Minister Ferguson says at Region Two Heritage Day celebration

By Indrawattie Natram

GUYANA’s Indigenous Peoples are very important to the country’s development and are equally important to any other race. These were the words uttered by Minister within the Ministry of Communities Annette Ferguson at the Pomeroon-Supenaam (Region Two) first Heritage Day celebration.

The celebration was held on September 13 and kicked off Indigenous Heritage observances in the region with a grand cultural show and exhibition. The programme was organised by officials from the administration under the stewardship of Regional Executive Officer (REO) Denis Jaikarran. The programme was celebrated under the theme, “Maintaining our traditional practices while promoting a Green Economy” in the compound of the Regional Democratic Council. The cultural programme featured live performances by the Mainstay Dance Troupe, poems and speeches.

Speaking to a large gathering, Minister Ferguson who was at the time in the region, said she was happy that the REO extended an invitation to her.

The minister said that the current administration has high regards for Guyana’s first peoples and will continue to support all the communities within Guyana. Speaking about the government’s investments, the minister said that the government has invested in many Indigenous communities in Guyana. She also commented that five of Guyana’s parliamentarians in the government are of Indigenous descent. She, therefore, extended heritage greetings to all Indigenous Peoples throughout Guyana on behalf of her ministry and also the Government of Guyana.

REO Jaikarran, who was instrumental in organising the programme, said that he admired the unity he saw from the staff of the regional administration. He extended greetings on behalf of the administration to everyone. He also said that the Government of Guyana will continue to support the communities by providing the necessary resources needed for their development.

Delivering the feature address was the Toshao of Mainstay/Whyaka Milton Fredericks, whose speech was centred on the significance of Heritage Day. He said that Heritage Day is something that was inherited and it continues to be practised in today’s society. The day, he explained, came about because of a great Indigenous leader Stephen Campbell. He said that on September 10, 1957, Stephen Campbell became the first Indigenous parliamentarian in Guyana and in 1995, the then President Cheddi Jagan declared the month of September Amerindian Heritage Month.

At the end of the programme, staff members viewed the exhibits and also got the opportunity to partake in traditional dishes. Heritage Day celebrations will be held in all nine Indigenous communities in Region Two in September. The activities will be spearheaded by the respective Village Councils.