– Santa Mission women market their work to sustain families

A BIG part of Guyana’s culture and that of its first people, the Amerindians, is art and craft.
On the consumer end, it may just seem like another unique ornament or a fine of piece of jewellery, however, for Janette Patterson and many other Amerindian women, it is a way of life and a means of getting by.

The 65-year-old woman hails from Santa Mission, an Amerindian village located in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).
Patterson, a frequent visitor to the capital city, Georgetown, makes her gruelling journey to Guyana’s only city via Kamuni Creek and the Demerara River.

The Guyana Chronicle recently met her at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, where she was displaying an array of ornaments, accessories and finely woven products during the five-day National Toshaos Conference in July.

In a brief ‘gyaff’ with this newspaper, the woman disclosed that she had been lobbying for greater support and recognition for the Amerindian talents.
She explained that while it is very costly for her to travel, she makes the regular sacrifice for herself, her family and the many other craftswomen she partners with in the village.

“Where we live, its expensive for us to travel. Where transportation is concerned, it is very expensive. We are always saying this is our need,” she said.
However, Patterson is concerned that as she gets older, she may not be able to make the regular journey to the city to market the Santa Mission crafts.

She explained that while it may just be craft for some, it is a tradition that holds a significance in the lives of many Amerindians.
“It’s a sustainable way of life…in helping our ladies and helping myself where we would send our children to school after selling the items.

“Our children come to school in Georgetown and we need money to pay the guardian, transportation and all different things,” Patterson intimated.
She further added that while she makes as many trips as she can and takes advantage of every opportunity she gets to showcase Amerindian craft, she’s also working to preserve the tradition of craft-making.

Patterson believes that while technology is a booming factor in most young people’s lives, nurturing a new generation of brilliance and talent is essential for the proliferation of craft.
As such, while her children have varying jobs, they each support their mother however they can with her craft.

This, she believes, makes it all the more important to advance the work of the Santa Mission women.
“Well, I started like over 30 years [ago], and because now I’m getting to [old] age… I may not be able to do as before. So, they (the Santa Mission women) do it too and I try to encourage them to keep it up,” Patterson said.

“It’s important to pass it on to my younger generation, because this here is our culture and it’s not good for them to forget about it because this is the one thing that has been helping us financially,” she explained.