Caribbean Organization of Indigenous Peoples

Amerindians bless burial grounds in Sando

2009-10-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

Members of the Amerindian community put on a dance during Tuesday’s ceremonial blessing of the grounds on St Vincent Street, San Fernando, believed to be a former Amerindian burial ground. Photo: Rishi Ragoonath

TRINIDAD - Indigenous people from Arima, Guyana and Suriname, wearing their native dress, created quite a stir on Tuesday when they blessed the grounds on St Vincent Street, San Fernando, believed to be a former Amerindian burial ground.

The site is under construction for a $7 million state-of-the-art community centre in the San Fernando West constituency. Some stakeholders have raised objections to the construction on sacred grounds. Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, Junia Regrello, said there was no evidence that it was an Amerindian burial ground, but in the face of concerns raised, the project was temporary halted to undertake an investigation to see how authentic the claims were.

After consultation with the Amerindian community, they agreed to bless the site so work could proceed. “We don’t want to offend any community,” Regrello said.

Work is expected to resume today, he added. Led by Chief Ricardo Bharat-Hernandez, the Amerindians called on the great Spirits to consecrate the grounds and forgive any disruptions which may have been caused by the construction. Visiting High Priest from Suriname Harold Taweroe, also led a song and dance around a container filled with dirt, and a half of a calabash filled with water, as the Native Indians smoked their peace pipe and shook their chac-chacs to complete the ritual. Bharat-Hernandez, Deputy Mayor of Arima, said the site, on which a basketball court was presently constructed, may have been an Amerindian cemetery. “I have asked for evidence, but no one could give that evidence. Burial grounds are very sacred, and in the absence of concrete evidence, we performed a simple ritual, as if it were a burial ground, to appease the Spirits and ask the creator to bless what is happening here now,” he said.

Bharat-Hernandez said the First People had no intention of stopping any development of the community. He said he was happy to hear Regrello say they were about putting people first and his intention to create a shrine or special place to preserve whatever remains or artefacts they may find. Bharat-Hernandez also used the opportunity to call on government to recognise the First People and put them in their rightful place. He said all of the other people who came to T&T has been recognised in many ways, but the First People, in spite of their contribution, had not.

“Here we are concerned about the remains of our ancestors, but we have living indigenous people across the world and in our region and we are in a struggle for meaningful recognition.” He said without that recognition, a very important cultural heritage would be lost. “The Minister said we put people first, well I want to tell him to put the First People in their rightful position,” he said.

Author: Yvonne Webb
Source: http://guardian.co.tt/news/general/2009/10/22/amerindians-bless-burial-grounds-sando

Amerindians call for public holiday

2009-10-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

TRINIDAD - Indigenous people have called on the Government to give them a one-time public holiday as they celebrated Amerindian Day last Wednesday. After dawn, the indigenous community held a ritual ceremony at the monument area of the Arima Savannah, where they paid tribute to their ancestors who were killed by the Spanish conquistadores in the 16th century. Following the ceremony, chief/ president of the Santa Rosa Carib Community Ricardo Bharat-Hernandez led his people in a street procession through Arima. Spectators stopped to enquire about the celebration and many expressed interest in knowing about the history of the indigenous people.

Chief responds

In an interview, Hernandez said a public holiday should be given by the Government to honour the contribution of the Amerindians. “People are not aware of our history and that is why we need a public holiday. We can even have a one-off public holiday. People are working and busy and it’s difficult to reach them so that they could support this. The indigenous heritage needs a public holiday or a one off, so the country can stop and recognise our indigenous past,” Hernandez said. He said if a public holiday was given, the Carib community could organise a heritage day.

The Carib chief also said T&T could learn a lot from the legacy of the Amerindian people, as they practised conservation and respect for life. “We know that they practised conservation in the way they treated the forests. They did not destroy the forests. They hunted enough to feed themselves. They also had knowledge on the medicinal value of plants, as well as a strong, vibrant agricultural tradition,” Hernandez said. He explained that people could also learn from the belief systems of the Amerindians, as they honoured their ancestors and showed respect for family life.

Preservation of history

Hernandez said some indigenous instruments were still being used within the Carib community today. “Some people have lost interest in some of the traditional utensils but we still use the couleve, a long woven basket to strain the bitter cassava,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said the indigenous history was rich and needed to be preserved.

Author: Radhica Sookraj
Source: http://guardian.co.tt/features/life/2009/10/20/amerindians-call-public-holiday

Moraikobai looks to large-scale agriculture, call for govt assistance

2009-10-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

At the mini exhibition, Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud examines a cassava grown in the community while Regional Chairman, Harrinarine Baldeo (partly hidden, at back) looks at a craft item.

GUYANA - As Amerindians support the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), residents of Moraikobai in the Mahaicony River have called on government to assist with equipment and soil testing so they could diversify to large-scale agriculture.

