Dear Editor,
I extend belated greetings to my indigenous brothers and sisters, as our Amerindian Heritage Month’s program of activities, comes to an end in a short while. I wish to take this opportunity to convey my congratulations to the “Nine Nations” organization for their sterling contributions they made during our Heritage celebrations, and making this occasion a more educational one. We also commend them for coming on board independently to add substance to our annual event, since some programs on the national agenda are seen by many as recycled items. Since the members of “Nine Nations” have been organizing their own events, both educational and showcasing their traditional talents in a unique way, very soon they will be the organization to be reckoned with.
Permit me to express my profound disappointment with some issues that might have slipped past the lenses of some watchful eyes, which may have reflected some grave displeasure among our indigenous peoples in particular for those who are cognizant of what is taking place as it relates to gross disrespect shown by government officials, towards the indigenous peoples of this country. In recent times, some of us heard those elaborate spinners, whose intentions were intended to confuse, when they erroneously inferred about Amerindians attending educational institutions under the PPP government. But as we all know, Amerindians were already attending Queens \College, Saint Stanislaus, Bishop’s High School and other learning institutions, many moons before the dawn of 1992. These remarks by the spider web spinners were an attempt to trap un-informed persons into their tangled web, to create confusion as usual.
Not so long ago, at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, the head of state, President Irfaan Ali, while addressing the National Toshoas Council (NTC) transformed the atmosphere of the conference into a class-room of detained juvenile delinquents; where he scolded our democratically elected Amerindian leaders/ toshoas to take heed of the rules laid out by the PPP, as it related to the LCDS funding. Hence, by exhibiting his rants of disrespect on our indigenous leaders, they were humiliated and subsequently subjugated to his unpleasant demands. I ask my indigenous brothers and sisters to resist these continuous attempts of bullyism by those in power, who want to forcefully continue to place wool over our eyes.
Editor, we can look back as far as when our great ancestors travelled to European countries to attend colleges and universities (where was the PPP then?) On their return, they were able to re-enforce several important areas, with their acquired skills, where they mastered cartography and assisted expertly in the mapping of the Guianas. In closing, kudos to the Ariwa village council (St. Ignatius) for a well done job in completing their initiative for their benab and stalls and for the hosting of the regional Heritage Month Celebrations.
Sincerely,
Mark Anthony Rodrigues