TOURISTS travel great distances to catch a glimpse of the vast Essequibo River; and for most Guyanese, it takes a special occasion to overlook this superb body of water — so wide, so deep and so mighty.This view is ever so magical, and whenever we get the opportunity to experience it, the impact is extraordinarily strong.

To the envy of many, the residents of the small Amerindian community of Riverview, commonly known as Goshen, experience the grandeur of the river every day. Like Goshen in the Bible, which overlooked the Nile River, this little village spans 15 miles across the mighty Essequibo River.
With a population of a little more than 4000, these Amerindians take pride in the river, and do not only enjoy its scenery, but involve it in their daily domestic activities. It would not be a rare sight for passersby to see a group of lads taking their morning bath in the river while a housewife is in process of washing her dishes by the riverside.

As is customary, indigenous folks are in sync with their environment, and the residents of Riverview are no different. Even though the community is only three miles away from Bartica, the people — especially the elders of Riverview — maintain their simple indigenous life as much as their environment allows.

The main economic activity at Riverview is logging, which the people supplement with farming, fishing and hunting. As they look to nature to supply their daily needs, there is never a hungry mouth in the village, and even though affluence is not known among the villagers, destitution cannot be found.

LOSING THE HERITAGE
Toshao Elvis Williams is concerned that the younger generation has a yearning to be modernised. This, he said, can be both beneficial and detrimental to the individual and the village as a whole. With the absence of tertiary educational opportunities and secure employment within the village, the youths migrate to the city, or even to Bartica, where they can benefit from these. For those who return, there is evidence that the influence of the fast life has a negative impact on the youths. Toshao Williams has observed a moral breakdown within the community.

The majority of youths do not return to little Riverview, and this has resulted in a generation gap, as there is a noticeable difference between the number of youths and the elderly.

“The youths are the ones who should return and develop Riverview and to give back to the little children coming up, but instead, they do not return, and those who do are not setting a good example,” he posited.

Riverview, the toshao said, has raised several distinguished persons, including current Public Health Minister Dr George Norton. The toshao laments that many of these persons do not return and assist in development of the community.
Another grave concern to the toshao is that the community is lacking the relevant equipment and resources to develop the love for sports, especially football. There is currently a football team that competes with other communities during tournaments. The team has been emerging victorious in matches played with Bartica over these previous months, and the community is indeed proud of their achievements. With the aim of participating in more recognised matches, the team is lacking the fundamental equipment and resources to do so.

First on the list is a playfield in which training and practice can be done. The team is now practising among the dead, as the burial ground is the only open space they have to train.

“After dark, everybody is running away because they are afraid of the burying ground, so we need a proper field and playground to develop our team,” Toshao Williams said.

DISRESPECT
Currently, the villagers are fighting for the lands that were seized from them under the previous administration. A demarcation line has been drawn on the map which removes the occupied lands that face the river from the territory of Riverview. With this new development, in which the people are fighting for their ancestral lands built through sweat and blood, loggers are encroaching on the land and are operating without paying royalties to the community. This has been deemed disrespectful and unfair by the residents, as their daily bread is being taken away since they no longer have control over the land.

More important to the residents is the issue of taking away the lands that give them the view of the Essequibo River. “That river to us is a source of hope, a source of comfort, and a measure of pride to us — knowing that we can sit under our benabs and enjoy the splashes of the water when the sun is hot,” said one resident.

According to the toshao, the community was built with the river in mind, and the community should remain viewing it as its namesake, Riverview.