Newly-elected chairman of the National Toshaos Council, Nicholas Anthony Fredericks is calling on Government to work with the NTC’s new executive and to recognise the many issues facing them, some life threatening, to ensure a better quality of life for Indigenous peoples.
Fredericks, Toshao of Shulinab in the Rupununi who was yesterday re-elected for a second term on the 20-member executive of the NTC, was the only candidate nominated for the position of Chairman and was elected unopposed.
Meanwhile, Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs Sidney Allicock who delivered the charge to the newly elected executive said Government has been working with the NTC and will continue to do so. Tensions between the toshaos and the government came to the fore on Monday when immediate past chairman Joel Fredericks accused the government of reneging on promises.
In his maiden speech on taking office at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, Fredericks told the 12th Annual NTC Conference that it is not only a matter of Government bringing development to the communities “but also recognising our rights to our traditional lands.”
Speaking off the cuff, Fredericks said, when toshaos were handed out land titles in 1976, many of them did not know what they had signed on to.
From then to now, he said, cases where villages were robbed of lands due to demarcation issues, have been unresolved.
“This is 2018. How can we, the NTC, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, and other relevant stakeholders come together to make sure that the Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) project is one that we respect, one we require, and not what certain individuals or certain agencies deem as important to them?”
The ALT process, he said, should be to their benefit and satisfaction.
For their existence, he said, the land is the most important asset they have for their survival. “We depend on nature. Nature depends on us.”
The ALT has been a sore subject between the NTC and the government.
Noting that over the past three years the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs created some space for the NTC to operate in, he questioned how more space can be created to enable the NTC to work more independently and in a respectable manner.
“There might be times when things will be challenging, but I ask that we resolve our (differences) in a friendly and professional manner,” he said.
He said the outgoing NTC has achieved much over the past three year terms and called on the toshaos to build on what is left in place and to take things forward and not backward.
In Regions One (Barima/Waini), Seven (Mazaruni/Cuyuni), Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Essequibo/Upper Takutu) and in other regions, he said, a lot of mapping work was done by Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities.
He called on Government and its agencies to respect the works by harmonising them with theirs.
“We have our own mapping people in our villages, Indigenous Peoples who can use GPS (Global Positioning System),” he said, urging that the energy and resources that were made available to them not go to waste.
These initiatives, he said, were done by the people with the involvement of non-governmental organisations (NGOs). He asked that they strengthen relationships with the national IP NGOs and NGOs on the ground in communities to make sure they are all moving in the same direction and not fighting and pulling against each other.
He called on all the land agencies including the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission among others to work together with the NTC to resolve issues affecting their communities.
“So long we have been hearing about these mining and other land issues coming up over and over again. For those who were not here last year, everything that was said at this conference so far, has been raised last year,” he said.
To his colleague toshaos in the executive, he said, they will have their arguments and they will experience difficult times, but he asked them not to let “nothing” come between them.
“We are here as leaders but we are servants too. It is you and the people back home who have put us here.”
Urging his fellow toshaos to execute their duties in a fair manner and be considerate in their deliberations, he asked them not to be overcome by power and use favouritism to get by.
As a toshao, they will sometimes have to act as judges and hold their own courts, he said, and they will they also have to act as counsellors to counsel their people in the execution of their duties.
He also urged them to take an active part in the revision of the Amerindian Act and he suggested that one recommendation they should make is to extend the term of toshaos.
Other elected officers to the NTC executive are Paul Pierre – vice chairman, Russian Dorrick – secretary, Marbel Thomas – treasurer and Loretta Fiedtkou – assistant secretary/treasurer. Five women have been elected to the 20-member executive. The other members are Elizabeth Romascindo, Charmain Rambajue, Howard Cornelius, Ralph Hendricks, Hilton Williams, Beverley Clenkian, Colin Adrian, Carl Peneux, Orin Williams, John Spencer, Mario Hastings, Charlie Lewis, Edward McGarrel, Zacharias Norman and Ricky Boye.