GUYANA is known for its rich cultural diversity. We are a diverse society and we take pride in the fact of our multiculturalism.

This month is Amerindian Heritage Month. On September 10, 1995, the PPP/C administration officially designated the month as Amerindian Heritage Month. The theme for this year’s celebrations is “Maintaining our traditional integrity; celebrating our Cultural identity.”

Amerindians have a special place in our society. They were the first people to have inhabited this part of the world. There are several theories as to how Amerindians arrived in the country roughly 11,000 years ago, the most popular being the Bering Strait theory which postulated that they travelled all the way from Asia during the Ice Age  to North America through Central America and finally to South America

What we know for sure is that all the other races that came to the country came and met established Amerindian communities with a rich cultural heritage. They lived simple lives and satisfied their needs mainly by way of subsistence farming, fishing and hunting.

Within recent years there has been a shift in the cultural landscape.  With the ascension of the PPP/C to office on October 5, 1992, Amerindian development was accelerated due to Amerindian-empowerment measures implemented by the PPP/C administration. A number of most gains were made due in no small way to improvements in education delivery to the country, but more importantly to the hinterland communities. Amerindians today are, for the most part, responsible for their own development. Gone are the days when people from the city had to be sent to serve as teachers, nurses and administrative officers in hinterland regions. These regions are now fully integrated into mainstream development and play an integral part in the process of national reconstruction.

The social and physical infrastructures of these communities have also improved significantly. Schools, hospitals, administrative buildings and recreational facilities have been modernised. Transportation and communication services have also improved, all of which contributed to a much higher standard of living for hinterland communities.

President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has recommitted his administration resolve to bring greater improvements to Amerindian communities, especially in the area of land-titling and sustained community development. Job creation still remains a challenge. At a recent meeting of the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce, President Ali indicated that his administration is actively considering the creation of a free- trade economic zone in the region. This is a step in the right direction in terms of trade and business development and job creation.

Amerindians are no longer second-class citizens as in past years. They are today the fastest-growing segment of the population, an indication of better education and health services and an enhanced quality of life.