There are approximately 370 million indigenous people spanning 70 countries, worldwide. Historically they have often been dispossessed of their lands, or in the center of conflict for access to valuable resources because of where they live, or, in yet other cases, struggling to live the way they would like. Indeed, indigenous people are often amongst the most disadvantaged people in the world.
http://www.globalissues.org/article/693/rights-of-indigenous-people
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are people, communities, and nations who claim a historical continuity and cultural affinity with societies endemic to their original territories that developed prior to exposure to the larger connected civilization associated with Western culture. These societies therefore consider themselves distinct from societies of the majority culture/s that have contested their cultural sovereignty and self-determination.
They have historically formed and still currently form the minority/non-dominant sectors within majority-culture societies and are intentioned towards preserving, reviving, and enhancing the efficacy, cohesion, and uniqueness of their traditional social values and customary ties along with a conscientious effort to transmit this knowledge to future generations. This forms the basis of contemporary campaigns for reclamation of their own representational sovereignty and continued existence and recognition as peoples who desire to live according to their own cultural attributes, social systems and structures of law.[1] Several widely accepted formulations, however, which seek to variously define the term indigenous peoples have been put forward by a couple of other prominent and internationally recognized organizations, such as the International Labour Organization and the World Bank.
Other related terms for indigenous peoples include aborigines (
æbəˈrɪdʒɪni (help·info)), aboriginal people, native people,first people, fourth world cultures and autochthonous. "Indigenous peoples" may often be used in preference to these or other terms as a neutral replacement, where such terms may have taken on negative or pejorative connotations by their prior association and use. It is the preferred term in use by the United Nations and its subsidiary organizations.
æbəˈrɪdʒɪni (help·info)), aboriginal people, native people,first people, fourth world cultures and autochthonous. "Indigenous peoples" may often be used in preference to these or other terms as a neutral replacement, where such terms may have taken on negative or pejorative connotations by their prior association and use. It is the preferred term in use by the United Nations and its subsidiary organizations.Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The German Experience - hinterland students
Guyana Chronicle
July 20, 2003
GEORGETOWN (GINA) -- On Thursday July 17, the seven-member team of students and teachers from the Santa Rosa Secondary School in Region One (Barima/Waini) returned to Guyana after a three-week school exchange visit to Germany.
The students and teachers spoke with GINA on Friday about their first exposure to the world and their commitment to maintain the relationship between the two schools.
Delip Bridgelall: "The experience was not very strange. It was strange in the way that I did not expect to see a lot of vegetation. The roads are well controlled and maintained. There are a lot of strange buildings and the people preserve their culture. They maintain their historical sites well. For example, we went to the famous castle 22km from Leichlingen and the famous cathedral (589 stairs) in Cologne. What I observed is that their poor people are like our richest people." About his experience of the classroom scenario, Bridgelall observed that the German students do not wear uniforms to school; that they eat in their classrooms whenever they wish and that they have a lot of spending money daily.
He learnt that the State provides financial assistance to persons who are unable to secure jobs.
Bridgelall, like the other students on the trip, wrote the CXC examinations before going on the trip. Even though he hopes to graduate shortly from the Santa Rosa Secondary School, the teenager plans to remain in his community to serve his people by providing assistance in Agriculture as he sees the need for more productivity.
He says his first option would be to further his studies in Agriculture as he continued to explore what life has to offer.
He, along with the other students, hopes to continue contributing to maintaining the school link by sharing their experience with students of the school and to render whatever support they can. Many of them are hoping to become teachers at their alma mater so that their contribution could be meaningful.
Cyntia Rodrigues, 17, from Kamwatta in Moruca, said she enjoyed the trip very much. What amazed her was the maintenance of the forest, which she says are kept properly by youth groups. "You could walk underneath the trees and they are very clean. Also, there are a lot of information on the forest trees about their species and history in general," she said.
She observed that the Germans are very friendly but they do not take things for granted. "Things that we would take for granted, they don't, "she said.
Initially, Ms. Rodrigues wants to offer her teaching services at the Santa Rosa Secondary School after which she hopes to pursue a career in professional nursing so that she can "give better service to people."
Rachel Abraham, 16, said she was "fascinated by many trees. It was like I was expecting a city of buildings and steel," she said. The architecture is very old-fashioned and very different from Guyana."
She observed that "family life is very different too. Families are very busy. They hardly have the opportunity to be at home… and some children are out very late at nights.
The food and environment was strange and different. "At first I thought I could not cope but I adapted to it." According to her, they have been assured that the partnership would go on and that perhaps there would be similar exchange visits in the future.
The teenager has a long-term goal of becoming a detective. "I know that that is unusual, but that's what I want. I want to investigate and deal with people who break the law," she said.
She advises young people especially students of her school to "take up education, study hard because education is everything. It is the road to success and without it you cannot make it in life."
She said her family was very proud of the opportunity she was given to learn about other people. "If I have another opportunity to go to another country I would be able to live up to the expectations."
Tonya Wilson, 16, of Kwebanna, and a former dormitory student at Santa Rosa, said she and her family were thankful for the opportunity to go on the trip. What enthralled her in Germany were the teaching facilities. The local students participated in Information Technology, Mathematics, English and Physical Education classes with their foreign counterparts. She observed that the classes were very demonstrative and effective with slides, video and so on.
Daniel Rodrigues: "It was a good trip. But I encountered a problem with the culture barrier. I had a hard time adapting. Now I would be able to cope with different people."
The teenager observed that the Germans are very proud of their culture and that they have full respect for punctuality.
He said that the continuation and growth of the school link depends on the students who were on the trip, who now have a better understanding of the German culture, to pass on the other students, parents and teachers.
He said there are some existing pen friendships, but this needs to be expanded. Young Rodrigues has his aim on becoming a medical doctor in a few years time.
Bernadette Dindyal - teacher
For her, the experience was not very shocking, since she lived in Venezuela for a while. The language, at first, was a bit difficult but eventually she learnt a few words and phrases. Perhaps it was because the food was different that she learnt "Isn aber hunger" - (I am hungry), among the first phrases.
She believes that languages are very important for everyone because no one knows what opportunities they may encounter.
Like some of the students, Mrs. Dindyal observed that the teaching strategies were very different and easy for the teachers because of the available facilities. "In Santa Rosa most times it is chalk and talk," she said.
