Georgetown: Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal on Sunday joined regional officials and others from the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs for official opening ceremony of this year’s mini Amerindian Heritage celebration in Lethem, Region Nine at the St. Ignatius Benab Ground.
Minister Croal in his feature address called on persons to stay true to the theme “Maintaining our traditional integrity; celebrating our cultural identity”.
He noted that while the world is rapidly changing and change is necessary for growth and development, it is important for Guyana’s first people to maintain their identity and to keep their culture alive.
“As parents and elders you must pass traditions down to your children, they must stay close to their roots but at the same time they must be able to adapt to change”.
The Minister also reassured those gathered of the government’s commitment to the development of all hinterland communities.
“As a government, we are working to bridge the gaps in the education, health and every other sector to ensure that our people benefit from equal access to all services”.
The Minister also echoed a call for persons to celebrate with modesty. Over the next few hours, persons at the venue will be participating in archery, cotton spinning, basket weaving, cassava grating and fire lighting competition. Trophies were also handed over to winners in the male and female category for the early morning 5km race.
Regional Chairman, Mr. Brian Allicock in his remarks, urged persons to celebrate responsibly.
“We understand we are operating in a pandemic but the reality is that our people are starved for recreational activities as such it is important for persons to act responsibly”.
Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Affairs, Mr. Ryan Tulsi, extended greetings to the villagers on behalf of Minister Pauline Sukhai, noting that the Ministry stands committed to ensuring sustainable development across every Amerindian village in the country.
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