Dear Editor,
WE are coming to the end of September, which is designated as Indigenous Heritage Month, and as such emphasis must be placed on the contributions made by the First Peoples, or the Indigenous Peoples, of this country.

It has been several years since Amerindians countrywide take pride in showcasing their rich culture in the form of dance, song, language, historical background, craft and exhibition, with the Indigenous Peoples Ministry organising each year an opening celebration at the Sophia National Exhibition Complex. But what I wish to highlight is that a lot of people in Guyana fail to understand that Amerindian people contributed towards Guyana’s development, since I was following a heavy debate on social media, particularly Facebook, on what are the contributions of Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples.

Editor, first of all, Indigenous Peoples, according to history, crossed the Bering Strait and entered the Americas during the Ice Ages in search of food, and followed herds of animals from one feeding ground to another in search of a place called home. Amerindians have contributed towards Guyana in various fields, such as art, craft, culture, dishes, medicine, and most importantly, the preservation of the environment which many would term as the ‘jungle’.

The word Guyana is an Amerindian word of the Arawak tribe, which means ‘Land of Many Waters’, in which today’s society is the host of a blend of six beautiful races with a range of cultural traditions and religion etc. The popular cassava bread and pepperpot is a national dish that is consumed by Guyanese in this country regardless of race or religion. I was at Victoria recently, which is located on the East Coast, and was amazed to see my fellow African Guyanese brothers and sisters enjoying the pepperpot, which was so delightful.
We must take pride in pinpointing our first former Amerindian Member of Parliament Stephen Campbell, which today and as history will tell, places the Amerindian people in the spotlight that great things can be accomplished, once our goals and aspirations are met. The late Dr. Desrey Fox, one of our foremost anthropologists and academics, and Dianne Ferreira-James, the first female international football referee, are just a few examples of Amerindians in academia.

Editor, Amerindians, from time immemorial, have lived and blended within the environment, and preserved the rainforest, which is vital, since the world today is experiencing Climate Change and Global Warming, with Norway just recently releasing US$50M to Guyana, having reached its low deforestation targets. They practice shifting cultivation and subsistence farming, and have learnt and shared their knowledge on the medicinal use of plants in the environment to cure illnesses such as malaria, typhoid etc. Even up to today, this practice is still prevalent among the masses of Guyanese in this country, and as such highlights a few contributions that the Amerindian Peoples have contributed to Guyana.
Regards,
Robin Joseph
Councillor, Waramuri Village Council