A petition has been launched to ask the newly-appointed Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai not to rename the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs.
The change.org petition, which was started by Romario Hastings, a resident of Region Seven, also calls for the government to discontinue the use of the label “Amerindian” in official references to Guyana’s indigenous peoples out of the recognition that it is a historical misnomer.
In an interview with Sunday Stabroek, Hastings said that he anticipated a change in ministerial portfolios and designations, including that of the ministry charged with responsibility for the affairs of the Indigenous peoples.
