By Francis Quamina Farrier, in New York

SOME folks who have been attending the premiere Guyana Cultural Events in ‘Region 11’, (which is socially classified as all lands beyond the borders of Guyana) over the years, are saying that the Guyana Cultural Association of New York’s Annual Folk Festival Season 2017, was the best ever.

They submit that, with the theme, “Celebrating Our Indigenous Heritage”, which featured a Wapishana Cultural Group from the Deep South Rupununi, in Guyana, along with a few Native Americans, and with all presenters keeping their presentations to theme, it was as good as it gets.

The Guyana Cultural Association of New York, Inc., was established 17 years ago by New York-based Guyanese who were all previously involved with cultural activities back in their Native Guyana before they migrated. Some were members of staff at the National History and Arts Council, which was later known as the Department of Culture, and for a brief period, The Ministry of Culture.

Over the years, the Guyana Cultural Association of New York produced many events such as, Plays, ‘Kwe Kwes’, Literature readings, Lectures, Symposia, Family Fun Days, as well as a variety of workshops in music, dance, drama and writing. One of the important annual events is their Awards Ceremony, at which Guyanese who have made sterling contributions to Guyana and the Guyana Diaspora, in the discipline of Culture, are honoured. That was featured in my article last week, but the magnitude of the Guyana Folk Festival 2017 was so great, that one report would not have been sufficient to get even 50 percent of the happenings over to you.

In this week’s feature, I am continuing my report on the GCA’s series of events in 2017, which were held after the Awards Ceremony. And so this week, I am reporting on the Symposium and Literary Hang, the Kwe Kwe Nite and the Family Fun Day. A bit will also speak on the “MEET and GREET”, which was a gathering of Guyanese, hosted by the Native Americans at their American Indian Community House in New York City, last Tuesday evening.

In all four events, there was a focus on the theme of this year’s Guyana Folk Festival. As such, all of the presentations at the Symposium and Literary Hang had Indigenous elements. In fact, it was entitled, “The Inaugural Desrey Caesar-Fox Memorial Lecture.
It would be recalled that Dr Desrey Caesar-Fox, who was from the Indigenous village of Waramadong on the Kamarang River in the Upper Mazaruni District of Region Seven, was of the Indigenous Akawaio Nation.

Over the decades, before her untimely death in a car crash in Georgetown, on December 11, 2009, she made great contributions to the Indigenous culture during her adult life, not only in her native Guyana but also abroad. In the past, she did presentations at the GCA annual Literary Hang, while studying at the Rice University in the USA.

WAPISHANA KARAO GROUP
Arguably, the most impressive element of this year’s GCA’s Series of events was the presence and contributions of Karao Cultural Group from the South Rupununi, Region Nine. Their self-made costumes and instruments were authentic and very impressive. In fact, their very presence on stage was breath-taking, performing their native dances and other Indigenous ceremonies in the Wapishana language, and giving explanations in English. At some times, the narrator would make a humorous comment which had the audiences in stitches of laughter. They really made Guyana proud.

But how did this all come about, when there was never such a strong Indigenous presence and participation in the existence of the Annual Guyana Cultural Association’s Folk Festival?

CULTURE SHOCK
Travelling from a tiny village with a little over 900 people to one of the largest cities in the world with almost nine million people, must most certainly be a bit of a culture shock for anyone. But what was obvious, was the way in which they interacted with those who attended the various events.

It must be noted that a few of them had never left their tiny village. Some of them had never travelled to Georgetown. None of them had ever travelled in a jet aircraft or been to a metropolitan city. However, they were `well taken care of ’ by their hosts, the Guyana Cultural Association of New York, Inc., and they in turn, displayed the well-established Guyanese charm. They posed for photographs whenever requested. Their smiles were warm and very friendly. The culture shock of being in awesome New York City did not affect them in a negative way; from the elders to the youngest who is five years of age.

As someone who has been to their humble village in the Deep South Rupununi, I can say that they conducted themselves with dignity and decorum, in the large metropolis of New York, and we can be really proud of that Wapishana Karao Group.

THE GUYANA CULTURAL ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK INC.
Another Group which Guyana can also be truly proud of, is The Guyana Cultural Association of New York, Inc., and also of their current president, Dr. Vibert Cambridge, who conceptualised the idea of this year’s theme “Celebrating our Indigenous Heritage” along with the other dedicated and hard-working members of the Guyana Cultural Association, who made this year’s Folk Festival events so successful.

Among the Guyanese VIPs who were at one or more of the events were, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Hon. Sydney Allicock; Guyana’s Ambassador to the USA and the OAS, Dr. Riyad Insanally; Guyana’s Consul General to New York, Barbara Atherly; the first ever Guyanese-born New York Senator, Roxanne Persaud; Minister Cathy Hughes; Minister Winston Jordan; and Minister Simona Broomes. After the official end of the GCA Folk Festival 2017 last Sunday, there was a `Meet and Greet’ function hosted by the Native Americans, for their Guyanese cousins and friends, on Tuesday evening.

What was amazing to observe throughout the 2017 GCA Folk Festival, was that the two Indigenous Groups who live thousands of miles apart – one in North America and the other in South America – were in sync with each other at all their performance interactions.

For example, the two Indigenous Groups were closely involved with the music, dancing and costumes of each other, especially at the Family Fun Day, at which non-Indigenous Peoples were also involved in the popular snake dance. So, I end this second feature on the Guyana Cultural Association’s 2017 Folk Festival with the statement: The GCA Folk Festival 2017 displayed `social cohesion’ at its very best.