Preserving Guyana’s Culture: Mashramani

IT was Mahatma Gandhi who once said that “A nation’s culture resides in the heart and soul of its people”. As such, the Government of Guyana, through the Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport aims to capture the nation’s diverse traditions, cultural heritage and customs to foster a unique Guyanese identity.

This year, Guyana’s diverse racial, ethnic, religious and cultural heritages were put on spectacular display at its 49th Republic Anniversary celebration and Mashramani programme.

In this edition of Government in Action, we explore the richness of our culture, even as the Department of Social Cohesion outlines its vision for the Mash programme and its overall goal of fostering ‘Guyaneseness’ through an appreciation of our culture.

GUYANA’S UNIQUE CULTURE

Director of Culture, Ms. Tamika Boatswain said Mashramani solidifies our cultural identity and the Department has extended and diversified its programme to include multi-cultural education, starting with the youth.

“Culture and traditions define who we are and to be able to say [that] you are Guyanese, you must be able to identify with Guyanese culture and heritage. And if our children are to be proud Guyanese and to make Guyana proud, then it’s important that we teach them the culture and heritage and what it is to be Guyanese… If we fail to do that… we find that the Guyanese identity would be lost. Culture is what keeps us together as a people and it gives us that badge, that identity,” she said.

Ms. Boatswain noted that young people’s connection to art and their enthusiastic response to the programme has been a boon to its overall goal of fostering unity and national pride.

“The music, dance, fine arts, drama programmes are predominantly accessed by young people and their interest is very high in those fields. If you [had] witnessed the steel pan competition [last] Sunday you would have seen the… participation and enthusiasm of young people and it is getting bigger and bigger every year,” she said.

Ms. Boatswain added that the Ministry noted that education, particularly cultural education has also helped to promote understanding and appreciation of diversity.

“A lot of what is feared of other cultures is because people don’t understand what… the principles are, [or] what the tenets are, [or] what the beliefs are. So, in doing our exhibitions, our cultural activities, our programmes, we help to educate the public on the richness of the different cultures that exist in this space we call Guyana… The more people understand I believe, there [will be] more tolerance and more acceptance,” she said.

One feature of this year’s Mash programme in Georgetown that has illustrated this theory is the Literary and Visual Arts Street Fair, which was held on Wednesday and Thursday in the Main Street Avenue. This fair highlighted and celebrated the characteristics that make Guyanese so unique.

Attendee, Mr. Wilfred Holder said the famed Guyanese hospitality is a virtue that he not only appreciates but tries to express. “We are very friendly people and I demonstrate that to my friends, or whoever I meet in the world, that we are a loving, caring people. We don’t have a problem in the sense of loving each other or caring for other people. I really believe in people and there’s no difference between me and you, whether you’re white, pink, or blue. The important thing is, can we live with each other? Can we share what we have with each other…? Are we able to help each other fulfil their potential? Once we can help everybody to fulfill their potential you see a better person,” he said.

Meanwhile, Acting Curator at the National Gallery of Art, Mr. Ohene Koama said that Guyana’s unique blend of cultures adds flavour to Guyanese art. “Well the best part of being Guyanese is the… variety of cultures that can come together and share and experience each other in all forms, literature, art especially, song, dance, music, all of it blended together, especially in one space,” he said.

Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton said that Guyana has a unique strength due to our cultural make up. “I think it is important for us to recognise that we’re all different, but we must strive to make these differences our strength and that is what makes us Guyanese. We are working in that direction,” he said.

Cultural education has been a cornerstone of all of the Ministry’s initiatives and is an especially integral part of the Ministry’s regional outreaches. The department launched the ‘Culture Up’ programme for secondary schools in Essequibo Islands-West Demerara (Region Three), where students were encouraged to explore the meaning of culture, through art, to boost social cohesion.

This structured exposure to cultural differences, Ms. Boatswain said, helps decrease the intimidation that accompanies a lack of understanding. National celebrations like Mashramani, therefore, create opportunities for education that strengthens the department’s push for national unity.

This year, the Ministry’s Department of Culture implemented a Mashramani Celebrations calendar containing over 40 activities spread across all administrative regions of Guyana. Principal among these events was the department’s inaugural ‘Folk Night’ on the tarmac of the National Cultural Centre. The Folk Night, featuring a programme packed with performances of song and dance, was a brilliant display of the diverse cultural representation in Guyana. Inspired by an overwhelming response from the public and a mandate to foster social cohesion throughout Guyana, the Ministry to will continue to spotlight this event in Mashramani celebrations to come.

Acting Programme Coordinator in the Department, Ms. Natasha Singh-Lewis noted that cultural celebrations help to build our identity.

“The mission of Social Cohesion speaks to strengthening actions that contribute to cultural, spiritual wellbeing and enriched livelihoods for all Guyanese. The third objective of the Social Cohesion plan speaks to promoting social inclusion and acceptance for our diversity. And so, the cultural celebrations help us define, in a sense, who we are and how that allows us to be a unified people in Guyana,” she said.

THE HISTORY AND VISION

In keeping with this, the Director of Culture shared a little bit about the origins of Mashramani and the Department’s vision for future celebrations.

“Mashramani actually came into being in 1970… The JAYCEES [United States Junior Chamber (Republic Celebrations Committee)] of Linden… had what was called an ‘Independence Carnival’… When Guyana gained its republican status in 1970, the idea was conceived to have a ‘carnival-esque’ celebration, but to give it an indigenous name. So, the term Mashramani was derived, coming from the Arawak word ‘Mashirimehi’ and it is said to mean ‘celebration after hard work’. It has since become a tradition in Guyana where families go out on the 23rd of February in celebration of Guyana’s achievement of Republican status,” she said.

As for the future of Mashramani, Ms. Boatswain said that the possibilities are limitless.

“Mashramani has grown beyond one day. A lot of Guyanese still seem to think that Mashramani is one day. This year we have had close to 40 days of activities geared toward Mashramani. We rolled out a calendar; we have had a number of concerts, steel band competitions… Beyond that, we have the traditional Mash night and then on to Mash day… We expect people to participate in all these activities. Mash is bigger and better. As we say

this year, [it is] larger and louder because we went to all of the administrative Regions and [in] every Region we’ve [gone] to, we’ve had a good experience, good turnout. The people feel really wonderful about it and are already asking that we take more activities to those regions next year,” she said.

A happy Republic Day and Mashramani to all!