EVERY ethnic group in Guyana, a land of six ethnicities, has its own cultural celebrations, with some crossing over, albeit not with equal recognition and support, unfortunately. Nevertheless, when the opportunity surfaces to showcase one’s culture, the response has been overwhelmingly great, demonstrating that regardless of one’s ethnic background, there is always something for everyone.
Moreover, all of us benefit in some fashion or form since cultural celebrations help us to understand how a culture is evolving, and where it is going, instilling feelings of awe so much that we cannot wait for the next celebration. This is a much-added sentiment to the joy of humanity, leading us hopefully away from the pressure-cooking lifestyle and the daily grind of this and that.
I noticed these sentiments at the opening ceremony of 26th Anniversary of Amerindian Heritage month -September, last week, with unwavering admiration. The ceremony was well planned, and well-executed, kudos to the organisers and performers. To recall, it was the late President Cheddi Jagan who, in 1995, designated September as Amerindian Heritage Month in honour of Steven Campbell, the first Amerindian to serve in Guyana’s Parliament in the late 1950s. There are an estimated 75,000 Amerindians distributed in nine “tribes” that live in Guyana which has a population of about 750,000 persons. Amerindians make up about 10 per cent of Guyana’s population and are the forerunners although they have not always received the respect for being so. Ask granny if you want to know about the Amerindian population statistics.
If I were to describe these first people of Guyana without asking granny, I would say these are individuals who naturally seek to accommodate rather than conquer nature amid resistance and persistence to live how they are. Without romanticising them, I think, they live in harmony with their surroundings which appear to provide them with all the necessities of life, instilling confidence in them as a proud people of Guyana. There seems, however, a poor understanding of them from the outside, which was addressed and displayed last week on the national stage, ensuring, through songs and satire, a utopia of harmony of themselves and the One Guyana initiative by the current administration. Ask granny and she will tell you that.
I was particularly impressed by President Ali taking the stage and the musical group from the Cuyuni-Mazaruni region of Guyana. The lyrics of the song “ask granny” was just magnificent, which I think should be placed in annals of Guyana’s musical history. After listening to the young lady, I do not know her name, I will ask granny, I think her message could be described this way.
In a matter of less than five minutes, she presented a colourful narrative of Amerindian life in Guyana, graced with passion and glory for her people, inspiring them, filling them with confidence even in the moment of uncertainty, sweeping their fears by her own spectacular performance that the Amerindians are going to places, never seen before. I also think that the performance, and style of the music were drawn from the wider Caribbean, but what was created on that national stage that night was wholly new and original. It is a blueprint for the future, which arguably, could only get better.
I am sure that the month of September will be filled with a multitude of Amerindian customs and culture across Guyana, linking them with other Amerindian communities and Guyanese, demonstrating that the Amerindians do not exist in the bush zone of civilization. If you do not believe me, just ask granny. (lomarsh.roopnarine@jsums.edu)
