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The life of the Patamona people in region 8 is hard and an arduous one

Sep 07, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
It’s with much admiration and sadness I am writing this letter about the Patamona people of Region 8. Their lives are wonderful but yet a hard one. With no access to effective communication and accessibility into the area, it is a very costly place to live.
I’ve had the opportunity to be in Paramakatoi doing research and taking part in their tradition of fishing. The area is land locked, located in a mountainous area with no proper roads. For the Patamona people of Paramakatoi and other villages in Region 8, fish is very difficult to obtain. One would have to travel along Asanda (trails) through mountains to the Siparuni River.
The journey takes 2 days from Paramakatoi with brisk walking and 3 days at a much slower pace. For one to take the journey, he or she has to walk with enough supplies to last the journey. The average weight that a person carries is about 40-60 lbs. This includes their hammocks, cooking pot, sugar, farine, cassava bread and whatever supplies they need for the journey. In most cases, entire families take the trip to catch fishes (on the trip we went to catch the Kulak (fine fish) which was poisoned with Hairi). Each family member would have his own load to carry, from the smallest child to the eldest person.
I’ve seen mothers, infants, toddlers, teenagers, adults and elders all taking the trip. The journey is not for the faint-hearted. Any coastlander will definitely give up after the first climb up a mountain, and there are many mountains to climb on the way to Siparuni River.
Along the Asanda you will be able to see jaguar markings; if you are unlucky a snake may be in your pathway. If you slip, climbing up or down the mountain, you can easily sprain your ankle or even break it. If you got bitten by a snake, persons will have to carry you out to the nearest airstrip to be flown to Georgetown. If you fall to your death, no one will know instantly about it since communication is none existent. These are the journey that all Patamona go on a daily basis. It’s a dangerous way to live but it is their way of life and must be respected.
This journey to Siparuni River is not something that has been happening recently but has been happening for time immemorial. The Patamona people have a name for each creek, rivers, mountains, rocks and hills in Region 8. They know the territory quite well. What I admire most about the Patamona people is that everyone speaks their language. My people’s language (Lokono) was killed by Catholic missions quite a long time ago. Your language is your identity; it’s your code, it is part of your culture. I felt cultureless when I heard everyone speaking their language and I will make every effort to learn my language as much as I can.
When I heard the ramblings of Eric Phillips and a Government Minister calling the Indigenous people land hungry, it got me really upset because they have no idea about our way of life. While I do agree and wholeheartedly support the fight of the Africans in Guyana to access land, I believe that their fight for reparation and land rights is different than the fight of the indigenous peoples for their ancestral lands. Therefore, the present Commission will not serve the interest of Indigenous Land Rights.
I have lots more to write on this issue but this will be all for now since it is very costly to use wifi service here in Paramakatoi and I just returned from a 10 day journey from the Siparuni River (Sunday). As I gather my thoughts, more will be written about the Patamona people and their way of life.
Andrew Campbell

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