Teacher Bernie, as she is called, said the visiting team taught the Germans a lot about Guyanese, particularly Amerindian culture. For instance, she said that many of the students and teachers overseas were of the view that they could not survive without electricity, telecommunication and so on. However, "we showed them how we survived under these conditions," she pointed out.
The Germans have contributed significantly, especially in terms of providing sport gears and communication and electricity supplies to the interior school. In turn, the interior school basically shares information on Guyana. "They are very excited about what they learn from us."
According to Victor Ferreira, Senior Master acting, despite the fact that the students are all final-year students, the aim is to have the team members meet and present a report as well as to share their experience with other students of the school as well as teachers and parents.
Santa Rosa Secondary School established a link with the German school - Staditsche Gemeinschaftshaupschule Am Hammer, in Leichlingen, Germany a few years ago. The partnership emerged out of a Conference for Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin held in Germany some eight years ago.
According to him, the school-link programme hopes to reach out to other hinterland schools. He said another town in Germany (Levereskusen) expressed interest in establishing a partnership with the local school. However, he suggested that the town make contact with the North West Secondary School since the existing partnership is focused solely on Santa Rosa Secondary School. "I think it would be a better idea to spread this kind of programme across Guyana," he said.
The retiring teacher said he hopes that this initiative, should the school agree to the link programme, would see the Region One Education Department supporting the two school link programme.
Mr. Ferreira is very concerned about the continuation of the programme, since he managed it since it materialized in 1995, but is retiring next year.
In another three years, the next German team is expected to come to Guyana on a similar mission.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Saint Rose of Lima - First Saint of the Americas
Saint Rose, born Isabel De Flores Y Del Oliva in Lima, Peru on 20 April, 1586, and after a life of constant struggle, died there 30 August, 1617. She was beatified by Clement IX, in 1667, and canonized in 1671 by Clement X, becoming the first American saint. Represented in numerous images wearing a crown of roses, her feast day is celebrated 30 August.
Who was this extraordinary woman?
Her father was a Spaniard, and her mother of Indian blood. Isabel was a sickly baby but soon grew healthy and beautiful. Her family was poor, and hoped that Isabel, growing into an extremely attractive young woman, would marry well and assist the rest of her family. Since childhood, when Isabel was nicknamed Rose, or Rosa for her looks and rosy cheeks, the young girl had an affinity for the religious rather than the secular. She did not wish to marry, and her refusal was something her parents couldn't tolerate. She took a vow of chastity and modeled herself on St. Catherine of Siena, devoting herself to a life of abnegation and self-mortification. Despite her family's objections, the ridicule of friends and family, Rosa continued to practice extreme forms of religious observance.
She disliked her looks and the attention they brought her. Images made at the time of her life show her piously lifting her eyes to heaven, but it is this image that is more in keepng with modern visualizations of her. She fasted, then became a vegetarian, mortifying her flesh with hard work and going so far as to rub lye or lime into her hands, rub pepper into her face and skewer her head with a long pin instead of a circlet of roses fashioned for her by her mother. All this self-cruelty to turn attention away from her beauty and focus it on God.
Additionally, she flogged herself, wore a hair shirt and slept little. It took her many years of prayer, fasting, hard work and secret penances before her family reluctantly agreed to let her become a Dominican Tertiary, or a member of the Third Order, taking vows of poverty, at twenty. She moved out of her family home into a small grotto built on their property, where she continued to devote herself to the care of the poor and infirm. She helped her family with her fine workmanship and was known for her lace.
She continued in her religious practices, denying herself food and mortifying her body, offering up her suffering as a way of atoning for the idolatry of her country, for the conversion of sinners, and for the souls in Purgatory. If she followed these extreme practices today, hno doubt she would be examined both physically and psychiatrically, but during her lifetime, she was either lauded or scorned for her piety.
Following her death at thirty-one, her funeral could not take place for days as the people of Lima thronged to see her body. She was buried in the cemetery of the Dominican convent. Later, as a number of miracles were attributed to her, her remains were moved to the church of San Domingo, where was laid to rest in a special chapel.
Canonized as Santa Rosa de Lima, she is the patron saint of Lima, of Peru, indeed, all the Americas, Phillippines, India, florists, gardeners, and people ridiculed for their piety. She is symbolized by her love for the Holy Infant, roses, as a Dominican tertiery holding roses and as a Dominican tertiery accompanied by the Holy Infant.
The celebration of her feast day in Lima is a particularly important one.
Uncle Basil yearns for Banchikili revival
While being cognisant of the loss of the Arawak culture, Basil Rodrigues believes that if interventions are made, the spiral can be stymied so that this culture can be passed on to youths.
Rodrigues known as ‘Uncle Basil’ is a resident of Santa Rosa; a community found within the Moruca Sub-Region, Region One and has lived a life devoted to teaching and guitar music. He was born on June 13, 1932 at Bullet Tree, Waini River before moving in 1940 to Santa Rosa to attend primary school.
Basil Rodrigues
“Banjo music had me interested and I wanted to know how to play,” he said. This early love for music grew from listening to Hurrup and Banchikili (Spanish Arawak music), which was played frequently in the community. He recalled how he and other boys would peep at “dances” from the trees since they were not allowed to go in. At other times, he and his friends would paddle two or three miles down the Moruca River singing western songs particularly those of Hank Williams, who hits included “Your Cheating Heart” and “Hey Good Looking”. A Roman Catholic nun, Sister Teresa, did not like that since she thought they were drinking, but he said that was not so; they just loved the music.
He was 19 years on in 1951, when his mother’s permission was sought for him to go teach at a school in Karaudarnaua, Deep South Rupununi. While he took with him his love for guitar playing, adjusting to a different environment where little English was used was difficult. He said he was often lonely and found that he could not fit in.
However, in 1954, he moved to Shea, another community in the Deep South, as head teacher with the aim of opening a primary school. He remembers climbing Shea Rock and using that time to reflect on life. “The geography of the land presented an ideal place to learn, reminisce and discover,” he said. It was while there that he realised that he could compose songs on life of the people in the Rupununi, their heritage, beliefs and the tough life they lived.
Therefore after work, he would try to fit his compositions to Samba, a music form which was often played there. “I found as a teacher, the children used to be more interested in this new form of music and it helped because I could not get them to understand how I operated as a teacher,” he said.
He wrote songs, skits and dances that the smallest child could join in and perform. Even though the Wapishana language was difficult for him, he was determined to learn it and managed to write many of his skits in this language.
