Respecting Amerindians, while alive and in death

Dear Editor,

The four-year-old male child from the Mabaruma township (Barima/Waini) who was bitten by a poisonous scorpion on Saturday, 5th August, 2017 and died the same day at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) has been laid to rest at the Mabaruma cemetery, after a decent burial on Saturday, 12th August, 2017.

Thanks a million to the Regional Health Officer (RHO) and the owners of “Wings of Humanity”, an aircraft made quick arrangements for the child’s body to be flown back to Mabaruma after the post mortem, for a decent burial.

But if it were not for the RHO and owners of Wings of Humanity, the poor Mabaruma child would have been given a “poor or criminal burial” at the Georgetown Cemetery. I was informed that there is a $30,000 pittance for death expenses paid out by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs (MoIPA).

According to my understanding, the MoIPA has completed its budget for submission to the Ministry of Finance (MoF), for incorporation into Guyana’s upcoming National Budget.

I wonder what MoIPA’s budgetary line item for Amerindian death expenses looks like?

If it is not at least $8 million, Amerindians referred to the GPH for medical treatment by hinterland hospitals, if they die, will continue to be given poor burials like criminals, in Georgetown.

I do not think this is being fair to our people. It is gross hypocrisy when we see the value and importance of Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples only when they are alive, but when they die: to hell with them.

It is therefore very important that, as representatives of Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples, we desperately need to respect them when they are alive, and when they die.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Persaud