Dear Editor,
Once again, Chair of the Guyana Reparations Committee Eric Phillips, has used the public media to convey erroneous information on the history of Guyanese. On March 12 he published a first letter misleading Guyanese into believing that African slaves arrived in Guyana 100 to 200 years before the Wai Wais and the Wapishana people. However, Guyanese must know that this is false.
The Guyana Empowered Peoples’ Action Network (GEPAN) through information in the Walter Roth Museum asserts that excavations conducted in Kurupukari, Region 9, situate the arrival of the Wapishana people circa 1000 bc or 3000 years ago (Carbon 14, Beta Laboratory, US). The archaeological excavations were conducted by renowned archaeologist Denis Williams. As for the Wai Wais, no dating has been done. Therefore that they arrived before the first Africans cannot be contested.
Now, in his missive to the media dated March 29, Phillips continues to propagate inconsistencies as he claims this time, that instead of two nations, the Africans arrived centuries before three nations. He fails to name the third and conveniently omits to mention any data relevant to the Wai Wais and the third nation of Amerindians he refers to.
Despite the response of the Wai Wai and Wapishana leaders who were offended by Mr Phillips’ claims, he remains seemingly oblivious to the negative impact his publications are having. This is despite the fact that his first come first served theory is irrelevant, considering that Amerindian lands are being returned to them, and not given as compensation from the state.
Mr Phillips seems equally indifferent to the responsibilities he holds as the Chair of a committee which was created to represent the rights of Indigenous peoples, Africans and East Indians. His work since he took up the office of Chair of the Guyana Reparations Committee, has focused essentially on land reparation for the descendants of enslaved Africans. However, to date, Amerindian land titling remains incomplete, and land titles continue to be withheld to favour miners and loggers. Yet Mr Phillips remains silent on Amerindian land titling.
In the meanwhile, resources are available for public consultation at the Amerindian Research Unit, for those who wish to verify the inaccuracy of Mr Phillips’ claims regarding the Wai Wais and the Wapishana and all other Indigenous nations of Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Anna Correia
President
GEPAN