Can a fire be lit using only bamboo and cotton? What sound does a kodoi make? How long does it take to make an arrow? And if you were in Shea over the past week, you had better be ready to answer the question: Na’ikim puwa’atin?
The answer, for me, was: Georgetown iki.
The answers to the other questions and more were to be found and experienced in Shea last week as the six villages of the Deep South Rupununi gathered there for their annual ‘August Games’ – now in its 23rd year. To ensure that cultural practices are not forgotten, every year, the six villages, populated mainly by indigenous peoples of the Wapichan nation, gather to compete in various traditional activities such as cotton spinning, arrow making, fire lighting, dancing, along with sporting activities. The games kicked off on August 18th in Shea, the northernmost of the Deep South indigenous villages.