Amerindian heritage in focus

Sep 03, 2023 Features / Columnists, News, Waterfalls Magazine

– as month of activities kick-off

Waterfalls Magazine – Amerindian Heritage will be in focus as the month of activities kicks off this month. This year; Amerindian Heritage showcases will be observed under the theme, “Sustaining Our Cultural Heritage and Identity While Contributing to One Guyana.”

Speaking to the Waterfalls in an interview on Friday, Heritage Coordinator attached to the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Mohamed Nizam disclosed that there are a number of new activities featured on this year’s Heritage Month calendar of events.

“The new activities include the ‘tasinpansa’ which is a Macushi word that means “We are happy” and will be a part of the celebrations. It’s basically an indigenous culture-themed showcase that will feature a display of arts, crafts, and other aspects of Amerindian culture that we will be bringing to Main Street, Nizam said

“We also have the heritage sports which will be extended to four days,” the coordinator said.

He noted too that the Amerindian Village showcase which is also listed on the schedule will include the “much sought-after cuisine and craft showcase.”

Amerindian Heritage Month 2023 will be observed under the theme “Sustaining Our Cultural Heritage and Identity While Contributing to One Guyana.”

“That showcase will be opened daily from September 2nd to September 5th at the Sophia Exhibition site. Many patrons look forward to that especially the cuisine part where they can experience authentic Amerindian delicacies and indulge in some aspects of our daily lives,” he said.

Nizam reminded too that many people look forward to the Miss Amerindian Heritage pageant but this is held once every two years.

“That will be back again next year,” he said.

According to the coordinator, Amerindian Heritage Month activities kicked off with the interfaith religious service held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on the evening of August 31.

On September 1, the Amerindian Cultural Heritage Extravaganza which was hosted at the national park officially kicked off the celebrations.

The calendar of events scheduled for Amerindian Heritage Month

All of the activities are scheduled to exhibit aspects of the nine Amerindian tribes namely; Warraus, Arawaks, Caribs, Akawaios, Arecunas, Patamonas, Macushis, Wapisianas, and Wai Wais.

These observances are important since Amerindians are the descendants of the first people to arrive in the territory of what is now known as Guyana some 15,000 years ago. They crossed from Asia by way of the Bering Strait, an ice bridge joining Asia with the Americas, leaving during the fourth ice age and bringing with them their culturally unique way of life and methods of survival.

Known as “children of the forest” or “Guyana’s first people”, the Amerindians settled in close to 200 communities in the Hinterland, mainly in: Region One, Barama/Waini; Region Seven-Cuyuni/Mazaruni; Region Eight-Potaro/Siparuni; and Region Nine-Upper Takutu/Essequibo. Villages were also formed in the coastal regions.

Today, Amerindians are ranked as the fourth largest ethnic group in the country, after the mixed ethnicity people of Guyana, the third largest. At the moment, their numbers are said to be approximately 75,000, or about 10 percent of the nation’s population.

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Akawaios, Arawaks, Arecunas, Macushis, Patamonas, Warraus

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