A recent visit to 15 villages across Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) ranging from the North Pakaraimas to the Deep South Rupununi, revealed a disturbing development among Indigenous youth. Reports from Village Councillors and accounts provided by village elders indicate that there is an increase in substance abuse by young Indigenous men in particular. While marijuana seems to be the most prevalent of drugs currently on the rise in the communities, cocaine and crack are also on the market. One report from a Lethem official suggested that local laboratories right in the town were set up for crack and is common knowledge to the neighbouring Brazilian Customs and Federal Police.
However, because it is cheaper and therefore more easily accessible, marijuana consumption has risen in popularity among the young people of the region. While there are those who defend the theory that it possesses medicinal proprieties and health benefits, primarily because it is a natural plant which has been used for centuries, the negative effects engendered by marijuana overuse and dependency are real. And this is what village elders in Indigenous communities are taking issue with.
One of the recurrent side effects highlighted is a dramatic increase in violence and abusive behaviour by young men. Cases of domestic violence, suicidal and life threatening behaviour are among the main side effects reported in communities.
When asked how they cope with the situation, village elders explained that those under the influence no longer care for the moral guidance and advice of elders as is customary in Indigenous communities. In Aishalton for instance, some elders explained that young men would now verbally abuse them in return.
It appears that while local leaders are conscious of the situation, repressing the trend remains a challenge for several reasons. Interviews with Toshaos and Village Councillors indicate that in some villages, elected leaders are involved in marketing drugs, in some cases, actively. The Police and school teachers are also being accused of complacency in the fight against drug dealers or of actually being involved in facilitating the market. In one Deep South community, a network allegedly comprised of the Police, Village Councillors and dealers, is reportedly instilling fear in village leaders who as a result now prefer to remain silent.
Prompted to give reasons for why they believe drugs to be on the increase in their communities, leaders explained that several factors including high rates of unemployment, a general economic decline in village economies, “coastlander” influence, and responsibility particularly from neighbouring mining districts, might be responsible. It was suggested that in some communities, substance abuse is rendering young Indigenous women increasingly vulnerable to the risk of sexual abuse, teenage pregnancies and Trafficking In Persons (TIP).
The urgent attention and investigation by national and regional authorities as well as regional awareness campaigns on substance abuse and their consequences, were a few of the proposed measures suggested by leaders to combat this new social dilemma which seems to have taken root in the Rupununi. Other areas of focus mentioned, included job creation and sustaining village economies. In every village visited, leaders pointed to gross neglect by the Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry and the Government of Guyana, in focusing on developmental issues and fulfilling campaign promises which included an enhanced environment and opportunities for young people in the hinterland.
President Granger had once advanced that narcotics is the “mother of all crimes” but in reality, the root of crime is more likely to be embedded in poverty, with the narco-trade being a direct consequence of an impoverished Guyana. Subsequently, it is by building the capacity of our young people and providing them with space to grow and develop, that we can reduce their vulnerability to narco-traffickers.
While the socioeconomic situation has generally deteriorated, Guyanese living in coastal regions still have access to more opportunities in comparison to those in hinterland Indigenous communities. As a result, the hinterland minority will continue to be on the frontline facing the brunt of Guyana’s current regression, and the impact might be irreversible in the lives of young people and on the Indigenous way of life.
Meanwhile, as we continue to wait for the coalition Government to deliver on its promises of “a good life for all”, it is the responsibility of the Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry to spearhead a collaborative investigation into this growing disturbance, with effective measures to remove all contributing elements involved.
