Agri. Ministry hosts Indigenous Heritage celebration
– as Guyana celebrates Indigenous Heritage Month
The Ministry of Agriculture, on Friday joined the rest of Guyana in celebrating Indigenous Heritage Month 2019 with a cultural program at the Ministry’s Regent Street office.
Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture with responsibility for Rural Affairs, Honourable Valerie Adams-Yearwood, in delivering brief remarks spoke about the invaluable knowledge she gained from Guyana’s first people.
“Our valued Indigenous brothers and sisters, you have done and continue to a great service to this nation. Growing up as a young girl in Region Ten, I was fortunate enough to interact with a number of persons who hailed from the hinterland regions and some of the teaching I received from those persons helped to make me into the woman I am today,” Minister Adams-Yearwood said.
During the proceedings, staff were treated to traditional indigenous dances, a prayer in Wapishana – a native indigenous language, dramatic presentations and traditional indigenous dishes like pepper pot, cassava bread, farien and labba.
Also speaking at the event was Chief Hydrometeorological Officer, Dr. Garvin Cummings. He too reflected on his experiences with Guyana’s indigenous people and said “in addition to their kind and caring nature, they are a very humble group of people.”
The theme for Indigenous Heritage Month 2019 is ‘Maintaining traditional practices while promoting a green economy.’ Several activities are currently underway in several Indigenous communities across the country.