The residents, concerned that they would have to ease up on logging, which is their main means of earning a livelihood said Moraikobai is not a major farming community but they were willing to start planting and growing more.

As part of the celebration of Agriculture Month, Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud visited the area on Saturday to “address” some of the concerns of residents and assured them that they would get the required support. At the end of his address he presented a quantity of fruit and vegetable seeds, chemicals to deal with acoushi ants along with two breeding pigs to Toshao Dereck John. The items would be used to benefit the community.

The residents had gathered for training sessions including farming techniques, controlling pests and proper care of animals, conducted by technical staff of the Agriculture Ministry and the Guyana Forestry Commission.

John expressed gratitude for the items they received. He told this newspaper that residents were also grateful for the knowledge they were gaining from the training sessions. “Technical personnel are not here so these people come in to teach us and demonstrate to us and it is a big boost to the community,” he said.

The minister told the residents that while the community relied on logging he was happy that residents have been exposed to the discussion on the LCDS and what is happening in terms of climate change and that they would be part of the strategy.

He also pointed out that the LCDS is not intended to impinge or interfere with their livelihood but that government would ensure that the community has a stable and sufficient supply of food and that there are no disruptions in terms of forestry activities.

A mini exhibition, showcasing ground provision and as well as craft items made by the women, was also held. The women raised the issue of their crafts not being sold despite efforts to display them at various exhibitions.

Persaud then advised them to be a part of AGRIFEST at the National Stadium on October 31 as a way of securing markets.

Meanwhile he took the opportunity to ask Jamaica’s Minister of Commerce Michael Stern who was in Guyana on a business trip and joined the team on the visit to take note of the women’s concerns about markets.

Stern, who promised to assist in that regard, advised the people “to try and do as much as you can to create wealth in your community. Through that wealth creation you would become more sustainable and your children would have a better life…”

He said too that if they take advantage of all the assistance that they were getting they would have a successful community. He even promised to return one day to enjoy some of what they produce. The community had received computers for a state-of-the-art computer laboratory which is currently being housed at the primary school until a building which is currently being constructed for lab is completed. The building, according to the Toshao, would also be used for farmers’ training.

Persaud mentioned that on a previous visit residents had complained that the computers could not be used because the area only gets electricity at nights and that a generator has since been provided.

The residents said the community is having problems accessing potable water and Regional Chairman Harrinarine Baldeo informed residents that Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali would be visiting this week.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs Nigel Dharamlall who was also part of the team told the Amerindians that the ministry intends to continue serve them and that the budget proposed for next year is bigger.

Dharamlall said too that all Amerindian villages are considered vulnerable and that the ministry has recently launched a Database Management Information System to capture all the problems affecting them as well as the proposed solutions.

Source: Stabroek News

Venezuelan Yukpa Indigenous Community Attacked, Two Murdered Following Land Grants

2009-10-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

Yukpa chief Sabino Romero (Aporrea)

Mérida, Venezuela -- On Tuesday, the day after the national government granted more than 40,000 hectares of land to Yukpa indigenous communities in northwestern Venezuela, assassins attacked the community of Yukpa chief and indigenous rights activist Sabino Romero, killing two and injuring at least four.

Romero's son in law, Ever Garcia, and a young, pregnant Yukpa woman were shot dead in the attack. Romero received three bullet wounds and is currently in the hospital in stable condition, according to reports from the community. Romero's daughter, grand daughter, and nephew were also hospitalized with bullet wounds, and are now in the hospital in stable condition.

Romero was one of several Yukpa chiefs who led land occupations last year to demand that the government pay indemnity to the private estate owners and transfer the land to the Yukpa in the form of collective property, in accordance with the Venezuelan Constitution and indigenous rights laws passed by the government of President Hugo Chavez.

Since the land occupations began in July 2008, the Yukpa communities involved have been subject to repeated death threats and attacks by thugs believed to have been hired by large estate owners and their local government allies.

In August 2008, estate owner Alejandro Vargas participated in an attack on Romero's community, during which Romero's father, a community elder of more than one hundred years of age, was beaten and killed.

Vargas, a cattle rancher, in an attempt to justify his deadly raid on the Yukpa, accused Romero of stealing several head of cattle. He also claimed on one occasion to have paid bribes to local legal authorities for protection against prosecution, according to the victims of the attacks.

The Yukpa reported the attacks to local police, who said investigations were opened, but no suspects have been arrested.

The National Guard maintains a heavy presence and the government plans to build a new military base in the sparsely populated and conflict-ridden border zone, which is rich in coal deposits and affected by the spillover of refugees, guerrilla insurgents, and paramilitaries from the civil war in Colombia.

