Story of Excellence – Guyana’s First Peoples 

A new book, ‘The Excellent Decade 2005-2015’, produced by the ANSA McAl Foundation, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, tells the story of contemporary ‘heroes’ of the Caribbean, including seven Guyanese men and women, namely Professor David Dabydeen, Ms Annette Arjoon-Martins, Mr. Sydney Allicock (now the Hon. Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs), Mr. George Simon, Ms. Karen de Souza, Dr. Paloma Mohamed-Martin and Professor Suresh S. Narine. Of these seven personalities, the work of three has direct bearing on the life of Indigenous Peoples of Guyana, notwithstanding the case that can be made for the others having indirect influence on the Indigenous Peoples. And the blurb of the book proudly declares its recognition of the contribution of the First Peoples of Guyana by naming ‘three members of the Guyanese First People nations as laureates in the persons of Annette Arjoon-Martins in 2008, Sydney Allicock in 2010 and George Simon in 2012. As stated above but to be precise, they are all of Indigenous heritage: Allicock – Makushi, Simon – Lokono Arawak and Arjoon-Martins – Arawak*.
Ms Annette Arjoon-Martins – ‘is a conservationist whose pet project is the 100-mile ecosystem in the northwest coastal region of Guyana where four species of turtle nest. She leads the Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society as well as her own business’. (Taken from the book). Remarkable about her activism is the fact that she secured alternative sources of income for the people who previously depended on various uses of the turtles for their livelihood. Some of her awards include the United Nations International Volunteers Award for Social Work in Guyana and Commonwealth Foundation Fellowship.
Mr. Sydney Allicock – is ‘a Toshao (or Chief) of an indigenous Amerindian village in the South of Guyana. Mr Allicock is passionate about promoting sustainable eco-tourism in the hinterlands of Guyana, and is also an advocate for the preservation of the indigenous culture of Guyana. He has received many national awards for the work he has done in improving the livelihoods of the hinterland Amerindian communities, and he continues to serve as a trainer with Iwokrama, a rainforest conservation and development project aimed at showing how tropical forests can be conserved and sustainably used to provide ecological, social and economic benefits to local, national and international communities’. (taken from the book)
George Simon – ‘is a visual artist and archaeologist who has recently (in 2011) made an archaeological discovery in Guyana that might cause history books about the pre-Columbian past of the Americas, and world civilization, to be radically rewritten’. (taken from Awards website.)
Simon believes in journeying; and since his formative days in St. Cuthbert Mission on the Mahaicony River, Guyana, he has moved from place to place, from his birthplace to Linden, to Georgetown, to England, to Chad, to Haiti, to Mexico…, accumulating knowledge, honing his skill and sharing, but always returning to his homeland, Guyana. During his sojourns, Simon has founded organizations in service to all humanity but particular to the uplift of Indigenous Peoples and minorities.
The Anthony N. Sabga Caribbean Award for Excellence was established in 2005 and the book captures ten years of the Awards. The book offers varied perspectives on excellence.
Sir Shridath Ramphal says that ‘striving for excellence is not new…our deepest roots lay in conditions of deprivation from which we were compelled to escape. The urge to excel is the very essence of that compulsion for self-improvement’. Professor E. Nigel Harris says that ‘excellence and the ever moving target of attaining perfection were omnipresent…so was the need to …challenge oneself…as well as the status quo’. And former President of Guyana, Donald Ramotar, says that ‘this quest for constant improvement…is present in almost every facet of life in the Caribbean…is not an exclusive club…also found …in simple folk…is also not just about the goal, it is also about the process’.
The goal of the Caribbean Award for Excellence is to recognize significant Caribbean achievement, to encourage and to support the pursuit of excellence by Caribbean persons, for the benefit of the region.

*All biographical information quoted from the book, the Awards website and from my work as a past Researcher for the Awards.
Responses to this author: telephone (592) 226-0065 or e-mail: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com
What’s happening:
The Guyana Annual Magazine 2014-2015 issue in now available at Guyenterprise Ltd., Lance Gibbs and Irving Streets, Tel # 226-9874, the National Library, Austin’s Book Service and from yours truly.
by Petamber Persaud