer.https://ia801001.us.archive.org/20/items/colonial-report-brit-honduras-1948/ColonialReportBritHonduras1948.pdf

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