Romero and other Yukpa chiefs allied with him are openly opposed to the land grants issued by the government on Monday. They say the government did not effectively consult with the Yukpa communities about the proper demarcation of Yukpa land, and instead carved up Yukpa territory to protect large estate owners, preserve access to coal deposits, and preserve space for a military base in the region. Meanwhile, several other Yukpa chiefs have allied themselves with Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nicia Maldonado and supported the government's plan for indigenous land demarcation.

Housing and Credits Granted to Indigenous October 12^th

In addition to the land titles issued on October 12th in celebration of Columbus Day, which the Chavez government officially renamed Indigenous Resistance Day in 2004, the government also gave houses, transport vehicles, and a variety of small business credits to semi-rural indigenous communities in the states of Amazonas, Bolivar, Anzoátegui, and Zulia.

Education Minister Hector Navarro and Agriculture and Land Minister Elias Jaua attended the inauguration of a bilingual public primary school in Anzoátegui state, where the local indigenous community will be able to study and learn in Spanish as well as their native language.

In the Amazon region, Presidential Chief of Staff Luis Reyes visited a community of approximately one hundred Piaroa families who received small houses of uniform suburban design that were built by the government. The government also gave the community vehicles to transport fruit from their farms to the market. In previous years, the community received credits to build a fruit processing plant and a radio station, and the government built a primary school and a local health clinic as well.

Venezuela's indigenous population constitutes less than two percent of the national population. Indigenous communities have gained substantial constitutional, legal, and parliamentary recognition since President Chavez took office in 1999.

Author: James Suggett
Source: Venezuelanalysis.com

Mid term evaluation of the Second International Decade of the World's Indigenous People

2009-09-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

The evaluation is a stocktaking exercise, so as to identify progress made and areas on which the UN agencies and other intergovernmental organizations, Member States, indigenous peoples’ organizations and civil society organizations need to invest more effort, so as to further the successful implementation of the Decade’s goal and objectives. In order to obtain a balanced and well documented evaluation of the progress made in the implementation of the Second Decade.

Click here for further information.

Taino Documentary Turns Lens to Boriken

2009-09-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

UCTP Liaison Officer Roger Guayakan Hernandez,
Naniki Reyes Ocasio of the Caney Quinto Mundo,
and videographer Ray Ibsen meet in Orocovis, Boriken.
(Photo: A. Zacarias)

Boriken/Puerto Rico (UCTP Taino News) - Emmy Award winning team Alex Zacarias (Producer/Director) and videographer Ray Ibsen traveled to Boriken (Puerto Rico) in August to continue work on their Taino documentary production.

The filmmakers interviewed various members of the island's local Taino community including representatives of the Consejo General de Taino Borincanos, the Caney Quinto Mundo, the United Confederation of Taino People and others. The team also interviewed the Hon.Victor L. Vassallo Anadón of Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives and Dr. Juan Martinez Cruzado, a Geneticist at the University of Puerto Rico.

Zacarias noted that the recent trip to Boriken resulted in the gathering of enough film footage and information to pursue the funding needed to continue production.

UCTPTN 09.05.2009

Karrau gets tractor from gov’t

2009-09-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

GUYANA - Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai on Monday handed over a John Deere tractor to the people of Karrau Village, Region Seven to boost their income-generating capacity.

Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai (right) hands over the tractor keys to Toshao, James Cornelius of Karrau, Region 7.

At a brief ceremony held at the ministry, Sukhai said the $6.4M tractor is the latest effort by government to boost the lives of its first peoples. She said government has also designed several economic programmes aimed at developing traditional skills and has marketed produce from indigenous communities to help to generate income.

Sukhai handed over the keys to the vehicle to Toshao James Cornelius and urged him to ensure that it is used in productive activities that can benefit the community.

GINA said this year some $488M has been budgeted for the Amerindian sector. A total of $30.7M had been allocated to boost livelihoods in several hinterland communities where residents face difficulties accessing transportation to carry out their daily activities.

Source: Stabroek News

UN Observes International Indigenous Peoples Day

2009-08-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

Program Master of Ceremonies Roberto Borrero (Taino) and UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro at the 2009 Observance of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. (UN Photo)

United Nations (UCTP Taíno News) – An official observance commemorating the United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was held at UN headquarters in New York on Monday. The event was organized by the Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, in cooperation with the NGO Committee on the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples and the New York Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The theme of the observance at UN Headquarters was "Indigenous Peoples and HIV/AIDS".

The event included messages from the United Nations Secretary-General, the President of the UN General Assembly, the Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, and the Chairperson of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. There were also performances by indigenous artists, and a panel discussion on "Indigenous Peoples and HIV/AIDS".

In his message to mark the day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized the vulnerability of indigenous peoples to HIV/ AIDS. “It is essential that indigenous peoples have access to the information and infrastructure necessary for detection, treatment and protection,” he noted.