Rodrigues and wife Dolly at the National Cultural Centre after he received the Medal of Service in 1991
“I spent almost a lifetime at Shea; almost 25 years, with breaks of course, because I had to attend the teachers training college during that time, and after I completed that I went back to teach in the Rupununi.” A few years later, he moved to Aishalton, another village in the Deep South, and spent the next eleven years teaching there. He said Aishalton was different from Shea in that the people were harder working, independent and wanted to do things.
He said that he was encouraged by former Toshao Henry Winter to settle there. However, when the plane service to the area was discontinued in the 1980s, articles in the stores got expensive. At that point, he was no longer a teacher and owned of a herd of cattle which he tried to increase in number so as to sustain his family. However, two things happened which changed the course of his life.
Firstly, his health began to deteriorate amidst the lack of proper medical facilities and secondly people started to get into the habit of cattle rustling. These two factors led to his decision to return to Moruca.
In 1992, he returned to Santa Rosa and rekindled his love for music especially the Banchikili which was the main form of musical entertainment there. But Amerindian culture there was different from how he had left it. “I found that the culture was rapidly dying out, the youths had left the culture by itself because they were ashamed to dance and play their music, and were more interested in modern music.”
He added that a famous violinist, who was well respected in the community, Aloysius La Rose called ‘Uncle Bull’ conceptualised the idea of forming a band along with Frank Hernandez who played the fiddle. He said he decided to part of the band because of his love for playing the guitar. They named the band, the Mariaba String Band. He said the name “Mariaba” was the original name of Santa Rosa.
Basil Rodrigues and members of the Mariaba String Band
The band played the banchikili music which was passed down from Spanish Arawaks who came from Venezuela in 1817 and settled in the Moruca area. Rodrigues said the band performed at several functions up until the late 1990s. Unfortunately, in 1996 he suffered a heart attack which resulted in him losing energy. As a result of his poor health, he could not move about much and as such lost interest in the band. During the course of that year, the band also lost two other members.
Rodrigues was also the recipient of two national awards namely the Medal of Service given to him in 1991 for his community work in the Rupununi. While the other, the Arrow of Achievement was bestowed on him in 1998 for his teaching and musical endeavours.
Currently, while the band is still in existence, “it is barely surviving”, he said, since its two members have limited knowledge of the banchikili music. He said he is very sad about that, but there is little he can do. When the band was at its optimum, it had recorded several tapes of its music; Rodrigues is hoping that he can acquire some of these tapes to keep as a memoir of the fading music.
He bemoaned the fact that the culture was not passed on after the elders died. “Why couldn’t I get our boys to pass it on?” He hopes that one day he can write about life at Moruca especially on “what happened to the original teachers who left Moruca for the South Rupununi for places like Achiwib, Awaruranawa, Mararuranawa and Sand Creek.” He added that the communities all had teachers from Moruca who later settled there. “Moruca is really the backbone of education there.”
Now, at age 78 Uncle Basil spends his time engrossed in reading and gardening. However, he identifies himself also as a poet of over 60 works on Moruca, Kanima and “jumbies”. He no longer performs but is ever-willing to assist school children with bits of advice and poetry.
While he may be removed from the physical aspects of culture, the worry of loss of culture and language is never far from his mind. “Sadly, culture is not popular here [Santa Rosa], we don’t know our language and the youths are not interested.
“We are forgetting our dances; it has become a laughing matter now because they make so many mistakes.”
While he may be removed from the physical aspects of culture, the worry of loss of culture and language is never far from his mind. “Sadly, culture is not popular here [Santa Rosa], we don’t know our language and the youths are not interested.
“We are forgetting our dances; it has become a laughing matter now because they make so many mistakes.”
Uncle Basil believes that not enough is being done to engage youths in their culture. He is of the opinion that schools can play a greater role in curbing this cultural loss with the addition of music teachers. Further, he said that a “meaningful” committee with determined people can be set up to revive the Arawak culture.
“We could make an impression; it doesn’t mean anything if we only want to do culture when September comes,” he remarked.
While there has been a loss in Arawak culture, he still hopes it can be halted by capitalising on the existing knowledge possessed by the community’s elders. While he no longer performs, he stands out as a man of knowledge about music and the Amerindian way of life in Santa Rosa.
While there has been a loss in Arawak culture, he still hopes it can be halted by capitalising on the existing knowledge possessed by the community’s elders. While he no longer performs, he stands out as a man of knowledge about music and the Amerindian way of life in Santa Rosa.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Our future Hope..
Medino Abraham is a Guyanese Jesuit Who is at present engaged with a University course in Pedagogy in South Brazil. Last semester, as part of his pratical work, he had the chance to experience working with a branch of Fe Y Alegria, run by the Jesuits of Porto Alegre. He says he found the experience very helpful “because it offered me an opportunity to catch a glimpse of one of the dimensions of the Jesuit´s involvement in Education for the poor in Latin America”.
Fé y Alegria ( literally, Faith and Joy) was founded in Venezuela in 1955 as a non-governmental organization to establish direct contact with the poor and the needy. It supports the educative services both on the peripheries of the big cities and among the poor of the rural areas. Fr. José Maria Vélaz S.J, the founder of the movement, best capsulated this ideal when he said: “Where the asphalt ends and the town changes its name, Fé Y Alegria began”.
Fé y Alegria has its philosophical roots in the work of the famous Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, who developed a model of Popular education, which was quite different to what he felt was the traditional “elitist” system of education found in Latin America.
The movement operates differently in most places and countries, depending on the needs of the people in that country. In Brazil, the movement was established in 1981; and the branch here in the southern state of Brazil has been running for the past four years. The service offered is for children who are victims of sexual abuse, enforce child labor and other forms of ill treatment. The school acts both as a symbol of solidarity and provides a place of protection, while as the same time offers an opportunity to develop and transformed their gifts.
My weekly visits to the school were on Friday afternoons. I began by getting to know the children, and to familiarize myself with the activities carried out by the institution. The small building structure serves 105 children from the ages of five to 14, and has five teachers. Because of the need to protect and develop the children´s potential, this branch of Fe y Alegria has adopted the model of non-formal education; in other words, it does not teach formal subjects like mathematics and Portugues, but instead used the insights of Piaget and Friere. (The children go to a regular school in the mornings and in the afternoon go to classes at Fe e Alegria). At Fe y Alegria it offeres classes in art, sport, music, dance, care for the environment and computing. Also included in the school curriculum is training in human formation, which is moulded by the Ignatian Spirituality.
