Latest update March 27th, 2025 8:24 AM
Latest News
- Jamaica rebuffs Rubio push against Cuban doctors
- Canadian company to pay over US$3.8M to local titleholders to fully acquire second gold project in Guyana
- Over 140,000 displaced in a week in Gaza amid renewed Israeli attacks: UN
- Businessmen complain of foreign currency shortage
- PPP disrupts meeting with Mohamed and Berbice residents
Arrival Day Exhibition commences at National Museum
Scores of school children were amongst special invitees who visited the
Students from West Ruimveldt Primary viewing the exhibition at the National Museum
National Museum yesterday for an exhibition in observance of Arrival Day, which was hosted under the theme “Celebrating 174 years”.
Among the dignitaries attending were Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Dr. Steve Surujbally, and members of the Diplomatic Corps.
The annual indentureship exhibition includes cultural performances along with viewing of immigrant exhibitions.
The exhibition continues daily from 09:00hrs to 16:00hrs, until May 20. The National Museum is encouraging the public to visit the exhibition as it “strives to preserve and sustain a rich cultural and natural heritage for the future generations”.
According to Minister Anthony, the objectives of the exhibition are to highlight the cultural impact of indentured immigrants since their arrival to Guyana, and to develop a programme of activities that would promote cultural diversity in the country, using the indentureship experience.
He emphasised that this occasion is to commemorate the arrival of the Chinese, Portuguese, East Indian and African immigrants to Guyana, and to assess the impact of European influence on the nation.
Dr Anthony explained that many persons are unaware that there were 13,000 indentured Africans who came to Guyana during the period 1838 to 1865.
Noting that these were not slaves, Dr Anthony said “this day celebrates all the people who came to Guyana as indentured labourers, and in the Museum that is highlighted. When people think of the fifth of May, they would normally associate it with Indian Arrival, but it is much more than Indian Arrival, it is the arrival of all the different groups that come to Guyana, and the exhibition depicts such, to give people a broader understanding of indentureship”.
Adding that the archives are being constantly updated, the Minister said this information is being presented to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago and other territories. He said collectively all these indentured records will now be placed on UNESCO’s world heritage register.
“We want to digitise these records and make them more accessible to people who would like to study more about their ancestors and family heritage,” Dr Anthony underscored.
He said that personnel will be at the Museum during the exhibition to perform the role of guides.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The U.S. pressure on Venezuela may backfire on Guyana
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The world is full of unintended consequences, those sly little gremlins that slip into... more
The Caribbean: Destined to Grin and Bear the Consequences of Its Self-Created Vulnerabilities?
By Sir Ronald Sanders For decades, many Caribbean nations have grappled with dependence on a small number of powerful countries... more
Weekend Cartoon
