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Indigenous peoples feel “undermined” by unregulated integration policy

Dec 11, 2009 News

The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) yesterday celebrated International Human Rights Day, and during its commemoration of the occasion, a few shortcomings and inefficiencies were highlighted.
Among those speaking at the ceremony was GHRA Co-President Sharon LaRose, who said that “the unregulated integration policy of the government of ‘mainstreaming’ Amerindians into the national life of Guyana has left heavy trails of negative effects.”
LaRose opined that the ‘unregulated’ integration, lead to the weakening and loss of Indigenous traditions and culture “processed food items from the shops replace fresh fruits and organic Amerindian dishes….. beer, high wine and rum have replaced piwari, casiree and Canima Blood, which are far less toxic……. the Belteri, a sweet local fruit juice, has been replaced by carbonated drinks……Amerindian music has been replaced by loud stereo systems blasting lyrics too embarrassing to repeat.”
The GHRA Co-President suggested that schools have a bi-lingual curriculum so as to prevent the loss of the Indigenous language, “a vital part of our culture.” She also highlighted the health issues that have affected the Indigenous peoples since integration has taken place; health issues that “we are unprepared for and the health authorities cannot deal with efficiently.”
Some illnesses LaRose highlighted were diabetes, high blood pressure, malaria, dengue, typhoid, HIV/AIDS, and new symptoms of vomiting and diahorrea. According to LaRose, at least six persons, mainly young adults, died mid-year from vomiting and diahorrea in Region 1, “the health authorities are still to determine the cause.”
LaRose said that after decades of representation to governments to upgrade the Kumaka District hospital and other hospitals in strategic locations in the various Amerindian areas, “in Santa Rosa we still lack the basic testing facilities for dengue & typhoid stool, urine and blood tests.”
She further noted that many adults have not yet been registered. This she says is because they were not issued birth or marriage certificates.  “Mechanisms need to be set in place urgently so that both adults and children can have their birth certificates.”
Despite statements stating that water and electricity are more accessible in Indigenous communities, “women continue to fetch buckets of water daily for household purposes and light our kero lamps for light.”
LaRose also made mention of what she described as the continuous threat Indigenous land is under, “resulting from the lack of political will to legally recognize untitled communities and extensions of traditional lands of titled communities.”
She is of the opinion that mining concessions, logging concessions, Protected Areas and Carbon Trading “all take precedence over legally recognized Amerindian territories.” In closing her brief remarks at the commemoration ceremony, LaRose said “the struggle and challenge to retain our distinct identity as Indigenous peoples of Guyana continues, for us to be treated with respect as Guyanese with equal rights.” (Andrunie Harris)

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