My experience in the school was very consoling: I was edified, especially to see my brothers in the Brazilian Society of Jesus reaching out to the poor so creatively through education. Fé y Alegria is offering the little ones an opportunity to be better persons and, despite their own past experience of being abused by the world, help them to make a positive contribution to that same world. In protecting and caring for these children, who are our future hope, Fe y Alegria stands as an excellent example of Jesus ‘own commission to the disciples: “Let the little children come to me!”
taken from the Jesuits and Friends Magazine.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Amerindians of South America
The Amerindians are the original peoples of the South American continent, who from the time of the first European invasion 500 years ago and the continuous settlement since, have had their populations decimated by a combination of warfare and disease. More than 20 million Amerindians have died — a figure equal to that of the original pre-European population. Amerindians are found throughout South America; they are not a homogenous group and are divided into many peoples — increasingly referred to as “nations”. The two major divisions are between those of the Andean highlands and of the tropical lowlands which contain the Amazon and Orinoco River basins. The rights of indigenous people centre on the principle of self-determination and especially land rights.
History
The first Amerindians crossed the frozen Bering Straits about 30,000 years ago and between 15,000 and 20,000 years ago began to spread throughout the highlands and lowlands of South America. Agricultural settlements began to appear around 5,000 years ago. The most famous quasi-state organization — there were several — was the Quichua-speaking Incas who held power between present-day Equador in the north and northern Chile and Argentina in the south. The continent contained a broad spectrum of socio-economic and cultural patterns.Soon after Colombus’ arrival on American soil, Spain and Portugal had agreed to divide the uncharted world amongst themselves. The colonists were eager to exploit trade in wood and sugar, which soon brought them into conflict with the indigenous peoples. Labour shortages caused colonists to seek indigenous slaves which produced resistance in the form of hostilities that lasted throughout the century. To complicate matters, French and Dutch interests in the continent fought Portuguese hegemony — and exploited Indian resistance to their own ends. Meanwhile Jesuit missionaries tried to bring Indians intoreducions, where they were killed in their hundreds of thousands by diseases such as dysentry, influenza and smallpox. Settlers looking for more land were also responsible for countless deaths among Amerindians. On the Pacific coast, the Spanish did not bother setting up trading relations, but proceeded to milk the Andean area for minerals.
By 1750 the continent was under Iberian rule, although many areas defied the invaders. Portugal expelled the Jesuits in 1759 and Spain followed nine years later. The French Bourbon dynasty, which had control of the Spanish throne began to liberalize practices in Peru, mainly as a means of combating British interests in the area. However, Britain eventually gained economic predominance in South America, Andean Indian resistance in Quichua and Aymara, though solidly backed, was put down. Even today several
Stephen Campbell
Campbell was born in the Moruca sub-district of Region One on December 26, 1819 to parents who both died when he was at a tender age, leaving him in the care of his grandmother. He was a student of the Santa Rosa Mission School and was someone who had a passion for learning in his early life and this influenced his character as a person with a discovery method.
Campbell married at the age of 31 in 1928 and migrated to various locations in Regions One, Two, Seven and Nine where he was involved in teaching, road construction, gold mining, rubber tapping, fishing and tree spotting.
Campbell married at the age of 31 in 1928 and migrated to various locations in Regions One, Two, Seven and Nine where he was involved in teaching, road construction, gold mining, rubber tapping, fishing and tree spotting.
His political will, however, was aroused during his tenure at the Waini sawmill where Amerindians and other sections of the Guyanese population were seeking representation.
With the proposal of Universal Adult Suffrage in 1951, this gave the Amerindians the opportunity to participate in General Elections as Campbell began to show keener interest in politics.
April 27, 1956 marked the first time in history that Amerindians in Guyana exercised their franchise and the following year, Campbell at the age of 60 was first elected to the Legislative Council of British Guiana.
He subsequently entered the National Labour Front (NLF) and became the first Amerindian to contest the General Elections in British Guiana.
This historical event was the turning point in Stephen Campbell’s personal life which was influenced by a sense of duty towards the Amerindian people.
“In the year 1957, I he entered politics at the request of the Amerindians who felt that they had no one to represent their interests in the Central Government,” Campbell had said.
Among his greatest achievements was the move towards crafting the Amerindian Act and to develop better health facilities, a postal service and agriculture in the North West District.
Campbell died on May 12, 1966 two weeks before Guiana gained Independence from Britain.
With the proposal of Universal Adult Suffrage in 1951, this gave the Amerindians the opportunity to participate in General Elections as Campbell began to show keener interest in politics.
April 27, 1956 marked the first time in history that Amerindians in Guyana exercised their franchise and the following year, Campbell at the age of 60 was first elected to the Legislative Council of British Guiana.
He subsequently entered the National Labour Front (NLF) and became the first Amerindian to contest the General Elections in British Guiana.
This historical event was the turning point in Stephen Campbell’s personal life which was influenced by a sense of duty towards the Amerindian people.
“In the year 1957, I he entered politics at the request of the Amerindians who felt that they had no one to represent their interests in the Central Government,” Campbell had said.
Among his greatest achievements was the move towards crafting the Amerindian Act and to develop better health facilities, a postal service and agriculture in the North West District.
Campbell died on May 12, 1966 two weeks before Guiana gained Independence from Britain.
Tribute is paid to him in acknowledgement for his contributions of being a renowned advocate for Amerindian rights and representation (Stephen Campbell,) the first Amerindian to enter the Legislative Council of then British Guiana. His achievements and vision for the advancement of Amerindians earned him a place in the history of the country. We need more Amerindians like him.!!!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
How one elaborates a Christian Amerindian Theology.
The starting point is to get rid of the prejudices on both sides. The part of the indigenous peoples, cannot be born of hatred or condemnation and repudiation of 500 years of forced evangelization because, previously, they had their theology, their expression. Their contact with God is part of the past, and now they have to live the present and look with hope for the future as a people who were "reduced, but not defeated."
The challenge now is to show that with the new evangelization, it is possible to overcome the intolerance of the first evangelization, that of colonization that has prevailed against the indigenous religious cultures. Another condition is, on the other hand, not wanting to restrict the manifestation of God to a culture - the West - or limit it to the gateway to God, but accept that each nation can commune and relate to him in their own way.
The challenge now is to show that with the new evangelization, it is possible to overcome the intolerance of the first evangelization, that of colonization that has prevailed against the indigenous religious cultures. Another condition is, on the other hand, not wanting to restrict the manifestation of God to a culture - the West - or limit it to the gateway to God, but accept that each nation can commune and relate to him in their own way.
