FOOD is known to be the most common denominator that brings people together, especially during the celebration of Indigenous Heritage Month. And, under normal circumstances, Guyanese of every ethnicity would have gathered at the various events slated for the month to grab a bite of various Amerindian delicacies.
Owing to the coronavirus, however, though persons will not be able to enjoy the food they once did in the same atmosphere, they can still have the treats they usually enjoy during Heritage Month celebrations, by way of a drive-thru special hosted by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.

The event was officially opened this week, and will be held every Wednesday throughout the month, with all foods being free of cost. Persons who wish to have one or so of the many tasty treats that will be on display can visit the Ministry’s compound on Quamina and Thomas Streets, between 12:00hrs and 13:00hrs to do so.
During the virtual launch of this year’s event, Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai promised a packed agenda, which will leave no stone unturned.
She disclosed that the Ministry will be introducing Online marketing, which will allow artists and other creatives to market their craft during the celebrations.
“For the Amerindian art exhibition, we will be putting on a display of the arts and craft and paintings etc. by renowned Amerindian artists; we will also introduce this year Online marketing for craft and other produce for Amerindian villages, so that we will be able to meet some of the demands that we are accustomed to during the month of September,” the Minister noted.

In terms of what she called “the delightful cuisines”, Minister Sukhai had said that the Ministry will also be hosting several cuisine days, where samples of various Amerindian dishes will be made available to the public, and that several educational lectures are also slated for this year’s events, along with a special programme to honour Guyana’s first parliamentarian of Amerindian extract, the late Mr. Steven Campbell.

“We will not forget the first Amerindian parliamentarian as well, Steven Campbell, Minister Sukhai said, adding: “For that event, we will ensure that we provide the Guyanese people with a programme or documentary that will provide information about this very important and historical individual who led the battles to the rights of our land.”

The minister added that despite the settings being different this year for Amerindian Heritage Month celebrations, no one will be left behind, as the ministry is expecting to provide several Indigenous communities with a platform to display their talents.
“Amerindian villages this year will not be left out; we are planning to ensure that the villages with robust and organised cultural groups will be provided the opportunity to display cultural presentations that will be prerecorded, so that we all can enjoy the shows of the past and the recent years,” Minister Sukhai said.