UN, Canadian High Commission partner to host St Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri village cultural exchange

On the occasion of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the United Nations Guyana and the High Commission of Canada partnered with the Village Council of St Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri village to sponsor the Indigenous Drive/Cultural Exchange 2022.

The Indigenous Drive is an initiative which aims to promote Indigenous culture, making it more visible and integrated in everyday life.

Toshao for St Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri village, Timothy Andrews noted that most persons in Georgetown only experience Indigenous culture when they visit interior communities. However, through the Indigenous Drive, the residents of St Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri village brought the community to Georgetown as a way to directly integrate Indigenous culture in the heart of the city.
“Seeing an Amerindian person dressed in their native wear in the heart of Georgetown should not be a surprise [on] a regular business day,” Toshao Andrews stated. “This drive was to shift perceptions and increase awareness of Indigenous culture,” he is quoted as saying in a release from the Canadian High Commission in Georgetown.
Through the Indigenous Drive, more than 50 villagers from St Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri village and the surrounding communities, travelled to Georgetown on Tuesday for the cultural exchange. The villagers came dressed in their traditional and cultural wear and the team also included dancers and other performers who engaged in cultural displays.
The drive included engagements with several partners to identify opportunities for collaborations to make Indigenous culture more visible in the capital. Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Lennox Shuman, accompanied the team throughout the day as they met with partners and toured the city in their cultural wear.
As a part of the drive, the more than 50-member-strong team, including Toshao Andrews, Minister Sukhai and Deputy Speaker Shuman, participated in cultural programme at the High Commission of Canada.
Recently, the High Commission through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, had partnered with the Mainstay Whayaka village to fund a project aimed at providing training on climate smart agriculture and tourism to stimulate economic activity in the village. The High Commission is also working with the Guyana Marine Conservation Society to support a farming project in the Smiths Creek and Hosororro Indigenous communities to develop the local pepper production industry and agro-processing. Toshao Andrews indicated that in addition to this support from Canada, his community wanted to partner with the High Commission to focus on the advancement of Indigenous culture.
In response, High Commissioner Berman reiterated that Canada is committed to advancing the interests of Indigenous peoples.
“We look forward to facilitating more collaborations of this nature in the preservation of the richness of the Indigenous culture,” the High Commissioner said.
“Cultural exchanges, like this one, are an especially distinctive vehicle for sharing Indigenous people’s expression, uniqueness and experiences and we are profoundly grateful to share this cultural exchange with you.
“Indigenous peoples have been the custodians of a vault of knowledge on the environment, arts, foods, medicines and traditions, to name a few, that we must preserve as we focus on a pathway to learning, respect and reconciliation,” he added.
High Commissioner Berman also used the visit from the community as an opportunity to make a donation of Canadian animated Indigenous children’s books to the village.
Minister Pauline Sukhai in her remarks focused on the theme for this year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, and highlighted the importance of women in transferring tradition knowledge, stressing the need for more women in leadership and decision making. Sukhai went on to acknowledge the difficulties that Indigenous youth experience with retaining their culture, especially when living away from Indigenous villages. She was therefore very proud to support the initiative from Pakuri village to bring their culture to Georgetown.
“There are a lot of influences which prevents Indigenous youth in coastal areas from identifying with their culture but Indigenous youth in the hinterland are significantly closer to their culture and language,” the Minister noted.
Sukhai went on to share how women, including teachers, have been instrumental in the Hinterland communities in passing on languages and culture and ensuring that the young people know their traditions.
She emphasised the Government’s commitment to empowering Indigenous women, recognising their role in national and community efforts to preserve Indigenous languages and culture.
In addition to the programme at the High Commission, the entire team visited the United Nations (UN) Office in Georgetown, where the group interacted with UN Heads of agencies and staff.