The cost to rebuild the historic Umana Yana, which was gutted by fire last month, has been submitted to the Ministry of Finance to be included in 2015 budget following an estimate given by a Wai Wai group,
According to Permanent Secretary of the Culture Ministry Alfred King, who spoke with Stabroek News at his Main Street Office yesterday, members of the Wai Wai tribe visited and looked at the remains of the Umana Yana and developed a framework. He added that an estimate of the cost to rebuild the structure was arrived at and submitted to the Ministry of Finance to be put into the 2015 budget. However, he did not disclose what the estimated cost was.
The 55-foot-tall thatched-roof benab, which served as a leading centre for cultural events in the city,
was engulfed in flames on the afternoon of September 9, as a result of what appeared to be an electrical fire. It was ravaged within a matter of minutes, despite attempts by the Guyana Fire Service to save it.
Named the Umana Yana, which means “meeting place,” the structure was built by Amerindians in 1972. In 2010, it was refurbished by 39 Amerindians of the Wai Wai tribe at a cost of $16M and included the team painstakingly affixing over 500,000 troolie palm leaves, held together by vines gathered from St Cuthbert’s Mission.
Minister of Culture Dr. Frank Anthony had told Stabroek News that the misfortune was particularly sad in light of it happening during Amerindian Heritage month. He went on to say that his ministry may have to include the reconstruction in next year’s budget because it is an important heritage building and it would like to see it re-erected as soon as possible.
Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai had also said she would call for the restoration of the structure as soon as possible “because Guyana would not be complete without it.”
