Four Miles showcases its talent
— hosts first Heritage Day activity
DPI, Guyana, Friday, September 6, 2019
The community of Four Miles, Port Kaituma hosted its first Heritage Day celebration on Thursday, in observance of Indigenous Heritage Month 2019. Four Miles is a small developing Indigenous community located in the Matarkai Sub-District in the Barima Waini Region. The population of over 900 persons are mostly from the Carib and Warrau nations.
The activity, hosted at the Four Miles Community Ground, kicked off with a grand cultural segment that saw both young and old through song, dance and poetry
Showcasing the Indigenous culture. Neighbouring villages Sebai, Oronoque, Fitzburg, Citrus Grove and Eclipse Falls also participated in the festivities.
Declaring the event open, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Hon. Sydney Allicock told the residents that they have much to celebrate because, after decades, the village was finally titled, and a village council established. He advised the residents to continue working together to move the development of the village forward.
“Things happen when people can work together. Let us keep the momentum going… We’re a multiethnic society and Guyana belongs to all of us… let us work together to build Guyana. We have a long way to go, we would like for things to happen much faster, but development takes time.”
The minister also used the opportunity to encourage the Village Council to complete their Village Improvement Plan (VIP). The plan, he said, will help with the management of the lands and guide the overall development of the village for the next 5 years.
He also urged residents to use activities such as this to promote and preserve their culture. He noted that it also provides an opportunity for small business owners to create links to expand their businesses.
Chairman of the Matarkai Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Orlando Thorne said that the Amerindian Act of 2006 guarantees for the protection and recognition of the Indigenous culture. All Guyanese have since harmoniously embraced the annual celebration. Therefore, Thorne said, the NDC is committed to working with the people to strengthen its system to ensure that that this unique culture is not lost.
The villages also competed in cricket and football competitions. Sebi won the cricket match over One Mile. Fitzburg won the Junior Football, while the Junior saw Four Miles calmed the female competition and Sebai cooped the male competition. There were also piwari and tuma pot eating competitions.
Community Development Officer (CDO), Ann Simon explained that this is the first of such activity to be held in the sub-region. The plan is to take the celebration to various communities every year. Sebai will host the event in 2020. The event was made possible through a collaboration with the Ministries of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs and the Department of Social Cohesion.