September is celebrated as Amerindian Heritage Month in Guyana and there is an unfathomable depth of priceless heritage to celebrate. Of all Caribbean nations, the two mainland territories of Guyana and Belize have the greatest store of extant monuments of ancient Amerindian civilisations in the whole region, and of the two, Guyana is the richer. Among the Anglophone islands, Jamaica, Trinidad and St Vincent claim and highlight notable Arawak and Carib identities, but these are historical and not supported by a surviving population of any significance.
By contrast, in Guyana there is a developed tradition during the first week of September, a mini-festival in which Amerindian people from almost all interior regions gather at a makeshift village in Georgetown. They take with them tangible and intangible vestiges of their heritage. These include stage performances of music and dance, items of traditional medicine, artifacts such as basketry and a wide range of crafts, an infinite variety of food items, and drinks, including famed alcoholic blends for exhibition and sale.
