Prime Minister Samuel Hinds joined other government functionaries in a commemorative walk aimed at promoting healthy and sustainable lifestyles in honour of Amerindian Heritage Month.
This year’s observances are being held under the theme ‘Promoting sustainable livelihood and cultural heritage while transforming our village economies.’ Marchers walked from Umana Yana to the Botanical Gardens. Hinds said that while it is impossible to change history, referring to the experiences of Amerindians during and after the European voyages of exploration, “What we have to do is develop trust in all that are here presently, irrespective of race and religion. We are all human beings and should be building a future based on trust, through working together and bonding together.”
Permanent Secretary Colin Croal apologized for the absence of Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai, who is recovering from the flu. According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release Croal said the walk gives participants the opportunity, “to experience that which our Amerindian brothers and sisters experience everyday, trekking hours to get to a centralized location, and school children requiring to paddle for hours. It is only fitting that those persons on the coastland realize some of the benefits of easy access to resources.”
Croal further noted that government has made improving the lives of indigenous persons a priority, and in keeping with this two boat engines were handed over on Saturday for the enhancement of the transportation infrastructure in communities where travel by boat is common practice. He also spoke of government’s budgetary allocations to provide Amerindian villages with resources such as all terrain vehicles (ATVs), boats, engines and solar panels in order to help residents establish sustainable livelihoods.
GINA said heritage month celebrations will also include activities for Wellness Month and Caribbean Wellness Day, normally observed on the second Saturday of September, in keeping with Caricom concerns about Caribbean wellness and its promotion. The Amerindian Affairs Ministry is collaborating with the Health Ministry to facilitate this.
Minister in the Ministry of Health Dr Bheri Ramsarran, who attended the commemorative walk to mark this collaboration, said, “We should become a healthy nation of people who are walk fanatics,” telling young participants at that walk that they are change agents. He also noted that Guyanese must be conscious of and committed to the fight against chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, which can be overcome through behavioural change and adapting healthy lifestyles.