Other observances for the UN Indigenous Day were held around the world with events celebrated in Suriname, Brazil, Northeast India, Nepal, and Geneva among others.

UCTPTN 08.11.2009

Suriname Celebrates Indigenous Peoples Day

2009-08-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

Paramaribo, Suriname (UCTP Taíno News) – The United Nations International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples was celebrated in Paramaribo, Suriname on 9 August 2009. Suriname officially adopted the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples as a national holiday for the first time in 2007.

Photo: During a “Tamusji” ceremony held to commemorate Indigenous Peoples Day in Suriname, a local Carib spiritual leader blesses a young participant by pouring herbal water upon his head. (Photo credit: nachophoto.com)

UCTPTN 08.09.2009

Kalinago Carib Elect New Chief in Dominica

2009-08-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

Waitukubuli/Dominica (UCTP Taino News) - Elections were held in July in the Carib territory of Dominica, West Indies to choose a Chief for a new 5-year term of office. Former Chief Garnet Joseph won the election over incumbent Charles Williams.

Joseph said his work focus will include health, education and respect for council members in the Territory. The new chief has also pledged to bring more development to the 3,800-acre (1,538-hectare) territory, where Caribs live in greater poverty than the rest of the country. Dominica is home to about 3,000 Caribs, or ethnic Kalinagos.

UCTPTN 08.07.2009

Hugo Chavez in Dominica to unveil $35M facility

2009-08-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

ROSEAU, Dominica -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez unveiled a $35 million oil-storage facility Saturday in the Caribbean island of Dominica, a day after he met with regional leaders about his Petrocaribe program.

Chavez said the complex that Venezuela helped build will store 35,000 barrels of diesel, jet fuel and cooking gas.

The Petrocaribe program, which Dominica participates in, was created in 2005 to supply fuel to allies under preferential terms.

"Dominica will no longer have to concern itself about the supply of gasoline and oil,'' he told a cheering crowd. "All the oil Dominica will need for the next 200 years will be right there in Venezuela.''

People wearing red T-shirts in support of Chavez lined the streets for about two miles (three kilometers) as he made his way from the airport to the facility.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit promised to supply free cooking gas to poor people, but he did not provide details.

The storage complex is located near the capital of Roseau and is named ''Waitukubuli,'' the Carib Indian name for Dominica.

Chavez said he also will help fund a coffee-processing plant in the tiny Caribbean island and set up a local branch of a leftist Latin American trade group.

Source: Associated Press

Elections in 133 titled Amerindian communities a success

2009-06-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

One hundred and thirty-three titled Amerindian communities have recently completed elections of village councils and Toshaos for the first time under the new 2006 Amerindian Act and from all accounts the process was successful, Minister Pauline Sukhai said yesterday.

GUYANA - At a press conference at her ministry, Sukhai acknowledged that there have been complaints lodged by a disgruntled group at Orealla concerning a nominee who was later found to be ineligible to contest the polls in that community.

Eight members from the group staged a picketing exercise outside the ministry yesterday.

“They have not sought an audience with the ministry … if they choose to go elsewhere we will only respond when they are ready to take the matter up with us,” she said.

The minister acknowledged that with any system or process there would always be some section of the electorate that will want to raise issues about something they feel did not go in their favour. However she noted that the dissatisfied had not seen it wise to approach her.

Sukhai said she received complaints from the winning side and was only privy to a photocopy of the complaints from the disgruntled group through a representative of the Alliance for Change (AFC) party.

“If you are seeking redress for any matter you feel offended about the ministry has established a forum and institution whereby Amerindians could come to have issues redressed, she said, and insisted that Amerindian issues should not be used as a political football.

The minister said she received a report that the protestors were eight in number and were accompanied by AFC Member of Parliament Khemraj Ramjattan, who in her mind was there either to “monitor, join or instigate and that is their right.”

She indicated that the party should dedicate its efforts to see that developmental issues are addressed and work to foster development rather than try to sow seeds of discord.

Meanwhile in relation to the issue of the man who was not allowed to contest, Sukhai said the people of Siparuta and Orealla felt the nominee was not residing consistently in the community for three years prior to the election and this was a prerequisite to contesting according to the Act.

“You can vote in those circumstances, but you cannot run for Toshao,” she specified. She explained too that while the Act provides for being an absentee, the person still cannot run if they do not have a home in the village. She said that based on the complaints she received residents have argued that the home which the man visits belongs to his parents and is currently occupied by his son.

Sukhai said further that the Act gives three months following the elections for any issue to be ventilated and then addressed and she was letting that time frame go its full course.

She noted though that the matter was not a closed one and will be investigated.

“We will deal with the matter but we have to allow due process to follow. Our hands will not be forced by anyone, we have to deal with it fairly and squarely,” she maintained.

