— five Amerindian leaders ready to take Guyana to next level

WITH a mixture of vibrancy and youth combined with knowledge and experience, five strong Amerindian leaders will sit on the government’s side of the House when the 12th Parliament is convened on Tuesday.

They are Lee Gendre Hakkim Williams, Pauline Sukhai, Yvonne Pearson, Alister Charlie and Dr Thandika Smith.
For 42-year-old Lee Gendre Hakkim Williams of Paruina, Upper Mazaruni, Region Seven, it will be a privilege to represent his region in Parliament while ensuring all Amerindians are represented through his presence in the National Assembly.
“In the Amerindian community and especially my region I would like to see the villages improve in the line of telecommunications. Right now many persons have no access to information technology in all the villages in the region,” he said.

Williams, who is married and is a father of five, said Internet connection is of such importance that it ties in with education and health-care development.
“Youths on the whole need to be involved in decision-making and there is a need for opportunities that lead to careers and work, especially for Amerindians,” he told the Guyana Chronicle.

Williams, an environmental health assistant trained in malaria microscopy and attached to the Ministry of Health, said that unemployment in Region Seven is creating major issues with negative consequences that need to be addressed, especially for youths.
He said many youths who finish or leave school have no access to opportunities to develop their lives and that of their family, “but through Information Technology they can pursue their studies and qualify themselves”.
He also noted that agriculture is the number one source of income for many persons in the region but high cost of living has left many behind.
“Even though farmers tried their best, there was no effort by the previous minister of agriculture to promote and support farming activates in the region,” he said.

PARTNERSHIP APPROACH
To address these and other issues in Region Seven, Williams noted that more collaboration is needed and he will be moving in that direction.
Reflecting on his association with the PPP/C, the young leader said his father, the late Levi Williams, served as a regional councillor after the PPP/C won the elections in 1992. He served as councillor up to 1997.

“He was the one that encouraged me to follow the affairs of the country, and, in 2015, I was selected as a regional councillor and served until 2019. There I performed and represented my village and district in the infrastructure, health and education departments,” he related to this publication.
Williams said he became close with the PPP/C since the party has the Amerindian people at heart.

“The party doesn’t just operate out of Georgetown and make decisions, they always have people on the ground getting information and interacting with villagers getting things done, and that is how I like to involve myself with the PPP/C, they help everyone,” he emphasised.
Williams noted at the last elections, he was a candidate on the regional and top-up lists and was eventually chosen to represent Region Seven in Parliament.
“I come from the tribe of Arekuna, and live in the only Arekuna village in the entire Guyana, which is in Paruina, Upper Mazaruni, Region Seven. I feel proud to represent them in Parliament,” he shared.

Meanwhile, Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, who is no stranger to politics, first sat in Parliament in 1992. She became Minister of Amerindian affairs in 2008 and served until 2015 when there was a change in government.

UNRESOLVED ISSUES
The economist and Amerindian and Women’s affairs activist has returned as Minister of Amerindian Affairs and will be focusing on Amerindian youth and development while clearing up unresolved issues in the ministry.

“This surrounds sustainable village economies, working on indigenous councils and representatives to advance economic and productive activities in their villages. We will also be aiming to collaborate with all the other ministries that have an interlocking relationship with village development, such as considerations for electricity, drinking water, housing, health and educational services being delivered in a more efficient manner,” Minister Sukhai said.
The minister explained that, over the next five years, many things have to be achieved, especially in connecting with women and youth, promoting community development and building capacities of village leaders.

The mother of two said the issues surrounding land titling and demarcation will also be addressed.
For, Yvonne Pearson who is a knowledgeable indigenous leader, farmer and political activist who has dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of indigenous peoples, returning to Parliament means she will get an opportunity to offer her services to make a difference.
Pearson, who is from the Carib nation, had served in the 11th Parliament. She is married and is a mother of five and a grandmother of 13.
She first joined the PPP/C in 2010 and was previously a member of the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA).

In the 12th Parliament, she will be pushing for the revision and strengthening of the Amerindian Act, particularly where issues of mining, forestry and the environment are concerned.
“We must understand what indigenous peoples’ rights are; we must have a clear definition, so we would not have issues of overlapping with other legislations,” Pearson said.

WOMEN AND YOUTH
She noted that issues dealing with youths and women will be strongly addressed during her tenure in Parliament while noting that many indigenous women are at a disadvantage because of geography.

“I have been fortunate to travel Guyana, and I have seen under the PPP/C there has been development with regards to indigenous people’s welfare and wellbeing, we are not where we are supposed to be but there will be more development. When I got involved with the party I was able to assist many people to make indigenous lives better,” she explained.
Pearson said the indigenous community has had five years of struggle and there is so much to do in getting the country back on its feet again and for Guyanese to once again be at peace.

However, for Dr Thandica Smith, 32, who is a medical doctor, this is her first occasion in the political spotlight and serving as a parliamentarian means that the interest of youths, education and development will be priority for her.
With a mixture of the Carib and Arawak nations, Dr. Smith is originally from Warapana, located in the Upper Pomeroon River. She will represent Region Three where she currently resides and works.

She is employed at the West Demerara Regional Hospital for the past seven years and has been working mainly in the General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology departments.
Dr. Smith’s aim is to position herself to make a difference in the lives of every Guyanese through her medical, political and humanitarian work.
The young doctor is entering the 12th Parliament with big plans, and, among them, include a heavy focus on youth development, women empowerment, employment and cultural preservation.

VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS
“I will be looking out for the voiceless and those who are afraid to stand up for themselves and I believe that I can represent them in every way, and ensure that education is promoted in all aspects, along with the promotion of skills for the development in life, as not everyone is academically inclined,” Dr. Smith said.
Alister Charlie, 42, who is no stranger to Parliament, will also be returning to the House on Tuesday. Charlie, who is of Wapishana and Macushi heritage, said Region Nine where he is from has suffered tremendously under the previous government.
“Amerindians must not be left behind,” he said, adding that “they must be a part of the developmental process.”
In the 12th Parliament, he said, Amerindians will benefit from development in every sector in Region Nine.
Charlie joined the PPP/C in 2006 under the guidance of former Amerindian Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett. He worked on the Regional Democratic Council of Region Nine where he participated in standing committees that tackled matters on education, agriculture and public works.
He served in the 11th Parliament, and, during that time, he faced a tremendous level of character assassination from operatives of the former government.
“However, the side effect of that is that the people in Region Nine supported me even more because they know exactly who I am,” Charlie confirmed.
September is Amerindian Heritage Month and the seasoned Amerindian leader is urging all to celebrate the occasion but to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines.
“The Amerindian population is just about 11 per cent in Guyana and we need to be very serious and all precautions must be taken because we cannot afford any deaths within our nation,” he said.