Amerindian Religion creates a more practical theology, that is, the fruit of experience which is reflected in myths and rituals, work and social life of a people, justified, much more than Western culture, reciprocity and sharing in the relationship with gratuity to God. (He gives, He takes) and with others (no one is abandoned when in need even when they don’t deserve it).
Finally, Amerindian Theology still has a long way to find a formulation that is Christian, that collects and purifies all the contributions of the religious experience of indigenous peoples which make it a reflection of their faith. However, it is nevertheless time to recognize their legitimacy, cultural identity, and experience of God to redeem the great values contained in Amerindian Peoples religious cultures which bring richness to the Catholic Church and even contributes to other Theologies.
Medino Abraham
Santa Rosa
Moruca
Theology and Cultures.
Theology (discourse about God) is the understanding and experience of God that takes place within history and culture of each nation. The Bible gives examples of inculturation, especially in the early Church, when it was confronted with different Hebrew cultures where it set aside the Jews´ fundamental faith practices such as circumcision and the conceptance of legal purity. In so doing various nations were converted to Christianity, taking with them their native languages and traditions to the church. In such way it should be today for Christianity when it inculturates with people who has different tradition, values, and who has a belief enough for them to practice. These beliefs are those that form the wealth of mankind, but for the Amerindians many of them superficially labeled as superstition and paganism, were destroyed during the colonial occupation. Today, as we rediscover these religious and cultural traditions in Indigenous peoples, we cannot repeat the mistakes of the past, when evangelization was often confused with westernization.
It became unacceptable to African people, Asian and the natives of the Americas who had to renounce their cultural roots if they wanted to be Christians. Catholic priest and a Zapotec Indian, Eleazar Lopes, describes the complexity and made an appeal: "We, the indigenous religious, we are internally divided by two loves: we love our people and believe in their culture, and at the time we also love the Church and believed in its plan of salvation.”
“We believe that it’s possible and worthwhile to reconcile the division because we know that there is no insurmountable contradiction between the key proposals of the Church, which are the same Christ, and the theological presuppositions of our people ... the differences are only in the form of praising the Divine, while the vision is the same to the one God . Moreover, most of these examples are best expressed in the culture of our people by the simple purity of heart and in that sense, we believe that the theological dialogue will revert the benefit not only for indigenous peoples, but will be enriching for the Church, in which through Amerindians it will be reunited with the purest of the Gospel message and Christian tradition” " (Lopes Eleazar, 1992).
Reflection about Amerindian Theology in Latin America
Discovery of Amerindian Theology.
In tribute to Amerindian Heritage Month i thought to share this reflection on Amerindian Theology from a Latin American church perspective, which the Amerindians of Guyana identifies with it in some way or the other, through history.
Doing theology is to speak, to express to communicate the experience of God from one´s life, and from one's culture. Amerindian Theology must express this experience with the belief in culture which is, through its myths and rituals etc. Amerindian Theology is a reality as old as much as indigenous peoples, but only recently it began to recognize its diversity of cultures, its components of groups and individuals discovered by Christian churches.
Until a few years ago, the evangelization of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and other continents was an imposition of Western culture from the Greek-Roman world, formulated by European Theologians over many centuries. These Theologies suffocated the fundamental values and traditions of indigenous peoples; it made them be converted and at the same time displaced them from their historical and cultural context. In general, it denied that indigenous religious cultures can contribute to the understanding of the Christian God, nature, and relationship to man.
Today with the principle of Inculturation and still with a lot of suspicion and distrust, it became easier to accept indigenous beliefs which began to be considered in the Theological world, precisely, because one begins to understand that God is not only the God of Western culture, and there is not one way that God can reveal himself, but through diverse ways to man.
The Church therefore being a representative of God's mission to the world, is called upon to respect the values of Indigenous belief about the divine and highlight the positive points in them logically. On the path of inculturation, Amerindian Theology should not be created outside the context of indigenous culture and then be imposed, but rather it should be discovered and nurtured in the context of the people and their cultures promoting them in one voice to give thanks to the Lord”(Dom Geraldo Flores, Guatemala, 1996).
Digital Religious Ed in Brazil attracts youths to church
In place of the traditional blackboard, a Liquid Crystal Diode (LCD) screen. Instead of pencils and notebook is the computer. Besides the traditional Catholic hymns and bible study, students of religious education of Holy Spirit Parish in Cruz Alta, in Brazil’s Northern State watch videos on YouTube, do research on the Internet and post them in a blog, best described as digital catechesis.The idea came from Father Edson Menegazzi, who uses the Internet as a way of attracting young people to church. They already use the internet to research other topics. Why not do the same with religion, said the priest.Since the design of digital catechesis began to be published at Mass, the number of students from pre-Communion classes rose from 14 to 103. According to the priest, working with the use of computer does not replace the conventional catechism, rather it complements it.
The project was tried last year with a classroom experiment. This year the goal is to reach 200 young people. In the blog created especially for catechism, the priest put texts for reflection, which are open to feedback from students. The course comprises 10 encounters: two presences, the first and last - and the rest by the Internet. For those who do not have access to the internet at home, a semi laboratory space was set in the church´s parish hall. Funds to purchase the computers and to pay for access to the Internet are obtained through donations.When I asked one of the students, 12 year old William Mate of Shechem, who participated in catechesis digital last year what he thought of the project, he fully endorsed the idea. “We are in changing times and evangelization also comes through the internet.” He does not have internet access at home and uses the church.Since 2008, the priest has made use of technology to attract and engage the youths of the parish. Before the project in Cruz Alta, he had already introduced it in the parish of Our Lady of the Nativity, in the neighboring district of Hamburg. An internet site was created in which the faithful could access and check out the schedule of mass, see the schedule daily parish activities and communicate with the priest via-email, and even listen to devotional music provided by radio on the internet.
