September was an eventful month. The air was filled with jubilation but also tragedy and mourning.
September 1st marked the beginning of Amerindian Heritage month. The theme this year was “Celebrating Our Traditional Culture While Building One Guyana.”
Some may say that traditional cultures are slowly dying. Is this to our advantage or disadvantage? Does the disappearance of traditional cultures which separates us into six peoples move us closer to this ‘One Guyana’? Or does it make each group weaker as less knowledge of self, results in a weaker collective?
A few months ago, I was doing research in Amerindian communities in regions 1 and 9 and one of the concerns was that the youth were not all interested in the traditional culture. Few were interested in learning the languages of their ancestors and were rather interested in blending into the popular culture that shapes the Guyanese community but is influenced by the world. It was evident that this saddened some of the elders. One must ask, when the elders’ transition and there are few to continue the traditional culture, what then? Nevertheless, we were reminded this month of the Amerindian peoples place in our history. I find it fascinating that they were able to preserve so much of their culture after thousands of years. Many still live in remote areas where there is no telephone service and in some cases no electricity, yet they continue to live humbly in harmony with nature and survive.
As usual this year I visited the heritage village at the Sophia Exhibition Centre where chatter and music filled the air. There were arts and crafts and foods like tuma pot, cassava bread, pepperpot, potato wine (fly), and others. It was a beautiful start to the month but before long, it seems that other events overshadowed the celebrations of Amerindian Heritage month.
First, it was the death of the queen of England. On September 8th it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II had died, and this great tragedy was supposed to plunge the Earth into mourning whether there was a history of harm and exploitation by the British or not. While the sheets of blood were removed from under the late queen and the living children and survivors among some of those murdered, exploited, and demonized celebrated, there were voices that called for the respect of a mother and grandmother. But where were these voices for the black, white, and brown bodies of mothers and grandmothers who lay on their sheets of blood and died in agony because of actions of the British empire? Those who were only mourned by and remembered by the ones who loved them, or their deaths were like a whisper on a fleeting wind. It was clear that the wools have been removed from the eyes of many of the oppressed and once oppressed, as there was much focus on calling for justice and reparations while those who wished to mourn mourned. As the people’s eyes become open and they are careful about where they focus their energies, September not only reminded us of generational pain and dark events in history, but it was also a month that reinforced that there is a global awakening.
September 19th was declared a day of mourning for the queen in Guyana, but three days before that on September 16th the inaugural cricket carnival began. With daily events such as fashion shows, jazz on the beach, pageants, soca and wine, local and international artistes at the stadium, the regional food festival and of course cricket, these temporary balms on our wounds captured the interests of some of our people and kept them distracted from the issues that plague us.
The tourists arrived and hotels were fully booked. But garbage could still be seen strewn around Georgetown. Perhaps we have resolved to show the world that some parts of this tourist destination cannot be kept clean mainly because of the actions of untidy Guyanese. Nevertheless, jubilation filled the air and for those who could afford to socialize and support their favourite team, there were no songs of sorrow that could steal their joy.
But even amid the celebration the social issues that plague our country did not cease. There were several fatal accidents in the month of September as some drivers continue to drive recklessly. On September 21st a man murdered his son, burned his wife, and then ended his life in Ann’s Grove on the East Coast of Demerara. Just two days later, on September 23rd at Lima Sands on the Essequibo Coast a police sergeant murdered his wife by running over her with a vehicle several times. He died hours later after ingesting a poisonous substance.
September reminded us that the sand seems not to pass through the hourglass in Guyana for a marked date for when these senseless killings will end. The number of men who plot and kill women and children in this country were too many decades ago, but for love, for money, for security, many women continue to hold on to the hope that abusive men will change. And while few do change, most of these men wear masks hiding the issues they grapple with. They are victims of outdated patriarchal ideas of how women should be treated and instead of seeking therapy for the trauma that shapes many Guyanese, they instead choose to murder.
Nonetheless, though these gruesome incidents may have cast a shadow that is lingering for those who were affected, the cricket carnival continued.
Perhaps the most devastating occurrence for some during the month of September was the Guyana Amazon Warriors failure to qualify for the finals of this year’s Caribbean Premier League T20. For ten seasons of the CPL, Guyana Amazon Warriors qualified for the finals five times but never won. Yet, every year loyal fans proclaim that it is the year for victory. Unfortunately, this was not the year.
September was also a month of the absurd. Like the Private Sector Commission calling for a national holiday last Tuesday because of the cricket. I would understand this if the Guyana Amazon Warriors had qualified for the finals and won. Perhaps however the PSC simply wanted to announce that they still exist. While the PSC dreamed of this national holiday, the majority who had no part in cricket carnival dreamed about surviving in this 2% and 50% of 25% oily land.
Attending all or most of the cricket carnival activities required thousands of dollars which many Guyanese do not have to spend. Would be noteworthy if the PSC could perhaps advocate for minimum wage which is now $60147 in the private sector to be increased to a living wage. Just one example of what is important and urgent.
September reminded us that our Amerindian peoples are an important part of our history. The celebrations did not cease because of cricket carnival but I do think that they were overshadowed. We must cherish the times we set aside to celebrate our people and the history of our country as we continue to strive to truly be one people and one nation, with one destiny.
