Land problem not internal – Santa Rosa resident

The Region One Amerindian community and the neighbouring village of Kwebanna both claim a piece of land between the communities. “For her to dismiss it as an internal squabble, we feel offended,” said Sharon Atkinson, a Santa Rosa resident.

She told this newspaper that the village held an emergency meeting on March 1 where the matter was discussed. According to Atkinson, who is a member of the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), the problem manifested during the demarcation process. She said Land and Surveys department officials demarcated Kwebanna and “included a seven-mile stretch which is not included in the described title area”.

She said a part of it is land Santa Rosa had asked for in a land extension request. Atkinson said during President Bharrat Jagdeo’s visit to the community in 2006 to encourage them to accept demarcation, residents had requested that portion of land and he agreed. She said too that they had asked for land along the Kumaka to Kwebanna road to be included in the demarcation process but this was not done.

“It is not a case of an internal conflict,” Atkinson stressed. She said toshao of the village, Joseph ‘Marco’ De Souza was following up on the matter but they have heard nothing so far.

Atkinson also spoke about land issues that the Amerindians of Chinese Landing are facing with a miner being given concessions on their land without their approval and despite complaints to the authorities nothing being done.