The project was tried last year with a classroom experiment. This year the goal is to reach 200 young people. In the blog created especially for catechism, the priest put texts for reflection, which are open to feedback from students. The course comprises 10 encounters: two presences, the first and last - and the rest by the Internet. For those who do not have access to the internet at home, a semi laboratory space was set in the church´s parish hall. Funds to purchase the computers and to pay for access to the Internet are obtained through donations.When I asked one of the students, 12 year old William Mate of Shechem, who participated in catechesis digital last year what he thought of the project, he fully endorsed the idea. “We are in changing times and evangelization also comes through the internet.” He does not have internet access at home and uses the church.Since 2008, the priest has made use of technology to attract and engage the youths of the parish. Before the project in Cruz Alta, he had already introduced it in the parish of Our Lady of the Nativity, in the neighboring district of Hamburg. An internet site was created in which the faithful could access and check out the schedule of mass, see the schedule daily parish activities and communicate with the priest via-email, and even listen to devotional music provided by radio on the internet.
From Medino Abraham
Medino Abraham met Brazil´s Mother Theresa..
Brazil's 'Mother Theresa' Killed in Quake
Guyanese Jesuit Medino Abraham SJ pays tribute to Zilda Arns Neumann, a woman described as Brazil's Mother Theresa. Medino met Dr Arns last year while he was engaged in pastoral works with children in South Brazil; she was killed in the Haiti earthquake three weeks ago.
A pioneer in children's health care, Zilda Arns Neumann created a sprawling network of volunteers who monitor the health of millions of children in Brazil and 20 other nations. She died in the Haiti earthquake while on a mission to support local volunteers for the organization she founded, Pastoral da Criança, or the Child's Pastoral. She was 75.
Dona Zilda, as she became known throughout Brazil, founded Pastoral da Criança in 1983 in southern Brazil at the behest of her brother, Paulo Evaristo Arns, who at the time was Cardinal of São Paolo. The organization has grown to include 260,000 volunteers, who teach mothers the importance of breastfeeding, monitor vaccinations, and distribute a recipe for home-made oral rehydration salts that Dr Arns devised. At a festive 'Day of Celebration,' held every month, children from the community come together to be weighed.
The programme costs about $1 per month per child and has cut child mortality in half in the communities in which it operates, Pastoral da Criança says. The Brazilian government twice nominated Dr Arns for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Originally a joint venture between the Roman Catholic Church and the United Nations Children's Fund, Pastoral da Criança grew from a small program in rural southern Brazil to encompass more than two-thirds of the municipalities in the country. Today it is largely supported by the Brazilian government but run through the Catholic Church.
Dr Arns was a devout Catholic who kept a photograph of herself and Pope John Paul II on her office wall. She often said the model for her work was the New Testament story in which Jesus fed a multitude with only a few loaves and fishes. The parable, she said, inspired her to work with a decentralized organization and volunteers.
One of 13 children of German immigrants in rural southern Brazil, Dr Arns's mother served as an informal rural medic in Forquilhinha, the small town where the family lived. Dr Arns attended medical school, and beginning in 1959 worked as a paediatrician in Curitiba, Brazil. Her sensitivity to society's most vulnerable members was heightened by the tragedies in her own life. She lost two of her children, and her husband was killed trying to rescue another child from drowning.
In a speech to the Port-au-Prince gathering of Pastoral da Criança volunteers shortly before her death, Dr Arns recalled the moment that her brother, the Cardinal, asked her to start a children's health outreach. 'I felt happy with the challenge,' she said. 'I felt that God, in a certain way, had prepared me for this mission.'
'Like the birds that take care of their children by building a nest high up in the trees and the mountains, far from predators' threats and dangers and nearer God, we should watch over our children as something sacred, promote and respect their rights and protect them.' In a statement, her brother said that Dr Arns 'died in the cause she has always believed'.
This is an edited version of an article that was first published in Guyana's Catholic Standard.
A pioneer in children's health care, Zilda Arns Neumann created a sprawling network of volunteers who monitor the health of millions of children in Brazil and 20 other nations. She died in the Haiti earthquake while on a mission to support local volunteers for the organization she founded, Pastoral da Criança, or the Child's Pastoral. She was 75.
Dona Zilda, as she became known throughout Brazil, founded Pastoral da Criança in 1983 in southern Brazil at the behest of her brother, Paulo Evaristo Arns, who at the time was Cardinal of São Paolo. The organization has grown to include 260,000 volunteers, who teach mothers the importance of breastfeeding, monitor vaccinations, and distribute a recipe for home-made oral rehydration salts that Dr Arns devised. At a festive 'Day of Celebration,' held every month, children from the community come together to be weighed.
The programme costs about $1 per month per child and has cut child mortality in half in the communities in which it operates, Pastoral da Criança says. The Brazilian government twice nominated Dr Arns for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Originally a joint venture between the Roman Catholic Church and the United Nations Children's Fund, Pastoral da Criança grew from a small program in rural southern Brazil to encompass more than two-thirds of the municipalities in the country. Today it is largely supported by the Brazilian government but run through the Catholic Church.
Dr Arns was a devout Catholic who kept a photograph of herself and Pope John Paul II on her office wall. She often said the model for her work was the New Testament story in which Jesus fed a multitude with only a few loaves and fishes. The parable, she said, inspired her to work with a decentralized organization and volunteers.
One of 13 children of German immigrants in rural southern Brazil, Dr Arns's mother served as an informal rural medic in Forquilhinha, the small town where the family lived. Dr Arns attended medical school, and beginning in 1959 worked as a paediatrician in Curitiba, Brazil. Her sensitivity to society's most vulnerable members was heightened by the tragedies in her own life. She lost two of her children, and her husband was killed trying to rescue another child from drowning.
In a speech to the Port-au-Prince gathering of Pastoral da Criança volunteers shortly before her death, Dr Arns recalled the moment that her brother, the Cardinal, asked her to start a children's health outreach. 'I felt happy with the challenge,' she said. 'I felt that God, in a certain way, had prepared me for this mission.'
'Like the birds that take care of their children by building a nest high up in the trees and the mountains, far from predators' threats and dangers and nearer God, we should watch over our children as something sacred, promote and respect their rights and protect them.' In a statement, her brother said that Dr Arns 'died in the cause she has always believed'.
