–urges accurate reporting, respect for Amerindians during upcoming elections season

CHAIRMAN of the National Toshaos Council (NTC), Derrick John on Monday called out some media houses for what he called ‘disturbing articles’, and noted that no one can tell Indigenous people what’s best for them, as they have a right to self-determination.

John made the call while addressing the opening ceremony of the annual NTC conference, during which he noted that while persons are accusing the NTC of allowing organisations to dictate to it, that is not the case.

He said, “That’s an insult to our intelligence, and I want to make this very crystal clear, we have a right to self-determination. And that’s what we have been doing for ages. So, no one don’t have to come and tell us what is best for us.”

Against this backdrop, he noted that Indigenous people know what is best for them and the challenges faced in communities and how to put mechanisms in place to mitigate these challenges.

It was then he called out various media houses that have published ‘disturbing articles’ which he noted were not good, and called on them to be more mature.

“When we report it, we’ve got to be more accurate in our reporting,” he said.
He further used the opportunity to call on political parties to also be more mature and civilised, as there are ways to address issues disrupting other people’s lives.

Further to this, the Toshao noted that as Election 2025 approaches, he hopes that political parties and organisations when they begin their campaigns, will do so in a professional way.

As he went on to say, “The Indigenous Peoples have the right to choose whatever political party they want to support. And we know we are not living in the Stone Age; we are living in a modern age where education is accessible from Nursery to Secondary in all Indigenous communities. So, we are learned people; we know what is good for us.”

His statements come on the heels of the NTC calling out misleading claims in one of the daily newspapers’ articles in relation to the structure of the NTC conference.

Two days before the start of the conference, the NTC condemned the misleading and politically-charged assertions, which it noted were made by the Alliance For Change and published in the Stabroek News.

The NTC, in a press release, noted, “This is a deliberate attempt to undermine the credibility of the NTC Conference, the most respected and comprehensive forum for Indigenous leadership in Guyana. The claims made by the AFC are baseless, and reek of hypocrisy and political desperation.”