St. Cuthbert’s women keeping their tradition alive

May 15, 2018 News

St Cuthbert’s women

Nearly two dozen women from the Arawak Village of St. Cuthbert’s Mission (Pakuri), Region Four, have joined forces and have embarked on a programme to revive their traditional indigenous craft.
This is in an effort to make a more significant contribution to not only their families’ but also to their village economy.
Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, who has direct responsibility for women, took the initiative of bringing about a new passion for the production of indigenous craft by the talented women there.
Minister Garrido-Lowe recently visited the village where she encouraged the women to be active participants in the group since for centuries the indigenous people have used their many talents not only for economic gains, but also for keeping the indigenous tradition alive.
“For many of us Arawaks especially, we have lost our tradition, but thanks to our elders mostly, our customs and traditions have survived. We have survived as a people because of the same things, so we should not throw them away.
“We should strengthen them and pass them over to our children. Our children should then teach their children.”
The Minister said now is the opportune time to capitalize on the many opportunities being made available, especially for the women folk, and craft production can aid in building a robust village economy.
She said she sees the women folk of the village being active participants in the process.
The women shared their desire to remain active members of the group and said how anxious and excited they are to be able to equip themselves with the knowledge they will receive.
The leader of the group is an elder from the village, 82-year-old, Mrs. Charlotte Oselmo, who said she is willing to share her knowledge with the much younger generation of women.
She said she has long been encouraging the women to get involved in handicraft but “first they said they didn’t want to see straw and that kind of thing. Now they are part of this thing, doing this and doing that. Today, we see them buying the beds, buying the hammocks from outside and we are supposed to be doing it right here.”
Asked how she has maintained such an active lifestyle. “Mi” as she is fondly known in the village, said, “It’s the way you care yourself; exercise your body.”
Mi said she started straw work at a very young age from looking and learning from her mother how to spin the tibisiri to produce beautiful craft pieces.
She said one of the challenges she faced was being able to see. Her vision continues to deteriorate. Minister Garrido-Lowe has arranged for Mi to be examined by the best ophthalmologist in Georgetown and during the visit to the Mission, Mi was presented with a brand new pair of spectacles by Minister Garrido-Lowe, compliments of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs.
After receiving her spectacles, Mi thanked the Minister for her timely assistance adding that this will make her life a lot easier and she will be able to better perform her chores at home and, more so, be of more assistance to the women.
The women are learning, from the beginning, the process of producing hammocks, belts, floor and tablemats, baskets and hats; hence, they were involved in stripping their own straw from the ité palm and spinning the required amount needed to make the various types of craft.
Meanwhile, Margret Cornet, a craft and catering facilitator of the Hinterland Employment Youth Service (HEYS Programme), is currently in the village on a one-week training exercise working together with Mi in mentoring the group.
Their first taste of exhibition will be on May 26, when Guyana celebrates 52 years of Independence, which gives the women the perfect opportunity to demonstrate their independent ability.
St. Cuthbert’s Mission, which will soon be restored to its traditional name Pakuri, is located approximately twelve miles off the Soesdyke/Linden Highway and approximately 65 miles up the Mahaica River. The riverside offers the perfect venue for a Sunday family picnic or a peaceful, tranquil retreat for anyone who needs it.
It is home to more than 1,700 Lokonos with its main economic activity being subsistence farming and logging. Most of the men folk seek job opportunities in the mining sector.

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