This is an edited version of an article that was first published in Guyana's Catholic Standard.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Uncle Tony’s last dance in the Mariaba Band
Anthony Torres, popularly known as ‘Uncle Tony’ was buried at his beloved Santa Rosa on September 10. He was 77.What a fitting finale to a remarkable musician and dancer of our Banchikili and Horopo heritage!It was to save the Amerindian Horopo tunes from going extinct that the Mariaba String Band was formed. The famous Aloysius La Rose aka “Uncle Bill’ could not play his violin any longer and no replacement was around during the early 1990’s.I approached Uncle Tony who recommended some men and in November 1993 the band was formed with Basil Rodrigues leader, guitarist, singer; Tony Torres guitar, banjo dancer, Frank Hernandez horopo violin man; Pedro Francis shack shack specialist; Mannie Cornelius banjo and guitar player. In later years Vincent Sukan, Basil Fernandez, Nash Francis and Aloysius Torres joined the band. Frank Hernandez could play fluently thirty two of the Banchikili tunes handed down from yesteryear by our Spanish Warrau and Arawak forefathers.Uncle Tony was adept at the Snake Dance which he and his wife Shefa, performed with grace and skill on the dance floor.The Mariaba band toured Georgetown, Dora with Ron Robinson, Mabaruma and Arakaka, Kabucaburi and Capoey and the Moruca Sub-Region and Uncle Tony never missed these tours.To the relatives of Uncle Tony the Mariaba Band extends its condolences and to him far away we sing: “Yo no gusta la wavina porque tiene mucho espina”. (I do not like the wavina because it has a lot of thorns)
Basil Rodrigues
Basil Rodrigues
Sr Theresa La Rose Dies In The U.S.A
Sr. Theresa La Rose, Sister of Mercy died at Mercy Centre, USA on Saturday,
September 12th, 2009. Sister was originally from Santa Rosa and entered the convent 56 years ago. She taught for 51years. Her first assignment was to Sacred heart School.She subsequently taught at Brickdam, Santa Rosa, Mabaruma and returned to Sacred Heart School. For a period of 25years she worked for the Government in the Ministry of Interior Development, Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and in various educational capacities, teaching crafts for earning a livelihood, money management, the wise use of natural resources along with the planting and cultivation of nutritious crops. She also served as Justice of the Peace from 1970 to 1978 and received the Medal of Service Award in 1975. She was given this award for her work with the Amerindians throughout Guyana. Her last educational positions were at Trust College and at St. Roses High School. We will miss her. Sympathy to her relatives and friends. May her soul rest in peace.
More history about Moruca and the Catholic Church
One significant group of Catholics that presented particular challenges was the Arawak Amerindians in the Moruca area. This community had always been especially dear to Bishop John Hynes and from 1840 until 1853 it had been well served by a much loved and respected resident Irish priest, Fr John Cullen. With Moruca as his base, this intrepid missionary had made numerous visits to outlying villages even as far as the Orinoco. Under his direction a new church had been built in Moruca which was solemnly dedicated and opened by Bishop Hynes on 27 October 1844. The saint selected as patroness for this church was St Rose of Lima. From that day to the present Catholics have referred to the Moruca community as “Santa Rosa”. It is worth recording that in 1847 when the poor of Ireland were suffering the ravages of the potato famine, the Amerindian Catholics of Santa Rosa took up a collection on their behalf, sending $ 44.88 to the Irish and Scotch Relief Society
On Cullen’s retirement through ill health in 1853 no resident replacement could be found. For a while the community received periodic visits from Fr. Francis Hayden and Fr. Joseph Fitzgerald, OP based at Abram’s Zuil on the
Historic sites of Guyana
The history of the Catholic Church in Moruca.
The history of the Catholic mission to the Amerindian of Guyana actually begins in Venezuela Orinoco . Their mission however came to an abrupt and tragic end when on 3 May 1817 Simon Bolivar’s forces put to death 26 priests and two lay brothers. The Amerindians fled from the destroyed mission, some seeking refuge in the British held territory around the Moruca River Georgetown
From this beginning a mission was developed to other Amerindian communities in the North West Lima Santa Rosa
taken from the history of the Catholic Church in Guyana.
Moruca’s creeping boom
cellphones, minibuses becoming commonplace
An increase in economic activities at Moruca in the North West is anticipated to spur development, providing the villages within the area are afforded support from the administration.
This is according to residents of the sub-region, one of three within Region One. It is nestled along the coastland and positioned as a central connection point for river traffic linking the coast to areas within the region, including the main administrative office at Mabaruma.
While the communities of Moruca are riverain, an accessible road network, connects villages such as Kwebanna, Waramuri, Kamwatta and Manawarin with Santa Rosa, the administrative centre for the area. Several satellite villages are located a few miles away, among them Kamwatta and Chinese Landing.
The roads are considered ‘quality roads’ by the bus operators who ply their trade between the villages, transporting mainly schoolchildren and villagers travelling to work. A bus operator told Stabroek News during a recent visit that he decided to invest in a minibus when he noticed that children and villagers from satellite villages outside Santa Rosa would walk several miles to get to school and their workplace.
He said that the roads do pose some problems for the vehicles during the rainy season but his contribution towards the development of the region is what counts. A trip between the central Kumaka waterfront area to Waramuri, which was this year delegated heritage village as part of Amerindian Heritage Month celebrations, lasts approximately 20 minutes with a few winding turns and hilltops to traverse along the way. The $500 fare is understandable, passengers said during a trip last week, taking into consideration vehicle repairs as well as the price of gas in the area. Gasoline at Kumaka is retailed at approximately $1,000 per gallon.
The fewer than 10 minibuses in the area travel most of the day between the villages and it would appear as if there is virtually no shortage of passengers as the buses travel with half their full complement while journeying between the villages. There are taxis available too, with one elderly resident noting that persons will soon forget how to walk the long distances connecting the villages.
Regional Chairman Fermin Singh told Stabroek News recently that the road network is one of several avenues being developed in the area to link the communities. As a basis for development, he said that schoolchildren especially are what are kept in mind where linking the communities via road is concerned.
He said there are “natural plans” to improve infrastructural development in the area, adding that an improved water and electricity supply are on the cards.
Boats travel to and from the Kumaka waterfront and Charity on the Essequibo Coast daily, transporting cargo and passengers. The fare per passenger is about $3,000 and the hour-and-a-half long trip could be adventurous for first-time travellers to the area. The journey from Charity starts with a 20-minute ride out of the Pomeroon River with a few high-cresting waves along the way.
The river meanders out into the open Atlantic Ocean and some 20 minutes later, the boats head towards the Moruca River which is covered by cascading mangroves.
There are sharp turns which pass through swampy, savannah lands with the village of Waramuri, which lies along the right bank of the Moruca River, being one of the first communities along the way. Santa Rosa lies some 15 minutes away and the Kumaka/San Jose Bridge which was constructed recently, can be seen in the distance as the boats arrive at the Kumaka waterfront.
