Dear Editor,
Happy Indigenous Heritage Month to the Indigenous population and to all of Guyana!
Annually every September the Indigenous population reflects on our culture and history as Guyana’s first people. But one significant person who is behind all of this is Mr. Stephen Campbell the country’s first Indigenous parliamentarian, who because of his great courage and hard work made our voice be heard and recognized in the legislature in 1957. From this genesis the indigenous icon became known mainly among the indigenous communities in the country.
Editor, against this backdrop, besides the month’s-long celebration of our culture in September, I believe more needs to be done to honour Mr. Campbell which can help the nation learn about him. For example: he worked in the Rupununi as a catechist in Sawariwau village and initiated teaching of catechism and basic literacy to the children who only spoke Wapichan and some Portuguese at the time. Subsequently his catechism class grew and over the years evolved into what is now the Sawariwau Primary School. As a suggestion, I believe it would be good to rename the primary school at Sawariwau after Stephen Campbell, and this could happen of course with villagers’ knowledge and endorsement, following the free prior and informed consent (FPIC) approach. Perhaps with the renaming of the school, it could make the learning institution be more recognized in the community and the region and probably be able to obtain assistance to support the students, academically etc.
Additionally, Guyana’s early leaders in the post-colonial era have significant places like research centres and libraries named after them, example: former President Hoyte’s Museum and Library, former President Cheddi Jagan’s Research Centre and the international airport. Cheddi also has postage stamps in his honour. Likewise there is a portrait of Stephen Campbell at the National Museum in Georgetown and a Stephen Campbell house named after him in the city, an initiative by the previous government. I may sound obsessed about the deceased indigenous leader, but I would like to make another suggestion based on my patriotic and iconographic view of trailblazers and pioneers like Mr. Campbell, that is to have his image on a postage stamp in Guyana, which will be another noble form of recognizing his works and contributions to Guyana’s first people and the country as a whole.
Yours faithfully,
Medino Abraham
