The ‘Month’ that was
– Amerindian heritage observance in retrospect
TWO weekends ago, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs headed to the community of Mainstay/Whyaka on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) to participate in a grand cultural programme which culminated activities in observance of Amerindian Heritage Month, celebrated this year under the theme: ‘Our Culture, our heritage, our life; A Fusion of Indigenous Diversity’. There, Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai called on Amerindians to recommit to developing their communities, even as she noted Amerindian contributions in politics, education and other fields. She pointed out that despite comprising only a small percentage of Guyana’s overall population, Amerindians have made a tremendous contribution to the country’s development.
Officials and attendees from all over the country were treated to a grand cultural programme which highlighted beautiful costumes, singing, dancing and exotic foods. This was the main part of the programme, and it was interspersed by many competitions, which included paddling canoes; firewood splitting; naming of trees, birds and fishes competition; and the lighting of two bonfires at nightfall.
This Mainstay/Whyaka event was the icing on the cake for the many events which took place during the month. Though no means a comprehensive list, these were some of the highlights of the Amerindian Heritage Month.

Amerindian Food and Craft Show: Following an inter-faith service on August 31 at the Umana Yana, an official launching ceremony at the same location set the ball rolling for celebration of Amerindian Heritage Month.
In the days that followed, thousands of persons from all over Guyana converged at the Sophia Exhibition Centre to participate in the Amerindian Food and Craft Show which was part of Amerindian Heritage Month 2011 celebrations.
The four-day exhibition provided an opportunity for the indigenous peoples from all of Guyana’s 10 administrative regions to display their unique craft and their distinct brand of cuisine. Patrons perused the many stalls lined with varieties of Amerindian dishes, ranging from cassava bread and pepperpot to farine, in addition to the bottled selections of cassiri, piwari and fly.
Amerindians from as far as Surama in Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) ventured to the Sophia Exhibition Centre to play their roles in sharing aspects of their lives and culture.

Heritage Walk: A Heritage Walk was staged around the city beginning at the Umana Yana on upper High Street, Kingston.
Reflection on the Life of Stephen Campbell: On Thursday September 8, an exhibition and reflection was staged at the Umana Yana to commemorate the life of Stephen Campbell, Guyana’s first parliamentarian of Amerindian extraction.

Day of Sports: Hundreds of spectators converged at the Carifesta Sports Complex on September 18 to participate in fun-filled activities that characterized the Day of Sports.
The Girls’ Volleyball teams from Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) and Region One (Barima/Waini) vied for the championship trophy.
Several other sporting events were planned for the Day of Sports, including the finals of the volleyball and cricket matches, piwari drinking and pepperpot eating contests, and lime-and-spoon races.

Amerindian Heritage Pageant: On September 19, in one of Heritage Month’s most anticipated events, twenty-five-year-old Naomie Samuels from Santa Aratack Mission in Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) was crowned Miss Amerindian Heritage Queen 2011, defeating nine other beauties in a keenly contested pageant.
The Amerindian Heritage Pageant 2011, held at the National Cultural Centre, attracted and engaged a full audience that included Prime Minister Samuels Hinds, Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai, Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir, and Local Government and Regional Development Minister Norman Whittaker.
The pageant aptly conveyed the fusion of diverse cultures that constitute the Amerindian way of life.
The talent segment was an assortment of artistic pieces comprising songs, poetry, and dance depicting the Amerindian way of life. The delegates also showcased their rich cultural diversity through displays of their varied traditional wear, created with the use of products found in Amerindian communities.

After the displays of talent and cultural wear, and an evening gown segment in which each delegate was adorned in an outfit that aptly complemented and displayed her poise and grace, it was the platform interview segment that determined the evening’s outcome, and separated Naomie Samuels from the other nine contestants.

Samuels deftly handled the questions of the platform interview that were asked of contestants.
Each contestant was asked to answer a two-part question on her platform. Her platform being cervical cancer, Samuels was asked why the platform was important to her as an Amerindian woman; and if there was significant education in her region relative to cervical cancer.
To the former, Samuels smoothly responded that cervical cancer was important to her because of the prevalence of the disease among Amerindian women.
Samuels also took the opportunity to advocate that females in the audience get themselves tested. “Prevention is better than cure”, she advocated.
In addressing the latter question, Samuels said there is not sufficient education relating to cervical cancer.

Naomie Samuels was crowned the 2011 Amerindian Heritage Pageant Queen. Region Seven’s Treasure James was named the runner-up; Region Five’s Devika Lopes and Region 10’s Anece Hicks placed second and third respectively.

The annual Amerindian Heritage Dinner and Prize Giving Ceremony was held on September 30 at the Roraima Duke Lodge in Kingston, Georgetown. It was very well attended.

Among those gathered were Prime Minister Samuel Hinds; Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai; Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud; Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee; and Minister within the Ministry of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsarran, in addition to members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of Amerindian organizations, among others.
A wide variety of indigenous foods and beverages was served buffet style, including indigenous cook-up rice, barbecued wild meats, cassava bread and pepperpot, fly and piwari.
At the Prize Giving Ceremony, the delegates received prizes according to their performance at the recently-held Amerindian Heritage Pageant.
The Amerindian Affairs Ministry also used the occasion to recognize the top performers of the Hinterland Scholarship Programme at CSEC and National Grade Six Assessment examinations; and the winners of the Art Competition in categories of nine to 18 years were also presented with cash prizes.