Residents refer to the communities of Kumka, St Peter, Kabakali and San Jose as ‘islands,’ because they are all surrounded by savannahs with accumulated water.
Kumaka waterfront shopkeeper Yvonne Williams expressed the view that the area has some way to go in terms of development, and that businesses there would have to get the necessary support from the government to progress. She said she has seen the business community in the area evolve over the years and she noted that the minibuses and cars are a recent feature, with the first vehicles coming some time after 2004.
Mobile phones are also a noticeable feature at Moruca; persons there noting that almost every household has a mobile phone. Digicel launched its telecommunications service at Moruca two years ago and the investment by the company is viewed as significant by residents.
The Santa Rosa secondary, primary and nursery schools all lie within walking distance of each other and the hospital, police station and post office as well as the office of the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) are also situated close to each other.
Persons expressed a few concerns about the health facilities in the sub-region, some noting that drugs are not always available at the health centres. The area recently saw cases of dengue fever, it was reported, with the dormitory facility which houses children close to the secondary school recording multiple cases of students who contracted the disease recently.
The issue of birth certificates was also raised by residents there, and according to a local shopkeeper, she travelled to the city on more than three occasions to have her applications for her children processed but to no avail. She said the problem lies with the applications reaching the offices of the general registrar in the city.
A Chinese Landing village councillor, who asked not to be named, also stated that the issue was affecting persons in his village and he said there are less than 10 persons in the village who possess birth certificates. He also pointed to an existing problem of a coastlander mining illegally on village lands at Chinese Landing and noted that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) is aware of the issue but the concerns of the council appear to be falling on deaf ears.
The main economic activities in the Moruca sub-region are fishing, mining and farming. Farming is done on a large scale and farmers transport their produce to Charity for resale. Some 12,000 people live at Moruca, the highest concentration of the population being in the Santa Rosa/Kumaka area.
The communities are occupied by mainly Amerindians from the Arawak and Warau tribes.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/news/stories/09/20/moruca%E2%80%99s-creeping-boom/
An increase in economic activities at Moruca in the North West is anticipated to spur development, providing the villages within the area are afforded support from the administration.
The entrance to the Kumaka Water Front at Moruca; the bridge at right connects Kumaka to the village of San Jose on the other side.
While the communities of Moruca are riverain, an accessible road network, connects villages such as Kwebanna, Waramuri, Kamwatta and Manawarin with Santa Rosa, the administrative centre for the area. Several satellite villages are located a few miles away, among them Kamwatta and Chinese Landing.
The roads are considered ‘quality roads’ by the bus operators who ply their trade between the villages, transporting mainly schoolchildren and villagers travelling to work. A bus operator told Stabroek News during a recent visit that he decided to invest in a minibus when he noticed that children and villagers from satellite villages outside Santa Rosa would walk several miles to get to school and their workplace.
He said that the roads do pose some problems for the vehicles during the rainy season but his contribution towards the development of the region is what counts. A trip between the central Kumaka waterfront area to Waramuri, which was this year delegated heritage village as part of Amerindian Heritage Month celebrations, lasts approximately 20 minutes with a few winding turns and hilltops to traverse along the way. The $500 fare is understandable, passengers said during a trip last week, taking into consideration vehicle repairs as well as the price of gas in the area. Gasoline at Kumaka is retailed at approximately $1,000 per gallon.
A schoolboy rides pass the mini-bus park at Kumaka at Moruca as two mini-buses prepare to leave the area for nearby villages.
Regional Chairman Fermin Singh told Stabroek News recently that the road network is one of several avenues being developed in the area to link the communities. As a basis for development, he said that schoolchildren especially are what are kept in mind where linking the communities via road is concerned.
He said there are “natural plans” to improve infrastructural development in the area, adding that an improved water and electricity supply are on the cards.
Boats travel to and from the Kumaka waterfront and Charity on the Essequibo Coast daily, transporting cargo and passengers. The fare per passenger is about $3,000 and the hour-and-a-half long trip could be adventurous for first-time travellers to the area. The journey from Charity starts with a 20-minute ride out of the Pomeroon River with a few high-cresting waves along the way.
These two monuments were erected at Santa Rosa, Moruca in memory of persons who have represented Moruca in national and international affairs.
There are sharp turns which pass through swampy, savannah lands with the village of Waramuri, which lies along the right bank of the Moruca River, being one of the first communities along the way. Santa Rosa lies some 15 minutes away and the Kumaka/San Jose Bridge which was constructed recently, can be seen in the distance as the boats arrive at the Kumaka waterfront.
Residents refer to the communities of Kumka, St Peter, Kabakali and San Jose as ‘islands,’ because they are all surrounded by savannahs with accumulated water.
Kumaka waterfront shopkeeper Yvonne Williams expressed the view that the area has some way to go in terms of development, and that businesses there would have to get the necessary support from the government to progress. She said she has seen the business community in the area evolve over the years and she noted that the minibuses and cars are a recent feature, with the first vehicles coming some time after 2004.
Mobile phones are also a noticeable feature at Moruca; persons there noting that almost every household has a mobile phone. Digicel launched its telecommunications service at Moruca two years ago and the investment by the company is viewed as significant by residents.
The Santa Rosa secondary, primary and nursery schools all lie within walking distance of each other and the hospital, police station and post office as well as the office of the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) are also situated close to each other.
Persons expressed a few concerns about the health facilities in the sub-region, some noting that drugs are not always available at the health centres. The area recently saw cases of dengue fever, it was reported, with the dormitory facility which houses children close to the secondary school recording multiple cases of students who contracted the disease recently.
The issue of birth certificates was also raised by residents there, and according to a local shopkeeper, she travelled to the city on more than three occasions to have her applications for her children processed but to no avail. She said the problem lies with the applications reaching the offices of the general registrar in the city.
A Chinese Landing village councillor, who asked not to be named, also stated that the issue was affecting persons in his village and he said there are less than 10 persons in the village who possess birth certificates. He also pointed to an existing problem of a coastlander mining illegally on village lands at Chinese Landing and noted that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) is aware of the issue but the concerns of the council appear to be falling on deaf ears.
The main economic activities in the Moruca sub-region are fishing, mining and farming. Farming is done on a large scale and farmers transport their produce to Charity for resale. Some 12,000 people live at Moruca, the highest concentration of the population being in the Santa Rosa/Kumaka area.
The communities are occupied by mainly Amerindians from the Arawak and Warau tribes.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/news/stories/09/20/moruca%E2%80%99s-creeping-boom/
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