Minister Pauline Sukhai
Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai has refuted claims that Amerindians are often being silenced especially when they meet each year at the National Toshaos Council (NTC) conference.
Sukhai said that village toshaos and other village leaders are usually given the chance to speak on various issues at forums organised by the ministry throughout the year. The minister stressed that reports that Amerindian village leaders are silenced, especially at the annual NTC meeting are not true. Sukhai explained that everyone is given an opportunity at the three full days of the meeting to raise various concerns and these concerns are usually addressed by the Cabinet.
“For those who don’t want to speak, they are asked to submit everything in writing and we create a desk at these meetings and allow people who didn’t get to speak or wanted to add more to what they had already said to submit what they said… they bring it there and we account for each of them and that also included in our report,” Sukhai said.
The Amerindian affairs minister stated that leaders are usually given the opportunity to prepare for these conferences and provide a list of issues they hope to raise. She said, “There is just a few people… There is only one team or group of people who normally say that and they are the ones who take up most of the time, talking about lands and mining.”
Nonetheless, some Amerindians leaders believe that they are treated differently and dismissed because they do not support the ruling administration and some of its policies or notions on Amerindian development.