Source: Stabroek News

Nicaragua gives asylum to Peru protest leader

2009-06-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

MANAGUA, (Reuters) – Nicaragua’s leftist government has granted political asylum to Peruvian indigenous leader Alberto Pizango, wanted in Lima on charges he fomented protests against Amazon oil exploration that killed 60 people.

Nicaragua’s ambassador in Peru, Tomas Borge, told Reuters yesterday that Pizango sought asylum in the Nicaraguan Embassy in the Peruvian capital.

PR Representative Vassallo urges respect for Taino

2009-06-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

Ponce, Boriken (UCTP Taino News) – Representing District 25, Ponce – Jayuya, the Hon. Victor L. Vassallo Anadón this week urged the citizens and government of Puerto Rico and federal agencies to respect the island’s “sacred national patrimony” and the rights of the Taino People. The official statement was presented to the Boriken Liaison Office of the United Confederation of Taino People in the form of a proclamation displaying the seal of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives. The proclamation issued by Vassallo recognizes Taino People as pre-Columbian inhabitants of Puerto Rico whose descendants remain on the island today.

Photo: In Ponce, UCTP Boriken Liaison Roger Guayakan Hernandez looks on as the Hon. Victor L. Vassallo Anadón signs the official proclamation urging respect for Taino People in Puerto Rico.

UCTPTN 06.16.2008

Indigenous leaders urged to practise inclusiveness

2009-06-09T17:14:00.000-07:00

GUYANA - Amerindian leaders were urged to examine the issue of good governance in their communities and to practise inclusiveness as it is vital to development.

According to a Government Information agency (GINA) press release Minister Pauline Sukhai made these statements at the recent Conference on Sustainable Development in St Ignatius, Region Nine. She said the Amerindian Act addresses the issue from the community level which comprises the village council, national toshaos and district councils. The minister highlighted many instances where governance issues arose and attributed them to the breakdown of collective decision-making.

Sukhai advised the meeting to seek ways of boosting collective decision-making in order to reap greater benefits for the villages and gradually eradicate issues related to weak administration. She said several village offices have been erected to facilitate this process as inclusiveness is vital to driving development.

Meanwhile, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Kellawan Lall urged indigenous leaders to take the lead in developing their communities. He said communities that enjoy inclusiveness are more vibrant and that is needed as plans for sustainable development become reality.

Source: Stabroek News

Massacre in the Peruvian Amazon

2009-06-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

The Peruvian military attacked unarmed Indigenous protesters in Bagua Chica, in the northern Amazon region. The attack which included snipers and helicopters started early last Friday until late Saturday. (Photo: © Enlace Nacional & Catapa)

Peru (UCTP Taino News) - Effectively shutting down parts of the Amazon and the Andes for over 50 days, local Peruvian communities have been engaging in massive strikes organized to protest government proposed development in the region. On Friday, June 5 the peaceful protests were met with a violent military response by the Peruvian government leaving civilians and police dead with hundreds more injured.

As a result of an almost total media blackout, unconfirmed casualty reports from the area have ranged from 38 civilians and 10 police to 100 civilians and 22 police dead.

On April 9, an "indefinite strike" began throughout the Amazon region to protest the Peruvian Congress' failure to review six government decrees that are identified by local leaders as endangering the rights of Indigenous Peoples. These decrees were issued by Peruvian President Alan García Pérez and relate to the implementation of Free Trade Agreements signed with the United States and Canada. Opposed by Indigenous Peoples, the legislation paves the way for oil, mineral, and agricultural exploitation in the ecologically sensitive region.

Following an international Indigenous Peoples summit held in Puno, Peru last week, the Coordinating Body of Andean Indigenous Organizations (CAOI) issued a call for an “international denunciation” of President García Pérez and his administration for the “bloody repression of Indigenous Peoples in the Peruvian Amazon”. The CAOI has called upon indigenous organizations, social movements and human rights organizations around the world to take concrete action by sending letters to the Peruvian government, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Indigenous Peoples and other relevant parties to demand an end to the violence and respect for indigenous rights.

A coalition of indigenous, human rights and environmental organizations are urging the Garcia Government to step down and cease violent confrontations by the military.

AIDESEP, the national indigenous organization of Peru has called for a nationwide general strike starting June 11th. Emergency solidarity demonstrations are being scheduled at Peruvian Embassies around the world to coincide with the national actions. For additional information visit the Amazon Watch and AIDESEP websites.

UCTPTN 06.09.2009

New law Threatens Ancient Indigenous Patrimony in Puerto Rico

2009-06-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

San Juan, Boriken (UCTP Taino News) - The Puerto Rican Senate and House of Representatives are deliberating on the approval of revised Permit Law Projects that opponents state would endanger the Caribbean island’s environmental and archeological patrimony. Local archeologists, environmentalists, and indigenous Taino groups are calling on the government to abandon this process involving Permit Law Projects No. 880 in the Senate and No. 1649 in the House of Representatives.

