Dear Editor,
I refer to your article in the Stabroek News edition of 16/12/2022 edition, “Army ranks lauded over Kaieteur Airstrip Expansion,” which brought back memories of an encounter during my short term residency at Kaieteur Falls, 1996-1999.
I was introduced to a Patamuna Elder one afternoon who was visiting her daughter, a resident of Kaieteur. The Elder resided at another village among the foothills of the Pakaraima Mountain range. One question which was of importance had to do with the authenticity of the Old Kaie narrative and with the permission of the daughter I posed the question to the Elder. The Elder, was fluent only in Patamuna, so her daughter performed translation duties.
The Elder informed that contrary to the ‘legend’ of a Patamuna – Carib conflict, the Kaieteur Patamuna community was infected with a tropical disease contagion of which Old Kaie was amongst those who came out the worst. So bad was Kaie’s that he required the surgical removal of his heels, to which the Elder promised to provide evidentiary confirmation the next morning.
So before 6 am, the following morning, an entourage consisting of the Elder, daughter-translator, translator’s baby and me walked the short distance from Menzies Landing to a space near the runway, all enveloped in the mist that grew out from Kaieteur’s gorge. The Elder walked directly to a sheet rock and in almost inaudible tones, said in translation, “This is Old Kaie’s footprints”. I did not own a camera then to capture that image and neither did the other witness to that encounter.
I have not had the opportunity to revisit Kaieteur since, as such I am unaware of the present condition of that sheet rock. However, in succeeding years I did have conversations with relevant ministries, organizations and individuals of interest but suffice it to say neither gave traction for further action.
The one encouragement came from the National Trust sometime around 2018 but any hopes were dashed when the previous administration decided to integrate the building that housed the National Trust into a larger Presidential complex; all communication with the Trust ended then.
Sincerely,
Rohan Sagar