THE picketing demonstration by a group of misguided Amerindians while Parliament was in session (Wednesday August 7, 2013) and in front of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (August 9, 2013), was merely the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) political agenda against the Government of Guyana, since that demonstration had absolutely nothing to do with ‘land rights’ by moreso the gluttony of ‘more gold’ which is owned by the state. This is what the Georgetown residents need to know.

But who paid the costs for the residents of the four mining communities to travel to Georgetown and back, plus meals and accommodation for one week? Is it the APA which depends on foreign NGOs for its survival? Or is it the Isseneru Village Council which, according to reliable information supplied to me, staged these activities? If it is the Isseneru Village Council I can understand, since it is heavily engaged in mechanised gold- mining activities not wanting competition from coastland miners for a mineral found under its lands that belong to no one but the state. Recognising that the APA is anti-government, the village council asked the APA to coordinate its activities of protests against others mining on its lands under the pretext of ‘land rights violation’.
To give the Isseneru Village Council’s ‘activities’ some credibility in observance of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the APA invited the Indigenous People’s Commission to a ‘dialogue’ to ‘raise the awareness of commissioners on the issues and challenges faced by various communities’ on August 7, 2013 at the conference room of the King’s Plaza Hotel in Georgetown. No commissioner of the IPC attended the APA’s ‘dialogue’ since obviously they refused to be part of the APA’s political agenda. The National Toshaos Council was also invited to attend the APA’s ‘dialogue’ but did not attend. The question therefore is, is the APA a political front masquerading as a non-governmental organisation (NGO)?
Now in relation to Amerindian land rights. The fact that the Amerindian population is 9.1 per cent of the national population and currently owns in excess of 14 per cent of Guyana’s territory, places the APA in jeopardy and moreso is a living threat to its survival and existence, losing its relevance to Amerindians it claims to represent. This is why in its political agenda it is misleading or fooling some Amerindian communities about territorial title claims, that Amerindians are the owners of gold and other minerals found on their titled lands and opposing national programmes that are beneficial to Amerindians such as the LCDS and protected areas under the pretext of ‘Amerindian land rights’.
But what the APA doesn’t like is the ongoing demonstration of the Government of Guyana’s commitment to Amerindian land rights and development, since it now doesn’t have work to do, but to come up with trash to justify its payroll from its foreign donors.
The reality is that in Guyana there are now 98 titled Amerindian villages with the remaining 12 communities to be granted titles under the upcoming Amerindian land titling project. Also, 37 villages will be demarcated and 33 villages will have extensions to their village lands. Eight villages have been granted titles for their land extensions. There are 20 Amerindian settlements which will be titled as soon as they become eligible under the Amerindian Act 2006.
The few village councils that are fooled by the APA and who were part of the APA’s political demonstrations are either titled and demarcated or are part of the Amerindian land titling project for demarcation and extension. So the APA’s political demonstrations had absolutely nothing to do with ‘Amerindian land rights’, but the right for Amerindians alone to conduct gold mining on titled lands where gold remains the property of the state and no one else. The Honourable Minister of Amerindian Affairs was succinctly in order when she said that we as Amerindians have strayed from our ancestral teachings and are becoming selfish and greedy.
But I am happy that Amerindians are currently engaged in gold mining, providing that they do so in strict conformity with the environmental laws, the mining laws and the Amerindian Act 2006 and to stop being fooled by the APA’s cakeshop mentality in its so-called advocacy for Amerindians in Guyana just to ensure its own survival.
Finally, Mr Editor, Tony James of the APA fooled the Guyana Times Newspaper (Monday August 12, 2013) that he is the Village Chief of Aishalton. He is not and is downright dishonest to say so. But, this is the way the APA operates. Tony James wants badly to be the Toshao of Aishalton but the villagers do not have confidence in him and as a result he is fighting against the Toshao and Village Council who were elected.