‘Mae’s owes little Indigenous boy an apology’- Min. Garrido-Lowe

-says Guyanese needs to start embracing each other’s culture

–situation should be used as learning experience

DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, May 30, 2018

“I am so sorry that little boy had to go through such a terrible event. I think the Mae’s School owes him an apology.”

This statement was made by Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe in response to the incident involving a student who was sent away after his indigenous wear was deemed inappropriate by the teachers during the school’s culture day.

The minister said, “I think they should have thought it through and viewed it as his culture and invited him in and explained it to the other students who may not have understood.  They should have taken the opportunity to teach the children about the indigenous culture.”

During the ministry’s monthly television programme, Minister Garrido-Lowe pointed out that ‘culture day’ at schools is a very exciting time for students, “It is a time when students get an opportunity to express themselves through cultural outfits.”

The minister stated, “…I think the boy was very proud to wear with his indigenous wear. I see nothing wrong with that because every year, we have Indigenous Heritage Month, where the first five days are celebrated with dance and song and they make their own costumes. It is not every day that an indigenous person walks down the road wearing their Tibisiri skirts, necklaces and headdress, but that’s culture day you want to wear something that depicts your heritage.”

The minister, however, noted that issue sparked a conversation on social media that was needed, because “it is time we start embracing each other’s culture and tradition.”

The refusal to allow the student into the school’s premises sparked a protest in front of Mae’s school yesterday. Rights activists, NGO’s and other citizens and the boy’s mother Karen Small all participated.

 

By: Synieka Thorne.