As we celebrate Amerindian Heritage Month, it is a good time to reflect on the contributions of our indigenous peoples to the national development process and their unique lifestyle and culture.
While not many Amerindians have excelled in business, commerce and entrepreneurship, they have certainly made their mark in the fields of art, craft, culture, medicine and academia.
On the issue of entrepreneurship, they have had limited opportunities in this regard because of historical,  geographic and environmental reasons. Located mainly in the hinterland where commercial and business activities are limited, it is obvious that they would not have gravitated in this direction.
However, that is gradually changing as some communities are becoming  hubs of industry, trade and commerce. One such community is Lethem in Region 9 where there is brisk trade between Brazil and our country, particularly since the construction of the Takutu Bridge.
Lethem is also the site of an industrial estate and new housing schemes have sprung up as a result of the hugely successful and massive housing drive by the government.
So Amerindians will have to position themselves to take advantage of the entrepreneurial opportunities that will be available.

That is not to say that they should abandon their traditional way of life. On the contrary, their culture and traditions must be preserved at all costs because those are endowed with a richness and uniqueness that greatly enhance our national cultural tapestry.

Amerindian Affairs Minister Ms. Pauline Sukhai, on a recent visit to the village of Issenuru, alluded to growing Amerindian involvement in economic activities.
She asserted that economic development is fast becoming the burgeoning sector at the village level, especially in Isseneru, which has already taken that bold step to boost employment.

“The current generation of Amerindians has taken a different approach to life, an approach that says, ‘we are maturing as a people, we are becoming responsible for our development, and that we are ready and willing to take development into our hands,” Minister Sukhai said.

The opening of the guest house, she noted, is very significant to the village’s history, and will be “even more significant as the village takes bolder steps towards harnessing its development.”
Amerindian history and culture are integrally woven into our nation’s history, art and culture, without which its richness would be significantly decreased.
It must be acknowledged first and foremost that this country began with our indigenous peoples because they were the first people to live here. There are many theories as to how they got here but the undeniable fact is they were the first to set foot on this soil.
However, they endured centuries of oppression and exploitation at the hands of our colonial masters who attempted to use them as catchers of runaway slaves but they refused to become appendages of the colonisers.
Despite enduring such a long period of suffering and marginalization, today Amerindians have excelled and are excelling in various fields such as medicine, art, craft, culture, and in various professions and academic fields.

With respect to the latter,  one of our foremost anthropologists and academics was the late Dr. Desrey Fox who was the Minister within the Ministry of Education at the time of her unfortunate death.

Also, our first female international football referee, Dianne Ferreira-James is an Amerindian. But these are just two examples as they are many more who have reached the pinnacle in their respective fields.

But while Amerindians may not have contributed to economic development as much as other sections of the Guyanese society, their contributions are unique, invaluable and irreplaceable as the development of a nation’s culture is as equally important as material development.
This readily brings to mind the words of Albert Camus: “Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future.”