Georgetown: Amerindian Heritage Month 2014 celebrations continue as Head of State, Donald Ramotar, and First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar, Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai, and several other Cabinet members joined with residents of Karrau Village, Region Seven for the annual Heritage Village celebration.
The president and team were warmly welcomed to Karrau, which got its name from a bird, Karow.
On the occasion, the gathering was urged to reflect from whence they came with the aim of charting a course to deal with the challenges ahead.
“This month September, Amerindian Heritage month is one when you have to celebrate the achievements that we have made as a people. It’s a very important month for celebration and we should celebrate,” President Ramotar said.
The President also highlighted the fact that this month is also being celebrated as Education Month and this happens to be a “happy coincidence.”
“As you are aware over the centuries since Amerindians have been here, they have toiled and worked to preserve our environment and they have been most neglected by the colonial powers of this land for thousands of years.”
President Ramotar also recalled that over the years very little was done to advance Amerindian development, and it was the same in the period of undemocratic rule as hardly anything was done to enhance their welfare.
It is for this reason; President Ramotar said this time should be used as a time to reflect.
“When we came to office, one of the things that challenged us, even before, was how we will raise the standard of living in Amerindian communities so that it will match in the coastland, how we can raise the standards so that we can make equal opportunities a reality, and not just a slogan.”
It is for this reason the President said the administration made the conscious decision that education is vital in this project to create opportunities and assist people in building capacity to ensure they all have an equal opportunity to contest for anything.
Reflecting on his own childhood and past, the President said it his own upbringing that pushed him towards the PPP/C. Coming from an Amerindian riverain community, President Ramotar said seeing the needs of his fellow countrymen and women led him to fight to ensure that they too enjoy equal opportunities.
“These are some of the things that drove me to politics and to fight for conditions to ensure our people have equal opportunities, that is one of the reasons you will see in our budget that the largest portion goes towards the social sector.”
President Ramotar added that the administration has over the years been placing emphasis on building the human capital, which is critical toward ensuring the development of the country at large. Reference was also made of the numerous initiatives that have been implemented under the current administration to ensure that Guyana achieves universal secondary education.
Over the years, primary, nursery and secondary schools have been constructed in hinterland communities, as well as health centers and other much needed infrastructure.
The President also pointed out to the gathering that while the administration continues in its effort to advance development, the political situation in the Parliament continues to be a stumbling block. Pointing to the cuts to the Amerindian Development Fund, University of Guyana Student loans, and hinterland airstrip rehabilitation, among others, the Head of State said these are just some of the challenges that the administration is facing.
He also spoke of the combined opposition’s non support for the Amaila Falls Hydro project which would ease a great burden off Guyanese when it comes to cheap energy. He told the gathering that the $9 Billion, which the administration spends annually to subsidise electricity, could be used for further developments across the country.
The Head of State also used the forum to announce that as per norm the administration will give $5 M to the village of Karrau having been selected as Heritage Village 2014 to embark on a developmental project of their choice.
Meanwhile Minister Sukhai on the occasion underscored the importance of indigenous people preserving their culture.
“I want to congratulate you on making this request, to host Heritage village so that you will continue to assist your brothers and sisters in the various communities to promote and highlight your rich and diverse culture which we should, maintain, and enhance.”
She told the gathering that staying true to their identity and preserving the unique things that make them a people are important.
“We the government will continue to support all the events, and also to provide and keep the mechanisms in place that will allow Amerindian heritage and culture to remain one that forms part of this country’s rich cultural diversity. I want to call on all of you, descendants of Arawaks and Caribs you too must make a commitment to keep your culture alive.”
One of the means by which the Minister said this can be done is by teaching, ensuring the continuous use of their native language, a project which the government has been giving support to and will continue to do so.
The Minister stressed that already the different dialects are at risk of becoming extinct hence the need to ensure that they are preserved by all means necessary.
Minister Sukhai also reassured the gathering that the government will remain committed towards further development of hinterland communities.
“The government has made a commitment to continue to advance Amerindian development and that set back (budget cut) will not disallow us from continuing to pay attention to our people’s livelihood, economic and social development and making you aware of the political situation of our country. “
Further the Toshao of the village, James Cornelius thanked the administration and the Ministry for selecting Karrau for Heritage Village 2014. He noted that it has been 13 years since a village in Region Seven was selected to host the auspicious event.
“We thank the Ministry and the Government, we have worked tirelessly and we are proud to showcase our heritage.”
Region Seven Chairman, Gordon Bradford who said he was honoured to be a part of the celebration expressed similar sentiments.
He too called on the gathering to use to time to reflect on where they have come as Guyana’s first people and urged them to be cognisant of the fact that they have grown as a people.
“We have made gains and we need to protect the gains that we have made as an indigenous people.”
At today’s celebrations there were presentations by various groups which entertained the visiting teams.
Karrau, located in the Essequibo River was established in the 1960s initially as a logging grant. It was initially called Karrau Creek before it became a titled Amerindian village in 2007.
It is a small Amerindian village located on the lower right bank of the Mazaruni River just below the famous Mazaruni prisons and obliquely opposite Bartica.
The village covers a total area of approximately 23 square miles, stretching from the mouth of the Karrau creek along the Mazaruni River to the mouth of Tiger creek along the Essequibo River.
It has a population of approximately 310 persons representing around 80 households with the majority of inhabitants descending from the Arawak tribe.
It is surrounded by the neighbouring Amerindian villages of Batavia, Rivers View, Kartabo, Dogg Point and Agatash.
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