–equal heirs to Guyana’s natural patrimony

INDIGENOUS Guyanese cannot, and must not, be less equal than any other citizen of this country. They must have the same access to social services such as health, education and security; their communities must benefit from the same quality of infrastructural development as all other Guyanese. Indigenous Guyanese must have equitable access to the resources of the State and be equal heirs to our natural patrimony.

These are the fundamental principles under which the current administration is working with Guyana’s First Peoples to develop and implement policies to ensure Indigenous rights and an improved quality of life for their communities. It is not an easy journey ahead, but the Government and Indigenous leaders have recommitted to working together.

EMPOWERING INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
President David Granger has renewed his Government’s commitment to sitting with Indigenous leaders to craft a common agenda, which seeks to develop both the hinterland and coastland at the same pace. During his presentation at the opening ceremony of the National Toshaos Council Conference on August 21, 2017, the Head of State cited the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as being a guide to the State in addressing the issues in these once overlooked communities.

He said, “The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, therefore, would be a meaningless scrap of paper if the State did not take account of the quality of life within Indigenous communities.
“The State must aim at improving the situation of Indigenous Peoples as members of their communities and as citizens of this country.

“The National Toshaos Council (NTC), under the Amerindian Act, is responsible for promoting good governance, and for the preparation of plans for improving the quality of life of the Indigenous Peoples and their communities.
“The Council must do so; it must strive, continuously, to improve the social and economic conditions of their communities.”

In an effort to solve the “real problems” in these communities, in August 2015 at his first presentation to the National Toshaos Council Conference as President, the Head of State proposed a 10-point Plan of Action for Hinterland Development.
This plan is aimed at ensuring that Indigenous communities become thriving economic units; the eradication of extreme poverty; reducing unemployment; and increasing prosperity.

One aspect of this programme involved the Hinterland Education Support Programme (HESP), whereby the government pledged to ensure, progressively over the next five years, that every single primary school child is transported to school by boat, bicycle or bus, and that every child has a nutritious breakfast when he or she arrives at school. It was also pledged that uniforms will be provided to these children and that scholarships will be offered to those entering secondary school.

This year, the President restated not only his commitment to ensuring equal access to education for all Guyanese, but described it as the gateway to improving the livelihoods of the Indigenous Peoples and their communities. “The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs and together with the National Toshaos Council, has an obligation to work together towards improvement in the economic and social conditions of Indigenous communities in several ways,” the President said, adding:

“In education, we must work together to improve the standard of education, in terms of access, attendance and achievement, especially at the primary and secondary levels, in hinterland communities. Indigenous communities must not be left behind.”

In 2016, over 133,000 students benefited from the issuance of school uniform vouchers, and the distribution of footwear and bicycles, particularly in the hinterland and riverine communities. The expansion of the hot-meal programme in 50 other nursery and primary schools in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and the Pomeroon River benefited some 4000 students, with these figures continuing to grow as the programme expands to other remote areas.

The President’s ‘Five Bs’ programme of boats, bicycles, buses plus breakfast and books also supplements the HESP in many of the hinterland and Indigenous communities.

POVERTY REDUCTION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
This Administration has made it clear that it will not promote a culture of handouts. Instead, it has committed to providing young people with the skills to make them employable and help develop their capacities to be entrepreneurs. In keeping with this commitment, the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) was launched with the intention of providing sustainable jobs for young people, and has begun to bear fruit.

Communities in the Rupununi, Potaro-Siparuni and Barima-Waini are embarking on agro-processing ventures and adding value to their natural resources and farm produce. The President has urged that small and medium-scale industries within communities be promoted in an effort to provide work and generate wealth for our women and youth.

Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Ms. Valerie Garrido-Lowe, speaking at this year’s National Toshaos Conference, said that the first cycle of HEYS concluded with 1,800 youths completing the programme, and that another 400 are expected to benefit. “I can tell you that the majority of them turned out to be very smart young entrepreneurs,” Minister Garrido-Lowe said, adding:

“We have discovered that their parents stood beside them, encouraged them, worked with them so that they can establish thriving businesses…
“The second cycle is now commencing; 100 villages and communities. And from reports coming in to our ministry from no other than the VP [Vice-President] himself and regional officials, there is excitement in the air.”

The 10-point plan also includes the Hinterland Poverty Reduction Programme, and President Granger has reiterated during his many visits to hinterland and Indigenous communities, the importance of cultivating the vast and fertile lands, as well as value-added production to the advancement of these communities and peoples.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Paramakatoi Tomato Project facility in Region Eight on July 8, 2017, the President said that his government wants to ensure that all Guyanese have access to affordable food, and highlighted the benefits of self-sufficiency.
“When we speak about food security,” he said, “we speak most of all about making food available to everyone in sufficient quantities; we talk about making food available to everyone, with a certain quality that you can live an active life.

