Dame Froyla Tzalam, , is a Belizean Mopan Maya

anthropologist An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms and ...

and

community leader Community leader is a designation, often by secondary sources (particularly in the media), for a person widely perceived to represent a community. A simple way to understand community leadership is to see it as leadership in, for and by the communit ...

, who has served as the

Governor-General of Belize The governor-general of Belize is the vice-regal representative of the Belizean monarch, currently King Charles III, in Belize. The governor-general is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister of Belize. The function ...

since 27 May 2021. She is the first indigenous person of Maya descent to serve as governor-general of any country in the history of the Commonwealth.

Education

Tzalam is from the village of

San Antonio, Toledo San Antonio is a village in the Toledo District of Belize. It is the largest Maya settlement in Belize, with a population of approximately 1,000 people, predominantly Mopan people, Mopan Maya. About 88% of the inhabitants are Catholic Church, Cath ...

. She graduated with a BA in

Anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...

from Trinity University, Texas. This was followed by a MA in

Rural Development Rural development is the process of improving the quality life and economic well-being of people living in rural areas, often relatively isolated and sparsely populated areas. Rural development has traditionally centered on the exploitation of l ...

from

University of Sussex , mottoeng = Be Still and Know , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £14.4 million (2020) , budget = £319.6 million (2019–20) , chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar , vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil , ...

Career

She was the executive director of the

Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management The Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM) is a nonprofit non-governmental organization which represents people in a group of five villages that live outside of Sarstoon-Temash National Park in Belize. They co-manage the par ...

(SATIIM). Tzalam was shortlisted for nomination to the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

in January 2017, but declined in order to concentrate on her work with SATIIM.

Governor-General of Belize

It was announced on 22 April 2021 by

Prime Minister of Belize The following article contains a list of Prime Ministers of Belize and Deputy Prime Ministers, from the establishment of the position of First Minister of British Honduras in 1961 to the present day. Office of the Prime Minister of Belize The ...

John Briceno that she was nominated to be the next Governor-General of Belize following the retirement of

Colville Young Sir Colville Norbert Young (born 20 November 1932) is a Belizeans, Belizean politician who served as the 2nd Governor-General of Belize. He is also a patron of the Scouting, Scout Association of Belize. He was appointed as the Governor-General ...

. She is the third Governor-General and the second woman appointed to the role. On 21 March 2022, she was invested as a

Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honou ...

HRH The Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

during their

Royal Tour A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...

References

Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Governors-General of Belize Dames Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Anthropologists Belizean women in politics Belizean women Indigenous peoples in Belize Belizean Maya people Indigenous activists of the Americas People from Toledo District Trinity University (Texas) alumni Alumni of the University of Sussex {{diplomat-stub