Say the exhibitors at the recently-held Amerindian Heritage Exhibition\

Deemed as the Medicine Man or “Shaman” Roland Taylor is from Rupertee Village, deep south in the Rupununi and is a wood carving sculptor who was a participant at the Amerindian Heritage Exhibition held earlier this month.

Taylor told the Pepperpot Magazine that he is well-known as the “Shaman” in his community and that some plants in the environment have healing properties and are real and not a myth.

He was motivated by tradition to become an artisan; it has been in his generation for a long time before him and it will remain in his family tree when he passes.

Taylor, a gifted sculptor, reported that with access to woods where he grew up in St. Cuthbert’s Mission (Pakuri) he made his debut in wood carvings.

He added that he left his home village and began living and teaching in Annai. He had been a teacher for 15 years at Bina Hill School before he quit.

Taylor stated that he had started his own small business as a full-time farmer of ground provisions and seasonal crops.

He disclosed that Annai is 200 miles from Aishalton and it takes the entire day to get from one location to the other and it is often on foot since transportation in those remote areas is scarce and expensive.

Taylor explained that at certain times, communication with the outside world is non-existent and they miss out on a lot of things, such as information about shows, expos and other events.

He revealed that his wood pieces are his visions from old stories told to him by his elders and he produces such pieces based on those stories in the form of birds, animals, and other things.

The father of six related that his wife, Maria Taylor, is also into arts and craft and all things Indigenous, and she does hand-made earrings, necklaces and others.

Taylor has been participating in exhibitions since 1995 at the Umana Yana, and some of his pieces were an absolute attraction at these expos.

He reported that wood carving is a long process, firstly, to select the best wood, and he gets his ideas from travelling, nature and old stories from his ancestors.

Taylor would also like to see the school children get transportation to and from Rupertee to Annai, two miles away.

He explained that the terrain is rugged and the children are left to the elements walking to both the primary and secondary schools.

Taylor added that the population of Rupertee is about 400, and their main economic activity is farming and the cost of food items is substantial.

Wooden Craft

Patricia Goveia hails from Santa Aratack, Region Three and she has a craft shop in the village where all the local artisans bring their products to sell.

The 52-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that in her shop, they sell all categories of arts and craft and she specialises in ornamental wooden craft.

She is originally from Bartica and has been into craft making for 25 years for ornamental purposes.

Goveia is the mother of eight and she feels really good when people buy her pieces to take away to be a part of their home.

Valentine Stoll known as “Twilight Last Gleaming”
Valentine Stoll originally from Pomeroon but relocated to Essequibo Coast, is 64 years old and is an artisan who is a wooden sculptor with some interesting pieces depicting the Amerindian way of life.

Stoll is also a farmer of permanent crops and a pig farmer and has been a part of all things Amerindian for the past 30 years, sharing his pieces with us since 1992.

He is known for his excellent pieces labelled “natives of the forest” and is seeking resources for his farm.

The father of four said he came from a long line of artisans who have been making wooden craft.

Pauline Chance, the handicraft maker
Pauline Chance loves her heritage and annually, she would do whatever it takes to journey to the city to participate in the exhibition for Amerindian Heritage Month.

The 56-year-old is from Kabakaburi Misson, Region Two, and she is the mother of nine with 13 grandchildren.

All her products are hand-made from tibiscri, nibbi, bamboo, feathers, beads and other materials found within the environment or locally bought.

Chance told the Pepperpot Magazine that at age seven years old, she learned handicraft from her mother and has been practising since to become an expert.

Today, her practice paid off and she makes beautiful pieces in the form of hammocks, bags, necklaces, hand bands, hats, purses, baskets and other decorative craft.

She has a family-owned small business in arts and craft and the business will be registered and the prices are reasonable considering the cost for the materials to make handicraft these days.

At the exhibition, she was supported by two of her daughters, Crystal and Wanita Chance, who were by her side to assist her in selling her products at Sophia Exhibition Site.