How one woman is sharing her knowledge to promote the Macushi language among youths to keep the traditions of the First Peoples alive

GLORIA Duarte is recognised for her talent and her desire to share her knowledge with youths. She is also known for her outstanding behind-the-scenes work as Coordinator of the Macushi Research Unit, as well as for her work as a songwriter, composer, and singer of traditional songs, her craft, and her amazing storytelling abilities.

She will be celebrating her 56th birth anniversary in October this year, and she is a native of Rupertee Village, Region Nine.

Duarte is a descendant of the Macushi and Akawaio peoples, and she works as a part-time tutor in language and culture at the Bina Hill Institute Youth Learning Centre, North Annai.

She is also the Assistant Coordinator of the Macushi Research Unit and is a translator and interpreter.

Duarte composes traditional Macushi songs and lyrics, which she also sings, and enjoys working with young people to pass on knowledge and traditions.

She is also skilled in crafts, especially making earrings, rings, netting, and bags from cotton. She also teaches youths to spin cotton and make craft.

Amerindian Heritage Month, observed in September, is a busy time for Duarte as she prepares for cultural performances at both the national and local levels.

“I try to give my support to those who need my help in terms of interpretation, for example, in my language and translation. I composed most of my songs. Every year, I would show up in support of our cultural group to participate in the heritage celebration at Sophia Whirlwind Village,” she said.

Duarte told Pepperpot Magazine that many young people, including children, no longer speak Macushi, so she took the opportunity to teach it at the Learning Centre.

She reported that she tells stories and shares Indigenous traditions. However, she found it challenging to read and write in Macushi, even though she could speak it fluently. Working with the Macushi Research Unit has strengthened her ability to pass on the knowledge to young people.

Duarte explained that, as a part-time tutor in language and culture, she teaches her students in both Macushi and English, telling stories and reading them in both languages.

She is passionate about passing on her traditional knowledge, especially to young people. She taught them how to sing the national anthem, recite the national pledge, and sing Guyanese folk songs and hymns in Macushi, and they love it.

The Rupertee resident explained that some of her students are from other tribes. The stories told to them in both English and Macushi were told to her by her foreparents or gathered by researchers.

“The students love to listen to the stories, which are based on those told to me and on the environment. It gives me great joy to see how interested they are in learning and the positivity that comes from it,” she said.

Duarte told Pepperpot Magazine that she is very proud of her roots and of being able to speak her language. Her family came from Brazil, where she lived for some time before relocating to Rupertee Village.

She said her father is from Brazil and has mixed Arecuna and Macushi heritage, while her mother has mixed Akawaio and Macushi heritage.

She added that her parents could not speak the dialects, but they were fluent in the Macushi language and taught it to their children.

Duarte said she is willing to teach anyone willing to learn. The youths have since shown their desire to do so, and she encourages them to speak their own languages because that is who they are, and they can ultimately learn from one another.

She noted that working with young people has encouraged her to build skills and pass on knowledge to others because her foreparents and other elders did not pass on much traditional knowledge to them and died with it.

She wants today’s youth to remember Indigenous stories and pass them on.

Meanwhile, in terms of craft, Duarte is skilled in cotton spinning and shares her knowledge with youth, teaching them how to make hammocks and other items.

She lets them make traditional outfits from cotton and decorate them with beads to enhance the outfits at the Bina Hill Institute Youth Learning Centre.

Duarte is happy to announce that her application to become a part-time teacher at the University of Guyana (UG), where she will introduce the Macushi language as part of the curriculum, was approved. It will be an online course.

She is also skilled at preparing local Amerindian foods, which are often showcased at events and enjoyed at home.