Interfaith service held to usher in Amerindian Heritage Month

An interfaith service was held Thursday evening by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), Liliendaal, to usher in Amerindian Heritage Month, which is observed in September annually.

His Excellency, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, along with several government ministers attended the prayer service.

The event featured prayers being done in the various Amerindian languages and from the three main religions in Guyana.

Meanwhile, the ministry has already published a calendar of upcoming events in anticipation of the festivities.

Speaking with the Department of Public Information (DPI) at the culmination of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference on Friday, Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai explained that the list of activities was carefully planned and will highlight the true culture of Amerindians.  

“We are entering into heritage month with a fusion of Indigenous culture and national culture. Our Indigenous people’s culture is not static. We expect to have a grand performance and we invite everyone to join us,” Minister Sukhai expressed.

An Amerindian heritage cultural extravaganza is set for Friday evening at the National Park, Thomas Lands, Georgetown to kick-start the month of activities.

This will be followed by the crafts and cuisines event which will run from September 2– 5 at Sophia Exhibition Centre, Greater Georgetown.

Other activities include a fitness walk, dinners, days of sports, and village day celebrations at all the Indigenous communities nationwide.

A night of reflection is also scheduled for the late Stephen Campbell. Campbell was an Arawakan Guyanese politician and was named the first Amerindian Member of Parliament in Guyana’s history. This year, Amerindian Heritage Month is being celebrated under the theme “Sustaining our cultural heritage and identity while contributing to ONE GUYANA.”