-HPS
Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, at a post-Cabinet briefing Wednesday, stated that the annual National Toshaos Conference, which brings together toshaos from the 169 hinterland communities, will be held later this month.
The conference, to be held at the International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, will allow the opportunity for toshaos and village captains to have engagements with officials from the Office of the President, Central Government agencies and statutory bodies, particularly the agencies responsible for lands.
The biennial conference, aimed at consolidating and expanding the national development and transformation processes to cater for the need of indigenous people, also addresses issues such as the granting of land titles to Amerindians.
As government continues to deliver on its promise to grant Amerindian communities their constitutional rights, the land title certificate serves as a legally binding document that follows the completion of a land demarcation process by officials from the Minister of Amerindian Affairs.
The previous toshaos’ conference, held from July 27-31, 2009, saw a wide range of matters being discussed that were important to Amerindians. During deliberations, 11 Amerindian communities received their land titles, including Chinese Landing, Muritaro, Great Falls, Malali, Nappi, St. Ignatius Homestead and St. Ignatius Farmlands, Tobago and Wauna Hill, Karau, and Kwebanna.
Presidential grants and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were also handed over. (GINA)