The Permit Law Projects are being touted as much needed initiatives that would to re-structure and expedite construction permits on the island. As noted by several public statements made by those opposed to the projects, the proposed legislation would nullify current legal protections for environmental and archaeological resources while favoring development with little oversight.

“This proposed policy would also regulate ‘public’ participation in these processes to an informal position” stated Naniki Reyes Ocasio, a local Taino community leader.

Reyes Ocasio continued stating “This permit law proposal is a violation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, an international human rights law standard that calls for prior and informed consent.”

A demonstration calling on the government to abandon the current Permit Law Projects will be held tomorrow, Friday June 5 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The event will begin at 11am at “Puente Dos Hermanos” in the Condado area where Ashford Avenue ends and leads into Old San Juan. For more information on the demonstration contact “Coalición Todo Puerto Rico Por Puerto Rico” at 787-274-8087, 787-502-0194 or bsantiago@alianzaseiu.org.

UCTPTN 06.04.2009

Solar power pilot for some Mabaruma communities

2009-05-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

GUYANA - Some areas in the Mabaruma Sub-Region in Region One (Barima/Waini) will be part of a pilot programme that will see the provision of solar electricity.

According to a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA), Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai, PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Hydar Ally, visited more than 15 communities, including Barima, Aruka, Wauna/Tobago, Almond Beach and Hobodia during the outreach between the period May 15 through 19.

While addressing social issues during the visit Sukhai told residents of Yarakita they were part of a pilot programme, the Unserved Areas Electricity Programme( UAEP), an Inter–American Development Bank funded programme, which will provide solar power to outlying areas. If the programme is successful it will be expanded in the future. There is however, no guarantee as to whether it will be extended to all the villages since the government will have to provide funding to move the programme forward, the release noted.

Sukhai said the Government of Guyana is expected to acquire 1,000 solar units which would be used to provide minimum electricity to some villages. While the units do not have the capacity to provide power to appliances they will be able to provide light for approximately four hours to each community, to the benefit to children during study periods.

Yarakita was the recipient of a new primary school and according to Ramotar, the administration has trained a lot of teachers who are occupying leading positions in various schools. He gave assurances that the issue of absenteeism by teachers will be raised with the Ministry of Education after receiving complaints from residents in that community.

Some $710M was allocated to the national school feeding programme to benefit students in different administrative regions, including Regions One and the programme has brought about a marked difference in attendance rate as more children attend school, especially in Hinterland areas, GINA stated.

As regards the lack of birth certificates, Sukhai said that 400 original copies of the document had been sent into the area and were being checked and collated after which they will be forwarded to the Toshaos for distribution.

She explained that the Amerindian Affairs Ministry is actively pursuing the issue after explaining to residents that the ministry depends on the General Registrar’s Office for assistance.

The team provided an update to residents on the Secure Livelihood Programme which is slated for Region One. Sukhai said the Amerindian Affairs Ministry, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Voluntary Services Overseas (VSOs) of Guyana are coordinating with a number of specialists who will be placed in that region to provide assistance whereby 15 communities in the area will benefit from specialist and expert skills, the release said.

Specialists in enterprise development, finance and marketing as well a food technologist will be available to residents, Sukhai said. They will enable residents to better market their products in a manner in which they will be adequately compensated.

Meanwhile, Ally, who visited the Mabaruma Hospital and the nurse’s hostel which is under construction, told residents that strides have been made in the health sector as he related that maternity deaths have reduced to a level that is even better than other parts of the Eastern Caribbean.

GINA stated that the malaria eradication programme has been successful and these and other aspects of development have been made possible through the efforts of the government.

Source: Stabroek News

Kabakaburi gets $1M presidential grant

2009-05-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

GUYANA - A $1M Presidential Grant was recently awarded to Kabakaburi to acquire a high-powered outboard engine to boost transportation services in the village.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release the Pomeroon River, Region Two community is the latest Amerindian village to benefit from a Presidential Grant.

Lorna Williams who has been re-elected Toshao of Kabakaburi, received the Grant from Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai. This is the third Grant that the village has received and it will be used to purchase a more powerful outboard engine for the passenger boat which it owns and operates. The new engine will reduce the amount of travelling time from Kabakaburi to Charity where persons conduct business and students attend school.

According to Williams the boat leaves the village very early which means that students have to be ready to board at an early hour to attend the Anna Regina Secondary School. She said too the passenger service is also an economic venture which benefits the entire community as it provides a cheaper service than the other private passenger boats.

Williams said she was grateful for the grant and that it will be used to aid development in the village. She said since she was elected there has been significant development in the village as both the council and the villagers work together to develop the community.

