– new headquarters for National Toshaos Council, a grand cultural extravaganza held to kick off heritage month celebrations

AMID a colourful display of the rich culture associated with the occasion, President Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali, on September 1, 2022, declared open Amerindian Heritage Month 2022 at the Guyana National Stadium, at Providence, East Bank Demerara.

In his address to the gathering, President Ali assured Guyana’s First Peoples of the government’s continued support in fostering an enabling environment for the prosperity and economic development of Indigenous communities countrywide.

“Tonight, I reassure every member of our Indigenous community that we stand strongly with you in ensuring that in creating the pathway to prosperity we will include you; every one of you. Every single family, every single region in our Indigenous community, whether it’s in the riverine area; whether it’s on the hill, or in the valleys, we will find you. We will work with you, and we will move you together as we build a country of prosperity for every single family,” President Ali said.

The head-of-state further noted that the government will continue to work to bridge disproportional gaps to ensure that every Indigenous person benefits equally from development and economic-boosting opportunities.

“When you go to the hinterland and you look at the faces of the elderly, what do you see on those elderly faces? You see a symbol of strength; the symbol of character, the symbol of determination, the symbol of sacrifices… When you look at the young faces, what do you see? You see a story of hope, one of aspiration, one that is looking to the future for the same opportunity every single other Guyanese has, and that is the gap that we must cover,” President Ali said.

And, reiterating that the government also wants to work with young Indigenous Peoples to ensure that they are a part of the new phase of development in the country in such fields as health workers, nurses, doctors, engineers and heavy equipment operators, President Ali said, “As I said in Region Nine, every single Amerindian with a qualification that wants to be trained as a nurse, as a teacher, as a dental technician, as a medical worker, I am saying to you, know we are committing that we as a government will train every single one. We will provide opportunity; we will provide money, we will provide that environment, and we will give you that opportunity.”

Chair of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Dereck John, who also delivered remarks, lauded the government for its many interventions in ensuring that Indigenous Peoples are recognised for their contributions to the melting pot that is Guyana.

He said that following the conclusion of the NTC meeting in July, a commitment was made for the council to be relocated into a new building.

“I am pleased to announce that very soon, we will be moving into a new sparkling NTC secretariat that is being built by His Excellency and the Government of the Peoples Progressive Party,” he said.