I take no offense when anyone refers to "foreigners" I am a foreigner when I come to Belize, any part of Belize. I just figure that if it weren't for foreigners, there would be very few people in Belize. After all, most everyone in Belize started out somewhere else.

Does it really matter? Not to me. If some folks there want to shun me, or make unkind remarks about me, that's them using their energy. I won't waste mine. I know I'm a good person and I figure that refusing to accept me for a stupid reason is their loss. I doubt I'd like someone with such an attitude anyway.

I am Native American, so I deal with an entire country of foreigners. And I know the resentment that still exists for the non-Native. The anglos took what was ours, worst yet, they did not respect it. But those times are long past and now, in the US, we need each other, all the others, to keep our environment, our freedom, our whole way of life. I'm NOT referring to the aftermath of 9/11...we have always needed each other, all the others, we are just slow to realize it. Perhaps those on CC who spend their time resenting foreigners have not realized this same concept?

I do find one thing very strange, and I shared this with a couple of friends I made on CC: why in the world are non-Belizeans allowed to lease land on CC? With so very little land on the island, how will all the children of those who make CC their home ever be able to live on CC- to call any part of it their own? Very, very few Am Indian reservations (land under the control of the Native Nations) will lease land to non-Indians, many will not lease land to non-members (mom-citizens) of that specific tribe. This is because there is so little land, that the land must be kept for those who have an aboriginal right to it. Even a non-member surviving spouse may only live out their lives on a lease. The lease then reverts to one of the children of the couple, or it goes back to the tribe to be leased to another member.

What I do resent is the assumption that many Belizeans make about tourists, specifically Americans: all Americans (or tourists) are rich. Many are not. I am not. In fact, my income is far below the poverty level. For 2 years, I lived on less than $200/mo. I made it by living with others, shopping at second hand stores for everything, going to food banks for peanut butter & tomato soup, and food gifts from the reservation, fish, deer meat, wild rice, etc... So when folks on CC said to me, "You are rich," I had to bristle a little. I did not try hard to convince them for I knew they would not believe me.

I live on a disability (insurance) pension that I earned when I was able to work. I was owed back pay for 2 years, so I got a nice chunk when the check finally came. After I paid bills, and all the friends who lent me $'s, fixed my non-running car, I had enough left to take a couple of trips. I chose BZE last year & BZE & Mexico this fall. In fact, when I was there last year, new friends offered me a loan & fed me some days because I ran out of money! But I am only truly poor here in the city.

When I live on my reservation, I get a place to live (have to wait up to a year sometimes) for a reasonable fee, I can fish, eat deer & bear meat, fish from the lake, berries gathered each summer, etc. When I live with my people, I will not go hungry, I will not freeze (very cold in no. WI!), they will give me clothes, my tribe will help out with medical needs, etc. So on the reservation, I am rich for I will not want for the necessities. By that definition, admittedly, my own, there are few poor people on CC. In closing, I guess that each of us has our own relevant definition of poor & rich.

Sorry to get on my soapbox; I apologize for the length of this. So call me a foreigner if you like, just don't call me a rich foreigner!! Reba