“We talk about making food available in affordable quantities, so that everybody, every child in Guyana could have access to food; could have enough food, and can have cheap food.
“And that is my concern about this great region; the Potaro-Siparuni Region, that it could very well be the food bowl of this country.”

In addition, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, in collaboration with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), has completed a study of Indigenous women and children that would guide the ministries and organisations in formulating better programmes together with the Indigenous Peoples.

UNITY AND PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT
Land is life for the Indigenous Peoples, and while on March 10, 2017, the Land Rights Commission was established, it has been the subject of some controversy as it relates to those lands in Indigenous communities.

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Mr. Sydney Allicock, has acknowledged that within the Indigenous communities, there are lingering doubts about land issues; doubts that have been fuelled by ugly rumours that the government will take away these lands, among other concerns. He would, however, like to reassure all parties concerned that this is not the case, in that the government is committed to ensuring that land rights are protected.

Executives of the National Toshaos Council have been challenged to examine their own stewardship, and work in the remaining months of their terms of office to ensure that the legacy they leave will be celebrated by future generations.
“Even as I express my sincere faith in our leadership at the level of the village and communities,” Minister Allicock said, “I pause to again comment on the leadership on the level of the NTC; the NTC executive.

“I detect the need for a stronger, more unified approach to decision-making at the level of the executive. I urge that we recognise the need for deepening the process of consultation on some critical issues on that body and the wider leadership of the NTC.”

Under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), the NTC said, every component of the conference was managed by that party, while the independent media and other organisations were banned from attending. Even as Chairman of the NTC, Mr. Joel Fredericks acknowledged that all the issues raised by the village leaders, which ranged from limited financial assistance, transportation woes, limited meetings of the NTC at the village level, environmental issues caused by mining, health concerns and more, cannot be solved immediately, he committed to working with the Government to secure the rights of the Indigenous Peoples.

“That is what we want Mr. President; let us talk about issues,” he said, adding:
“It is only leaders who are strong and brave can bring real issues that affect people and find solutions to them.
“Some leaders are afraid, but the NTC will bring the issues to you, and we have to stretch our brains and minds to fix them.”

VERY VOCAL
The Toshaos participating in this year’s conference were very vocal about the issues affecting their communities, and how the government and the relevant agencies have been addressing them.
Toshao of Karaudarnau, Mr. Ernest Thompson, said much more needs to be done, and that more dialogue is needed with the government to address the infrastructural deficiencies in the hinterland communities.

“Roads is [sic] the main one, because we live hundreds of miles from Lethem and the road is very serious; need [sic] a lot of repairs… There is need for upgrading the entire system, so that we can bring out our products to market them in Lethem or even to Georgetown,” he said.

Toshao Patrick Gomes of Region Nine, while acknowledging that the NTC is made up of executives of various political persuasions, expressed the hope that their political views will not interfere with the effective functioning of the body.
Said he: “Things have improved over the years, and I hope it can become a very strong organisation, if the leaders really have commitment to the people.”

The leaders are calling, too, for the involvement of the Indigenous community in the process of constitutional reform as was pointed out by Toshao of Shulinab, Mr. Nicholas Fredericks.

President Granger made a strong call to the Council to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the forum to exchange ideas, with a view to enhancing governance and advancing the development of the Indigenous Peoples.
As he reminded his audience, “I said last year, this is not a ‘talk shop’; it is a workshop. It is a forum for planning and problem-solving; a platform for performance.
“It is a means to strengthen the administration, and to advance the social and economic development of villages and regions.
“I urge the Council to adopt the administrative measures needed to improve the quality of life of our communities.”

Meanwhile, Minister Allicock expressed confidence that with the government’s support and the input of village leaders, the Indigenous communities will be properly positioned for continued development.
“Government, through your ministry,” he told the conference, “has worked in partnership with the Indigenous communities of Guyana with tremendous success. The Amerindian Development Fund [ADF], with its community development projects, has impacted, and continues to impact positively on the sustainable livelihood of our Indigenous Peoples all across Guyana.

“It is continuing to address economic development, capacity-building and the growth of village economies among other things.”

The allocation of a plot of land for the construction of the NTC’s Secretariat was deemed as being a step in the right direction by the NTC, and testimony to the government’s commitment to working with, and strengthening the performance of the Council.

President Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Minister Allicock and Mr. Fredericks turned the sod at the Sophia location on Monday, August 21, for the construction of its secretariat. The NTC believes the establishment of the secretariat and the hiring of permanent staff will ensure that incoming executives are properly briefed on the organisation’s policies and programmes, and that these will be properly documented.