Dear Editor,
A landmark case in the High Court of Guyana is about to unfold in the wake of a lawsuit filed on behalf of the Akawaio and Arekuna peoples of the Upper Mazaruni district. Of interest one should note that the lawsuit was filed in 1998, proceedings of which began in November, 2007.
One feels very strongly about the circumstances which prompted these aggrieved people to file a lawsuit and which, though historic in Guyana, is not alone in our global village. We are not alone and that is of tremendous importance to us Amerindians who live in this part of the world.
Certain pronouncements that point to us Amerindians as a people wanting to “create a state within a state” are immature, pre-emptive and should be ignored.
Really, what persons should take note of are the many successful case stories, one recently in Belize, where indigenous persons and communities, are sparing no efforts to use available mechanisms at their disposal to have their inalienable title to their ancestral lands recognized. Yes, we are not alone and the time had come when Indigenous peoples the world over have begun to have their presence felt in no uncertain way.
Blatant denial of an Indigenous people’s cultural way of life in relation to their ownership of ancestral lands has caused many a social problem, to say the least, and the ‘Upper Maz’ story is a case in point.
What are the implications of this case and how is it important to Guyana? On September 13, 2007, Guyana became a signatory to the United Nations Declarations of the Rights of Indigenous peoples. Member states are not bound by the General Assembly resolutions but as far as this declaration is concerned there are certain general principles of international law contained therein, which member states are not expected to ignore.
It is anticipated, then, that the Upper Mazaruni lawsuit will be given the prominence it deserves by the media, as the world watches the unfolding drama.
Yours faithfully,
Joe Atkinson
