St Monica residents celebrate Heritage Day

Scores of Amerindians from St Monica located in the Upper Pomeroon River on the Essequibo Coast on Friday celebrated their heritage in grand style. The activities began at 10: 00h in the village play field under the theme “Embracing our identity, celebrating our culture”.

During the celebrations, villagers participated in a range of activities, including piwari drinking, canoeing and arrow shooting.
The community’s celebrations officially kicked off Amerindian Heritage Month in Region Two. Amerindians from various satellite and neighbouring communities joined the village in their celebrations, many of whom were dressed in their Amerindian garb.
Toshao of the village Kenrick Louis welcomed the participants to the day’s celebrations and urged that they reflect on the journey of their ancestors.
The programme organised by the St Monica Village Council featured Amerindian folk dances, poems and jokes recited in the Carib dialect. Amerindian dances were done by pupils of the St Monica Primary School. The children were neatly attired in garments made of leaves and other materials from the forest.
Each of the items on the programme reflected traces of their Carib ancestors.
Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud, who joined in the heritage celebrations, said he brought greetings to the Amerindian folk on behalf of President Donald Ramotar and the Region Two administration.
Persaud said Amerindians should be proud of their identity and work in unity to build a better Guyana.
He said at the end of the day, everyone is Guyanese and should live according to the country’s motto of “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”. He commended the toshao of the village for being the first to celebrate Heritage Day in Region Two. He urged Amerindians to use the month to reflect on the various developments that have taken place in their community.
Persaud told the gathering that Amerindians are special people who are blessed with special talents, and noted that over the year, many Amerindians have taken up leadership positions in the various sectors.
With that, he said the government will continue to support Amerindians in the various sectors so that they can elevate themselves.
Many Amerindians have been trained as teachers, doctors and engineers, and their villages have access to potable water and electricity through solar panels.