-at Duke Lodge special dinner
TRADITIONAL but with a modern spin, the distinctive cuisine of Guyana’s indigenous people was highlighted at a special dinner recently hosted by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs as Amerindian Heritage Month came to a close. Though there were side-dishes such as farine, boiled provision, steamed greens and a tasty appetizer of crab soup, it was the wild meat dishes that were the focus at the annual event, hosted this year at Roraima Duke Lodge in Kingston.
Modern-day Amerindian cuisine can somewhat cover as wide a range as the imagination of the chef who is cooking it, and there was noticeable miscegenation in the dishes on display.
A typical example was the internationally-acclaimed and ever-present bar-b-cue, which dates back to the buccaneers (the 17th Century pirates who actually took their name from the boucan, as the specially-made contraption used to grill meat is known). At the dinner, this form of slow cooking was used to bring out the rich flavour of deer and labba meat.
For those reading this not familiar with the ‘labba’, you can check for it as the Lowland  Paca scientific name (Cuniculus paca). This creature is a large rodent found in tropical and sub-tropical America, from East-Central Mexico to Northern Argentina.
Like in Guyana, it is prized in other countries for its flavourful meat, and goes by a different name in every country. Labba and deer meat were also available roasted.
Another dish also telling of the mixing of cultures was the ‘Amerindian cook-up’ on the menu. Just as the Afro-Guyanese version, it featured a mixture of meats, peas and greens.
Of course, no dinner hosted to celebrate Amerindian heritage and culture could be without pepperpot, a soup-like dish featuring cassereep flavouring made from an extract from the cassava plant. Prepared for centuries by the Amerindian people, Guyana’s national dish made an appearance featuring the bush-hog.
Cassava, which as we know is an important commodity for Amerindian cuisine, featured in a variety of dishes at the event. There was cassava bread, farine, boiled cassava, as well as the popular Amerindian beverage, ‘piwari’, which is traditionally made from chewed and fermented cassava. ‘Fly’, a similar drink made from the potato, was also available, and for the less adventurous, there was a delightful fruit punch.
Among the gathering at the event were the Prime Minister, Mr. Samuel Hinds; Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Ms. Pauline Sukhai; Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Robert Persaud; Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Clement Rohee; and Minister within the Ministry of Health, Dr. Berry Ramsarran, in addition to members of the Diplomatic Corps, and representatives of Amerindian organizations.
During the Prize-Giving Ceremony, delegates of the Amerindian Heritage Pageant received prizes according to how they fared at the recently held competition.  The winner, Ms.  Naomie Samuels of Region Three (West Demerara-Essequibo Islands) took home the grand prize of an all-expenses paid trip to Trinidad, and a designer outfit, compliments of Guyana Fashion Weekend CEO, Ms. Sonia Noel.
The first runner-up, Ms. Treasure James of Region One (Barima-Waini) received a laptop among other prizes, while the other contestants received cash prizes and beauty hampers.

The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs also used the occasion to recognize the top performers of the Hinterland Scholarship Programme at CSEC and the National Grade Six  Assessment examinations.
Darrin Smith of Anna Regina Secondary received a prize for top CSEC performer with passes in 11subjects, while Navita Obinbernauth and Romario Hastings of Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) took home prizes for the second and third top performances respectively.
The winners of the Art Competition in categories of nine to eighteen years were also presented with cash prizes.
The dinner was followed by a grand cultural presentation at Mainstay/Whyaka, which started in the afternoon and lasted well into the wee hours of the morning.