Dear Editor,
The new highly-upgraded and modernized hospital recently commissioned by President Irfaan Ali at Mabaruma is one more attestation that the PPP/C is committed to enhancing the lives of every Guyanese in every community in keeping with the President’s one Guyana Initiative. In staggered sequences, hinterland residents will soon benefit from enhanced health services over the next three years with projects estimated to cost approximately $125 billion into the enhancement of the healthcare systems in Lethem, Kato, Kamarang, Mabaruma, Moruca, Bartica and Port Kaituma.
Underscoring the government’s commitment to ensuring no citizen is excluded from the national Development Agenda, the Head of State said “More than $125 billion will be invested in upgrading these facilities, giving you the best working conditions. That is important; giving the population the best possible access to healthcare services; that is what transforms societies.” Since Dr. Cheddi Jagan declared September to be Amerindian Heritage Month, in 1995, there has been projected into the national and psychological psyche that Amerindians are no longer going to be a marginalized people subsisting on the crumbs of developmental initiatives within the national construct, but will be fully integrated into the holistic national programme for development by the PPP/C Administration, and one of the basic components of this new paradigm is the Amerindian Act.
The Amerindian Act, 2005 provides for, inter alia:
1) Grants to communal land – Unlike the old Act, the new Act includes a process for the granting of land. For instance, a community can apply for land once they can prove that they have been living there for at least 25 years and the Minister must commence an investigation and make a decision within 6 months.
2) Leases: The Minister is not required to approve the leasing of titled Amerindian land, as opposed to the 1st Act where the Minister is required to approve it. In the new Act, the communities are only required to seek the advice of the Minister.
3) Intellectual Property Rights: With respect to the use of scientific research, the researcher will, among other things, have to submit to the Village Council a copy of any publication containing material derived from the research.
4) Environmental Protection: The Amerindian Act supports the need for the communities to use their natural resources in a way that lends support to the concept of sustainability: Impact Assessments will have to be completed in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act.
5) Mining and Forestry: Amerindians will have a legal right to traditional mining with the consent of the Village Council and they must comply with the relevant legislation. With regard to forestry, the Village Council plays an integral role in determining who is allowed to use their land and on what terms.
6) Governance: The Village Council is empowered to establish rules for their communities and set fines within the legal confines of the law. Notably, the money received due to the non- adherence to the rules goes into the Village Council’s account, not the Government’s.
7) Consultations: More than half of the recommendations are reflected in the Act. These inclusions were as a result of recommendations from the communities and other stakeholders. The process lasted two years and is an unprecedented one in this part of the hemisphere.
The Amerindians of Guyana are given equal status within the landscape of Guyanese citizenhood by every PPP/PPPC government, while yet being encouraged to sustain their cultural and traditional norms; which far surpasses the treatment meted out to indigenous peoples of even first-world countries. The revised Amer-indian Act is merely one component of the holistic approach successive PPP/C governments have taken to enhance economic growth and social development in Amerindian communities. Reflected in recent media cycles are the notable efforts by anti-development voices to forward a narrative that the indigenous are being ostracized here in Guyana. These opinions are primarily from the same voices that are keen on attacking the President’s One Guyana initiative by use of race-baiting and fear-mongering tactics. The evidence of the government’s commitment to the development of all Guyanese is clear and present and therefore all right-minded Guyanese must resist the efforts of these anti-Nationalists and their divisive messages
It must be noted that the government proved its mettle via its early struggles to get into office following the 2020 regional and General Elections. Their fight to protect Guyana’s democracy and preserve the will of the electorate was not lost on many Guyanese both locally and in the diaspora. Guyana is now the fastest-growing economy in the world, owing primarily to its booming oil and gas sector. It is therefore critical that as a citizenry we reject the politics of division being pedaled by some sections of society and join our President and our government to ensure that we as a people enjoy the bounties of the future as a strong united people.
Sincerely,
Erin Northe
