By Ravena Gildharie

AS Guyana like the rest of the world ups national precaution and response to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), indigenous communities, even the most remote, are taking their own measures to safeguard their communities and people. Led by their village leaders and local public health officers, the majority of the communities are involved in Coronavirus awareness, while a few are prohibiting or restricting visitors.

Crucial at this time are heightened concerns about hinterland villages with porous borders such as the North Pakaraimas and the Rupununi, where there is an influx of illegal Brazilian migrants mainly into the mining sector. Issues of this nature also exist in the North-West District of Region One, where masses of Venezuelans continue to enter Guyana. Brazil recently announced that it has closed its borders with Guyana and other bordering countries, but this closure of the ports of entry is adding to the worries for bordering indigenous communities, which may have to deal with an increase in illegal arrivals, residents say.

In other villages that are positioned relatively remotely, the concern is low as regards the potential risk of infection of COVID–19, but on the other hand, residents are facing economic downturn. Halt and/or restrictions to tourism services, businesses and other public activities have driven in some cases, the shutdown of local transport services and supplies of goods to the villages.

Risks of Coronavirus at ‘open’ borders  

In Region Nine, South Rupununi village leaders, under the guidance of their umbrella body, the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC), teamed up with the police, doctors, environmental officers, and others to monitor the illegal entry points in that part of the country, as a precaution against the Coronavirus. SRDC’s Immaculata Casimero told the Pepperpot Magazine that a team comprising toshaos, SRDC monitors and the police will conduct the checks, a measure put in place after toshaos and senior councillors of Bashaizon complained about vehicles crossing into Guyana night and day from Brazil. This mounted fears among the predominantly Wapishan territory that the illegal migrants can bring into Guyana undetected cases of the deadly Coronavirus.

These issues were discussed this week when the toshaos, senior councillors and health workers from villages such as Shea, Maruranau, Awarewaunau, Aishalton, Karaudarnau, Achiwib, Bashaizon and Parabara convened in Aishalton for a COVID-19 (Coronavirus) sensitisation workshop. Organised by SRDC, the session was facilitated by Dr. Rosha Coylessar and staff of the Aishalton District Hospital and also included the police stationed in the area. Casimero said the leaders were advised on necessary sanitation and precautionary activities, and were also cautioned by the police to avoid large gatherings, except for Coronavirus awareness sessions led by the communities’ health workers.

Across the highlands into Region Eight, North Pakaraima communities also share ‘open’ borders with Brazil, and leaders are worried about the risk of Coronavirus among the largely Patamonas population there. Kato’s Toshao Cliff Pereira, who is also Chairman of the North Pakaraimas District Council (NPDC), reminded that the porous border sees daily movement of people in and out of the indigenous communities, making it difficult to impose stringent precautions against the Coronavirus. Efforts are instead dedicated to making villagers aware of the virus, informed of what they can do individually to safeguard themselves, and telling them what steps they should take if they or someone nearby is suspected of having the virus. The Kato Village Council held an emergency meeting this week, when the health worker and medex engaged villagers on the COVID-19. A medical team from the Mahdia Hospital was expected to soon visit the North Pakaraimas and conduct screening for the Coronavirus, while the indigenous leaders ponder further measures.

“As for the inflight from Georgetown for example, we are thinking about restricting certain people from entering…example, postponing people coming to hold workshop etc.,” the toshao related, adding that, “we are still working on it. I know it’s very complicated when it comes to that, but will see what happens.”

Pereira is aware that some of his colleagues has closed their villages to visitors.

‘No visitors’ 

In Region One, the Santa Rosa Toshao and Village Council agreed to prohibit visitors from accessing the Moruca Sub-District community as a result of the Coronavirus presence in Guyana. In communicating the move to the Region Two administration earlier this week, Toshao Whanita Phillips reported that the Charity-Moruca speedboat route would be closed to all passenger boats from Monday, March 23, 2020 to April 5, 2020.

Phillips’ action comes just days after fellow Toshao, Beverley Clenkian of St. Cuthbert’s Mission also announced the closure of her village to visitors.

The lone indigenous village in Region Four, St. Cuthbert’s is the closest in proximity to Georgetown and the measure, Clenkian told this publication, was taken after the council had carefully discussed the issue. A public notice was mounted at the village entrance, advising persons that St. Cuthbert’s was not accepting visitors until further notice.

Accessible just a few miles off the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, the village is usually a major attraction for local and foreign visitor, who find it an ideal spot for weekend getaways. A ban on visitors is sure to affect the community’s economy, but when questioned about this effect, Clenkian responded that “everything is slow up here.” In the meantime, she said the council and the local doctor were conducting awareness sessions with residents on the Coronavirus.

Similarly, in Region Six and in the upper reaches of the Corentyne River, the Village Councils of Orealla and Siparuta have imposed on both residents and visitors strict measures for leaving and entering the villages. In a social media post, Orealla Toshao Carl Penuex said some residents were “scoffing at these measures and deliberately want to defy these measures.” He pondered whether the police could support the villages to enforce the measures.

Awareness 
While these issues persist, the awareness of Coronavirus among indigenous communities remains vibrant. In Central Rupununi, Toshaos and Councillors led by Vice Chair of the National Toshao Council (NTC) Russian Dorrick, is on a sustained mission to update each and every community about the COVID-19.

“Each village have a task force to monitor the visitors especially persons coming from Brazil,” related Dorrick, who is the Toshao of Yupukari. He explained that indigenous leaders of Region Nine met and discussed regionally their approach for community awareness on the Coronavirus. Shulinab Toshao Nick Fredericks, who also Chairman of the NTC and SRDC, is responsible for awareness in the South Rupununi while Annai’s Toshao Zacharias Norman is tasked with the North Rupununi.

Dorrick himself, who is overseeing the Central communities, has spearheaded Coronavirus sensitisations in Quatata, Yupukari, Fly-Hill and Kaicumbay. He said some councils were making efforts, utilising their own village finances, to purchase and distribute to communities necessary sanitation items.

At the level of the NTC, Toshao Dorrick indicated that the executives are collaborating and keeping each other updated on the Coronavirus issues via a WhatsApp group.