By Francis Quamina Farrier

ASK the average American who Geronimo, Cochise, Sitting Bull, Chato or Chief Crazy Horse were, and they will tell you that they are all great Native American Heroes. But ask the average Guyanese who Stephen Campbell was, and they will likely respond with a mystified look and ask, “Who is that?”

So let me give the answer immediately: Stephen Campbell is Guyana’s premier Indigenous National Hero. And while he passed away in May 1966, there is, unfortunately, not enough being taught to the present younger Guyanese generation about this great Guyanese Hero.
I’ve decided to do this particular topic in this week’s feature of mine, as Indigenous Heritage Month 2017 draws to a close.

Part of the reason why September was chosen for Indigenous Heritage Month, is because it was on September 10, 1957, that Stephen Campbell first entered the British Guiana Legislative Council (Parliament).

Stephen Esterban Campbell was, by the wishes of the Indigenous Peoples of Guyana, made a National Hero. He was born in Santa Rosa, Moruca, in Region One, on December 26, 1897, and died in Toronto Canada, on May 12, 1966, having gone there for medical attention. He was buried in Canada. His, was a life of struggles and achievements, mainly for the education and the Land Rights of Guyana’s First Peoples.

Although Stephen Campbell did not fight his battles with arrows and bows and guns for justice like his North American cousins, he is regarded as a hero by the Indigenous Peoples of Guyana. But his elevation to the status of National Hero was not without battles, according to President Cheddi Jagan, who in addressing a gathering at the Amerindian Hostel on Princes Street, Georgetown, on September 10, 1993, said that he had a tough battle with some of his fellow comrades in the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), to accept his proposal to make Stephen Campbell a National Hero of Guyana.

Campbell’s work among the Indigenous Peoples goes back to the early 1920s as a teacher and catechist in the Pomeroon River District. Later, he worked in the South Rupununi. He also prospected for bauxite and at one time, was a coffee farmer. He also served as a manager at the Government Trade Store at Kamarang on the Upper Mazaruni River. And throughout his many travels around the country’s hinterland, he championed the many causes of Guyana’s First Peoples; Land Rights being the most important.

An admirer of the life’s work of Stephen Campbell, President Cheddi Jagan told that gathering at the Amerindian Hostel on Princes Street, Georgetown, which included members of the Diplomatic Corps, about his struggles among his own political party comrades, to have Stephen Campbell declared a National Hero of Guyana.

“Some party members were saying that Campbell was not a member of the PPP, that he was a member of the United Force, and that he should not be elevated to National Hero,” President Jagan told the attentive gathering. However, President Jagan said that he was finally able to win his case over his dissenting party comrades, and so, Stephen Esterban Campbell was officially elevated to the status of a National Hero of The Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and September was officially accepted as the Indigenous Heritage Month.

HIS LIFE
Stephen Campbell lost both his parents while very young and was brought up by a grandmother. He had his early education at the Santa Rosa Primary School which was run by Catholic nuns in those early years. His working life included teaching and farming and other wage-earning pursuits. He entered politics somewhat late in life, in 1957, at age 59, as a member of the National Labour Front (NFL) winning the only seat for that political party and making history as the first Amerindian to win a seat in a General Election in British Guiana.

Campbell later joined the United Force and won in the 1961 and 1964 General Elections, all the while, working tirelessly for Indigenous Land Rights, which resulted in a number of Indigenous communities receiving their Land Titles. That was even before British Guiana had gained its Independence in 1966.

A very respected politician, Stephen Campbell attended the British Guiana Independence Conferences in London in 1962, 1963 and 1965, where he continued to champion for the Land Rights of the Indigenous Peoples of British Guiana.

On that first visit to London, Stephen Campbell took with him a petition which was written on a long scroll and signed by dozens of Indigenous leaders of the day. He presented it to the British Secretary of State, Hon. Duncan Sandys, in London, after having a private, one-hour meeting with him.

TRIBUTES
In preparing this feature article, I approached a few Indigenous Guyanese who have had an interest in Stephen Campbell over the years, and solicited their opinions regarding the fact that so little is now known about Stephen Campbell, who was such a well-known political personality, back in the 1960s. Here are their responses;

Fourth Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Hon. Sydney Allicock, MP, expressed his views with the following statement; “I do not think the great Indigenous fighter, Mr. Stephen Campbell, is well known through Guyana, especially in the hinterland among the young. [There should be] short stories depicting his family and life, with his portrait published and given to every community and school; a statue to be placed in appropriate places; maybe to have a scholarship programme of two youths every year, male and female.

[There should probably] be some event named after him. Maybe the new NTC (National Toshaos Council) Secretariat could be named after him. These are some ideas I have been trying to sell but this needs to be discussed.”

Diplomat, Indigenous Human Rights Activist and Poet, Mercedes Pierre said, “On the subject of Mr. Stephen Campbell, I think more has to be done to showcase our Indigenous heroes by way of education and the promotion of cultural events such as storytelling, plays, dances, songs and panel discussions, that highlight the contributions of Indigenous leaders such as Mr. Stephen Campbell.”

Retired Teacher, Scout Leader and Theatre Guild Administrator, Aileen Hintzen, stated that “Nothing much is known about this Indigenous Hero, except his immediate family.” She recommends that, “In this Heritage Month, the social-media and all the newspapers, should have an article about this hero.”

Educator and Author, Dr. Laureen Pierre, has for years, been promoting the works and memory of Stephen Campbell, primarily with lectures and essays. “I suggest that activist organisations… devote some of their energies and resources to promoting the image and struggle of Stephen Campbell.” She added, “These organisations are well placed to do so since they can choose to be politically impartial about their work in this sphere.” Dr. Laureen Pierre also noted, that”There is always the need to include age-appropriate information about national heroes in the school curriculum,” adding that, “If Stephen Campbell is not included in current texts, there should be space for him in the next edition.”

A granddaughter of Stephen Campbell, Anna Correia Bevan, expressed the view; “I don’t think enough is known about him, especially the younger people.”
A large portrait of Stephen Campbell has been on display at the National Museum on North Road, Georgetown, for many years. There are also two plaques dedicated to his honour and memory at Santa Rosa and Arakara on the Moruca river in Region One (Barima –Waini). There is also a plan to have a portrait of Stephen Campbell mounted in the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, in Georgetown, sometime in the future.

At this year’s Indigenous Month Exhibition at the Sophia Centre in Georgetown, there was a section at the Indigenous Village, which showcased `The Life and Work of Stephen Esterban Campbell’ and other Indigenous Guyanese, which was sponsored by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs. This may very well be the catalyst for further on-going series of projects to enlighten more Guyanese, especially the youths, of one of the country’s great heroes.