Jagdeo assures Amerindians of future development

BY SAMUEL SUKHNANDAN 

Amerindian Heritage Month was launched on Thursday evening, September 1, with President Bharrat Jagdeo promising his government’s full support to the continued development of the country’s first people. Hundreds converged at the Amerindian Village at the Sophia Exhibition Complex for the event, held under the theme “Our Culture, Our Heritage, and Our Life: A Fusion of Indigenous Diversity”. In declaring the month-long celebrations open, Jagdeo said he was proud of the achievements made by Amerindians in Guyana. The president committed to ensuring that the Amerindian culture, language and history are preserved and passed on to future generations.

He reiterated Guyana’s unique and diverse culture of a blend of people with six races.

The president recalled that when Amerindian Heritage Month was first launched by the late President Dr Cheddi Jagan, there was just a handful of people in attendance; but the event has now grown to include all Guyanese.

President Jagdeo congratulated the pioneering work and continuous contributions made by women towards Amerindian development. He described Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai, Chairperson of the National Toshao Council Yvonne Pearson, and new head of the Indigenous Peoples Commission Doreen Jacobis as “powerful” Amerindian women.

He also saluted the late Dr Desrey Fox.

Jagdeo said that, under his government, Amerindians have more protection and rights than they ever had before.

Jagdeo noted that the launching of this month’s activities is just the tip of the iceberg of the hard work that is being done across all Amerindian villages, not only by government, but by organisations and Amerindians themselves.

This, he said, is being done in an effort to change the circumstances under which Guyana’s indigenous people live.

Turning his attention to the recently-held National Toshao Council meeting, he said efforts were made to have toshaos boycott the event; but despite this, they turned out in their numbers.

The president noted that during the five- day meeting, several important issues were discussed, and this will set the pace for future development of Amerindians in the country.

He reiterated his promise to have funds garnered from the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) used to help strengthen Amerindians and their way of life in communities nationwide.

“Two years ago, we promised that we (were) going to give each of these villages … each home, a solar panel. We are on the verge of receiving all of those, maybe within a next month or two; and 1,100 households in these communities will have electricity through solar panels,” he stated. The panels, he said, are sized at 65 watts, and government is mulling the option of providing each Amerindian household with laptops as well, since there are computers that operate with less than 28 watts of power.