I WISH to support the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs for their caption – ‘Amerindian Affairs Ministry disputes allegations by Region 7 Toshaos’, August 18, 2012 – GINA.
This is a tragic affair for some indigenous leaders of Region 7.
I am surprised that three years after the Low Carbon Development Strategy(LCDS) consultations and at every National Toshaos Conference thereafter, leaders of indigenous communities continue to peg the LCDS consultations as inadequate. I ask, were the consultations inadequate or your leaders failed to disseminate the information to you? I recall, that at every NTC conference since the launching of the Low Carbon Development Strategy in 2009, except that of 2012 the LCDS booklet and other information were distributed to every Toshao and council representatives. Even so, at the 2012 conference there was an LCDS information desk where information was readily available. So, in reality, planners again skilfully engaged the Toshaos and Village Councillors through an information desk with the expectation that they will complete the consultation process by having this information filtered down to the communities. Did the Toshaos and councillors complete that mandate?
For the alleged inadequate consultation process of the LCDS, I am in possession of evidence that indicates the opposite.
However, the argument by some individuals and organisations who suggest that the LCDS support documents should have been formatted in traditional languages are not visualising the implications that it would have caused to the consultation process. What is my reason for making such a statement? Over 95% of indigenous peoples will not be able to read their own language if it is written, printed and available for reading. About 75% of the Amerindian languages are not written, published or taught in schools. So the argument that the LCDS consultations must have a written, traditional language component to make it effective and better understood will undermine the process. Although I would like to see our traditional languages written and used to educate and inform the indigenous population, it is far from reality.
Because of these existing constraints, indigenous experts whose input into the design of the LCDS consultation process suggested the engagement of interpreters and local scribes, the spoken language remained dominant and it was expected to enhance clarity and comprehension, particularly for the senior citizens, who were the primary targets of the consultations.
So, it is disappointing to hear statements by leaders of Region 7 saying they did not have enough consultations on the LCDS. The re-election or electing of new Toshaos does not eliminate the national response by the government.
Further, because of similar claims of not being adequately consulted by these same communities of Region 7, immediate action was taken by the National Amerindian Development Foundation (NADF), The Guyanese Organisation of Indigenous Peoples (GOIP) and The Amerindian Action Movement Of Guyana (TAAMOG) in collaboration with the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) to remedy the situation, records show that Paruima, Waramadong,  Warwatta, Kako and Jawalla were the major beneficiaries.