Ten beautiful young women will grace the stage of the National Cultural Centre tonight to vie for the title of Miss Amerindian Heritage 2022 as part of the celebration of Amerindian Heritage Month.
The candidates, who have already won in their regional pageants, Region One – Leah Nelson from Waramuri Village; Region Two – Anasie Fredericks, Tapakuma; Region Three – Reahna Emmanuel, Santa Aratak; Region Four – Narria Simon, St Cuthbert’s Mission; Region Five – Amber Andrews, Moraikobai; Region Six – Reenee France, Siparuta; Region Seven – Emily Rambharat, Karrau; Region Eight – Valda Williams, Chiung Mouth; Region Nine – Monica Joseph, St Ignatius; and Region Ten – Janella Pollard, Riverview.
These young women will compete in categories such as talent, cultural wear and the knowledge of their heritage in a pageant that tests and further educates them on their cultural background.
Many of the competitors said they were grateful for the opportunity since the competition allowed them to socialise, build new connections and more importantly taught them more about the ethnic, linguistic and intellectual sides of their heritage.
“It’s a highly competitive competition because I know each of my sisters are multi-talented and brave,” said Leah from Region One. “The bond we have developed is unbreakable because we cry together, laugh together, and correct each other when we are wrong and more importantly we encourage each other not to give up and that makes our relationship stronger and the journey much more memorable.” The young woman went on to say that her journey has been memorable with the shared activities they completed.
Anasie from Region Two said, “It has allowed me to develop a positive attitude in everything I do. We have challenges, but how we deal with them is important. It has also taught me that I should be supportive of the wishes of my colleagues.”
The reigning Tapakuma queen added, “I never saw this as a competition, it’s about the journey and the experiences you get from it, this is what makes us all winners in our own way. The sisterhood that we have developed is amazing and I have love for each and every one of them.”
Meanwhile, Reahna from Region Three said that the pageant has helped her to step out of her comfort zone and to become a more confident young woman, which she is proud to be. She added that as an indigenous female, her skills of baking cassava bread and tuma-pot have improved. Miss Santa Aratak also said, “For me it’s really not about the competition and winning the crown, it’s about being yourself, making the most of the experience and creating friendships and memories that will cherish forever.”
Narria, who is the reigning Amerindian queen of St Cuthbert’s Mission in Region Four, said the one thing that she will take away from the pageant and stress within her community, is the need for more indigenous representation. “…The common fights, the different tribes facing each other, should be stopped, we need bold and intelligent indigenous leaders, committed to building on the foundation of the previous\current pioneer and continuing to improve to work in our people’s development,” she said.
Beside learning new skills, and overcoming challenges, Amber from Morakiabai Village stated that she has developed many positive attributes from being with the other contestants. “Traditionally, competition in pageants has been viewed as judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. This competition is different, it’s about showing our uniqueness as girls from different Amerindian nations,” she said. “For instance, Makushis do things differently from Lokonos. That’s what it’s like to compete between these girls. I learned from these girls courage, confidence and posture, we have developed a sisterly bond that we hope will continue after this competition.”
On the other hand, Reenee who is representing Region Six said, “I would say that this competition was very challenging. However, something that I’ve learnt from my colleagues is that everyone should have an open mind because everyone has a voice and we as human beings need to keep others motivated at all times.”
Region Seven reigning queen Emily stated that her entire pageantry experience was one that she had always looked forward to.
“The fact that I can represent my culture is unreal and the fact that I can empower women through pageantry is something I am thankful for. The whole experience is one in a million that will definitely help me throughout my life,” said the young woman.
Many performed their skills of cassava bread making in the various ways they knew how, but this was not the case with Valda from Chiung Mouth, who decided to try another tribe’s method. “A tradition that I didn’t know about is the process of making cassava bread,” she said. “As a Makushi tribe, I used freshly squeezed cassava to bake the bread, but in the cultural challenge, I tried the Arawak tradition.”
As such, Valda said, “It is with great kindness that I hope to take back everything I have learnt from the other nations to educate my community about the other cultures, traditions and the different beliefs of various Amerindian tribes.”
Monica, who is representing Region Nine, stated that she has learnt a lot from the pageant.
“I’ve learnt about developing a secure location for younger girls, as such, I need to take back all this knowledge and try my utmost to build such a safe place for my indigenous girls and to assist them in whatever manner I can, so that they may be secure and comfortable in our community,” she said.
Region Ten candidate Janella explained that being part of the pageant and meeting the other contestants really impacted her life in a positive way. “I learned what it means to have nine different sisters from different parts of Guyana and also what it really means to be kind and how being polite can make someone smile especially on sad days,” she explained.
The ten young women also expressed their excitement to balance the stage with elegance, poise, courtesy and fluency as they compete for the crown and title of Miss Amerindian Heritage 2022.