GINA said the village received its first Presidential Grant in 2007 which was used to build the boat that now serves the community. This council also constructed two community stellings for passengers’ convenience. A guest house and a village shop were also built with funding from the previous presidential grants.

Williams said plans are also in train to build a kitchenette at Aripiaco to replace the old one. Meals for the school feeding programme are often prepared at the kitchenette. The village is seeking another grant from the ministry for this project. The community also received a solar panel for the first time to power the health centre.

Source: Stabroek News

Three Amerindian villages receive Presidential Grant

2009-05-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai (second from right) with
Toshaos (from left) Felix Williams, Julie Johnson and Ekufa Mewsha (GINA photo)

GUYANA - The Micobie, Parabaru and Karisparu Amerindian communities recently obtained Presidential Grants totalling $2.1M for enhancement works.

A Government Information Agency (GINA) press release said Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai presented the grants to the communities on Wednesday. “The programme provides communities with the financial resources necessary to fund projects that aim to provide the required services within their communities and help to make them more economically viable.”

Newly elected Toshao Julie Johnson of Micobie, Region Eight received a $1.2M grant which she said will be used to construct a ‘rest house’ in the area.

The building will provide accommodation for visitors; a paid service that will generate income for the community. Johnson said currently visitors do not enjoy adequate accommodation.

Karisparu Toshao Felix Williams received $886,000 to expand the village shop in his Region Eight community. This will preclude residents’ need to travel to other villages or communities to purchase supplies. The current community was funded by sums from a Presidential Grant and according to Williams residents had expressed the need to expand it.

Ekufa Mewsha, Toshao of Parabaru Village received the final portion of the grant. According to Mewsha this is the third Grant the Region Nine village has benefited from and it will be used to complete a village office that is now being built. Village council meetings will be held in the office which will replace the benabs previously used.

According to GINA the minister presented the grants to the toshaos and congratulated Mewsha on being re-elected. Sukhai said she hopes the grants would be used responsibly and that the projects will be sustainable and benefit the entire community.

The minister said the Presidential Grant programme is used to fund community projects. These include productive and economic projects ranging from the expansion of village farms, eco lodges, building dams, clearing trails, providing kitchen facilities for school feeding programmes and cattle rearing. Sukhai said applications for grants are processed within two days through a simple process which requires that the communities present proposals and estimates for their proposed projects.

She said the ministry uses an approach that allows the community to decide on its priority project. Sukhai said that this method allows communities to participate in their development allows residents the leverage to own their projects. The ministry monitors the progress of the projects and later this year will provide a report of the impact that the Presidential Grants have had on various communities. GINA said the grants usually range from $500,000 to $1.7M and are distributed annually among the 139 Amerindian communities.

Source: Stabroek News

Global Indigenous Climate Summit Concludes in Alaska

2009-04-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

Naniki Reyes Ocasio (Boriken Taino), UN General Assembly President
Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, and Hariette Vreedzaam - Joeroeja (Galibi - Suriname)
express their solidarity at the Global Indigenous Peoples' Summit on Climate Change in Anchorage, Alaska.

Anchorage, Alaska (UCTP Taíno News) - The Global Indigenous Peoples' Summit on Climate Change being held in Alaska concluded on Friday. The Summit was held at the Dena-Ina Center in the city of Anchorage over a span of five days; from April 20th-24th 2009. Over 400 Indigenous Peoples representatives from over 80 countries around the world participated - including a very visible Caribbean delegation.

See full story at UCTP Taino News

Indigenous Peoples Invisible at Trinidad Summit

2009-04-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

Trinidad and Tobago (UCTP Taino News) – A delegation of 10 Indigenous leaders traveled to Trinidad to attend the Organization of American States (OAS) 5th Summit of the Americas from April 17 to 19, 2009. The delegation’s intention was to further develop critical partnerships with States while presenting the views of millions of Indigenous Peoples from throughout the Americas. These views were encapsulated in a Declaration and Plan of Action developed at an Indigenous Leaders Summit, which took place in Panama City preceding the OAS Summit. While Trinidad’s Prime Minister Patrick Manning publicly declared his desire for the Summit to achieve prosperity for the peoples of the Americas with commitment and mutual respect, the Indigenous leaders experienced discriminatory exclusion.

See full story at UCTP Taino News

Indigenous people have benefited from new Amerindian Act

2009-04-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

Stabroek News (Guyana, South America) - President Bharrat Jagdeo told the delegates at the Guyana Shield Conference dinner that the status of local indigenous people has been boosted due to a number of opportunities made available to them as well as the amended Amerindian Act.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release Jagdeo said Amerindians had not been part of mainstream society due to “location because many of them live in the hinterland location far from the coast; so what we have sought to do over the years was try to correct some elements of that disparity, every community has access to a school, they have a health hut, almost in everyone of these community we have health workers who are being paid by the government.”

