Dear Editor,
September is Amerindian Heritage Month and is also designated as Education Month in Guyana. Observing both is important for our people because education and culture are intertwined.
Education does not occur only in the classroom but also outside of it—at home, at church, in community meetings, and in other social spaces. Schools also play an important role in fostering the celebration of Amerindian heritage during September. These extracurricular activities allow students to relearn about their customs and practices through the display of food, crafts, music, dance, language, myths, stories, and literature.
In Guyana, there are very few children’s stories written by Amerindians themselves, except for a few writers who are now recognising the importance of doing so. Special mention must be given to the local artists and writers from the Wapichan people of the South Rupununi, who have been writing and producing their own bilingual children’s storybooks. Also, the recent initiative by our team has recently produced a bilingual children’s storybook in Lokono and English about Mr Stephen Campbell, Guyana’s first Amerindian minister and member of parliament. More initiatives like these, coming directly from the people themselves, must be encouraged and supported.
History tells us that Indigenous languages have traditionally been spoken orally at home and within communities, reflecting the fact that we do not come from a strong written or scribal culture. Our elders transmit information and knowledge to us through storytelling and practical activities such as farming, fishing, making crafts and hunting.
However, formal schooling teaches our children that they must learn to read and write in English. This is good because it helps them gain a Western education, obtain employment, and contribute to the development of our country.
However, since Indigenous languages are traditionally spoken orally, there is a need to document the rich and interesting stories, tales, biographies of famous Amerindians, myths, and legends in written form and publish them as books. This is a sure way to value, preserve, and archive this wealth of knowledge belonging to our people.
As such, there is a need to promote an Amerindian village in Guyana annually as a Literature Village, celebrating the two significant calendar events during September: Amerindian Heritage Month and Education Month.
At the Literature Village, apart from local food, drinks, dance, and other cultural activities, there could also be launches of books produced by Amerindian writers. These could include bilingual children’s storybooks that help children learn about their Indigenous languages, local ecology and biodiversity, the knowledge of elders, and local music.
Such an initiative would bring together education, culture, language, literature, and community knowledge. More importantly, it would provide an opportunity for Amerindian people to tell their own stories, preserve their knowledge, and ensure that future generations can continue to learn from the wisdom and experiences of their elders.
Yours sincerely
Lokojan research Moruca and Wakapoa team,
Kim Fredericks,
Medino Abraham,
Jones Richards
Discussion