Dear Editor,
It is now only a few weeks before the commencement of Amerindian Heritage month celebrations, and for the many Amerindian villages in the Rupununi this is a time when there are usually a number of cultural and sports competitions in anticipation of selection for the annual Regional Heritage and Sports Competition.
However, for this year, there has been virtually no information regarding this Regional Heritage competition.
No one knows if this event will actually take place and when.
Regional Amerindian Heritage celebrations have been the main focus of heritage celebrations within the Rupununi for the last five years or more. It is at this celebration that the many Amerindian villages of the Rupununi, from the South Pakaraimas to the Deep South Rupununi, form themselves into sub-districts to compete in cultural events, beauty pageants and male and female football competitions. This is also the time when the people of the vast Rupununi region are afforded the opportunity to meet with regional officials, Ministry of Amerindian Affairs officials, government and NGO agencies through meetings, workshops, etc. Participants for this celebration usually number more that 400 and aud-iences extend into the thousands.
The Regional Heritage celebrations are one of the biggest events that are held in the Rupununi every year.
They are on a par with such activities as rodeo and Rupununi Expo, and many coastlanders and foreign guests have been known to travel to the Rupununi for these celebrations. Yet within the last couple of years this event seems to be given less importance than it is due.
Last year the planning for the activity was in turmoil and it wasn’t until the last minute that the event took place. And when it did, it was not as smoothly coordinated as in previous years. This year seems to be going along a similar, or even worse path as there has been a virtual black-out of information from the necessary authorities.
Residents of the Rupununi travel hundreds of miles, often in most arduous conditions, to make it to the Regional Heritage celebrations. Such sacrifices are testimony to the importance that the people of the Rupununi give to these celebrations.
Yet, it seems that the necessary authorities do not place the same importance on the event as the people who participate in and anticipate the celebrations.
It therefore raises the question as to why an event of such magnitude is being subjected to such poor planning and coordinating. One also wonders why the event was taken from the original coordinators of this celebration and handed over to the regional authorities if so little attempt is being made to have a properly coordinated activity. Was this an attempt to phase out the celebration?
When queries are made to the officials about this year’s heritage celebrations the response has been “We don’t have any money to run off the activity.” How could this be when the regional administration is fully aware of the importance of this event and should have made the necessary budgetary allocation since last year?
If this activity was not budgeted for by the regional administration then it raises eyebrows. So what really was the reason for them taking over the activity from the previous organisers if they were not able to make funds available to run off the event? The previous organisers always ensured that there was adequate funding for the celebrations.
It is public knowledge that the national heritage activities were curtailed for this year, supposedly because of Carifesta. But what reason is there to curtail/cancel celebrations in the Rupununi?
Amerindian Heritage celebrations originated in the Rupununi through this regional heritage event. It was from this celebration that the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs developed the national heritage activities. To see what this regional event has now become, through no fault of the Amerindian communities, is most distressing.
So what really would Amerindian Heritage Month Celebrations be for the people of the Rupununi this year, and possibly for the future? From all indications it seems as though there will be no celebrations. The most disappointing aspect of no information on the subject is that there are people who are willing to coordinate the event on a voluntary basis. There are numerous agencies and individuals willing to come on board to make this event a reality through sponsorship. But nothing can be done because the regional officials are the official organisers and they have not come out and publicly stated that they are not going to be sponsoring the event.
If they had realised that they were not going to be able to fund the event, then they should have indicated that a long time ago and alternative arrangements could have been put in place. As it is now, even if a voluntary event comes on stream, the time for organising the event will be too short and the standard may be compromised.
The chaos with organising the Regional Heritage Celebrations in the Rupununi is now becoming an annual affair and it is taking away the importance and quality of the event. It is time that the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and/or government reevaluate their decision to give this event to the regional authorities as they do not seem to have the financial and administrative capacity to properly undertake it.
Meanwhile the people of the Rupununi still await with baited breath for the pronouncement on this year’s Regional Heritage (Non) celebrations.
Yours faithfully,
M. Emile