He also told the guests at the dinner hosted after the Guyana Shield Regional Meeting that Amerindian children can now benefit from secondary level education within many of their communities as dormitories have been built at central locations and their needs funded by the state. Many students have also benefited from hinterland scholarships where they are given the chance to attend schools in the city. Some have also been able to further their studies overseas with about 40 students pursuing studying in several fields such as medicine and engineering both locally and abroad.

The president acknowledged that there remains the need to improve incomes as most indigenous families depend on subsistence farming due to their location. Jagdeo said he hopes this issue can be addressed through the avoided deforestation model that lobbies for compensation for standing forests.

Regarding mining, which has been a topical issue with the visiting delegations and local indigenous communities, Jagdeo said many of the Amerindian communities are titled; giving them veto over small and medium-scale mining. “We are one of the few countries that have actually come forward with sub-surface rights because they mainly had the right to use the land, the forest etc to hunt and fish traditionally … but this act (New Amerindian Act) has now given them a veto power,” he said. He added that if the communities agree to mining on their land a tribute must be paid to them, further; if a large deposit of any mineral is found the community must be consulted and must benefit from it.

As regard land claims, Jagdeo said since 1992 about 13% of land claims have been processed, an improvement from the six to seven per cent that had been previously processed. “We are hoping that it will exceed some 20 percent of the land, that is titled land, that they will have all of these rights come forward on the communities. It a bit difficult now because of its cost, I was told that it costs $250,000 to demarcate sometimes one community,… so funding is an issue now but I think because of the commitment we made we have to find the money to complete the demarcation, that includes land traditional plus requests for new lands, expansion,” he said.

Meanwhile, President of the Association of Amerindians in French Guiana, Charles Jean Auberic said he too is cognisant of the president’s proposal on climate change and indigenous people’s rights and wanted to share his experience and expertise. Also, Leon Wijngaarde, President of the Organisation of Indigenous People in Suriname said Amerindians have not always enjoyed their rights and he hoped that Jagdeo would press the issue with the Surinamese president.

According to GINA, Ecuador, Peru and Columbia were also represented at the meeting which was held from April 13 – 17.

Source: Stabroek News

More work needed to address threats to indigenous peoples - conference

2009-04-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

Guyana, South America (Stabroek News) - The inaugural Guiana Shield Regional Meeting of Indigenous Leaders ended on Friday last with leaders noting that much needs to be done in relation to matters affecting indigenous peoples.

Guyana’s representatives, meanwhile, expressed concern at President Bharrat Jagdeo’s offer of the rainforest in the fight against climate change, pointing out that little is known about this. Although they were told that their titled lands would be a part of the initiative only if they wished, they said, the lack of information and the issue of their traditional land as opposed to titled land was an issue of grave concern.

The Guiana Shield Regional Meeting was organised by the three national level indigenous organizations of the region-the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) of Guyana, Organisation Van Inheemsen (OIS) of Suriname, and the (FOAG) of French Guiana, in coordination with the Fédération des Organisations Autochtones de Guyana Village Amérindien Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) and the Amazon Alliance.

It was intended to provide participant organisations with a quick overview of the major threats facing the indigenous peoples and their environment in these countries, including climate change and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), the Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA) and the impacts of mining. The delegates also met government representatives, non-governmental organizations and multilateral institutions.

Tony James, head of Guyana’s Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) cautioned delegates that the plans and the resolutions made over the past few days did not spell the end of the road. He urged the leaders to carry back the information to their communities and to play meaningful roles in ensuring that members of the communities are informed.

This was echoed by other leaders. “The language barrier should not be an obstacle anymore,” said a representative from French Guiana. “We have our interests and it is the interests of future generations,” he added. Another noted that accessing information in the Guianas is a challenge.

Meanwhile, as it related to climate change efforts in Guyana, it was stated that at a meeting with Jagdeo, he assured the leaders that there would be consultations. However, noting that it was a complex issue, one delegate said that they were being asked to support positions without having the information. “We need more information than anything else.”

Jean La Rose of the APA raised the issue of traditional land as opposed to titled land, with the former not always being a part of the latter. This was a concern, she said.

Source: Stabroek News

Caribbean Indigenous Leaders Declare Solidarity with Naso Nation

2009-04-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

Naniki Reyes Ocasio (Boriken Taino) meets with Naso Nation Grand Chief Valentin Santana and other community members at the 3rd Indigenous Leaders Conference in Panama City.

Panama City, Panama (UCTP Taino News) – During the final session of the 3rd Indigenous Leaders Summit of the Americas on April 15, delegates were unpleasantly surprised to learn about the relocation of the indigenous Naso Nation in Panama. The Naso are currently living without adequate shelter as a result of a police action following their protest of the construction of the Bonyik hydroelectric dam, which is threatening their ancestral homelands.

See full story at UCTP Taino News