Otocuma Worm, Wild-Meat Pepperpot, Piwari, & Fly: Amerindian Heritage Month in the Cinderella County

As September came to a close, we brought the curtains down on Amerindian Heritage Month on Guyana’s national calendar. Annually, September month is designated for the recognition, and celebration of the culture, history, traditions and contributions of its First Peoples. This year, the festivities ensued under the theme "Observing Our Cultural Heritage During Our Diamond Jubilee: Honouring Our Traditions, Culture and Contributions.” For the first time, Guyana Tapestry enjoyed the opportunity to capture and share some of the experience with fellow Guyanese and the rest of the world really. Yes, this was a first-time experience of “Heritage.” Some two and a half decades of living and working in the diaspora – in the United States – is my excuse. What’s yours? Because there are still many Guyanese living right at home in Guyana who have not participated in Amerindian Heritage celebrations.

Anyhow, for the first time experiencing “Heritage,” did it live up to its reputation for being amazing? Let’s just say we had the good fortune of being in Essequibo. So, we spent some time travelling through some of the Amerindian communities along the coast, like Lake Mainstay, Tapakuma Lake, Mashabo Village and in the Pomeroon River at Kabakaburi Mission for example.

It was a most enriching experience and an education. The cultural music and dance, the food and drinks like the various wild meat and fish pepperpots, Piwari and Fly or Potato Wine, the colorful feathered and beaded costumes and headdresses, the warm and bashful smiles from children and elders alike convey the sense of an appreciation for our curiosity and interest in celebrating their cultural heritage.   

And yuh see when it comes to di Piwari and Fly, the rumors are true!

On one occasion, I was forced to abandon taking photos and videos. I was unable to focus and stand up straight on my feet without wobbling. I staggered my way back to the car and recovered after a few hour nap. On another occasion, I arrived later in the afternoon and got stuck in the Upper Pomeroon River after hours. The passenger speed boats had already stopped coming out to Charity. Thank God for some members of the Guyana Police Force and in particular, some ranks of the Charity Police Station who came to my rescue and gave me a ride out that night. Of course, I was on the bow capturing the full moon and stary sky that seemed to envelope the boat on Guyana’s deepest river, the Pomeroon.

Amerindian Heritage Month celebrations are said to have their origins in commemorations that started back in the 1950s. On September 10, 1957, a man by the name Stephen Campbell of Santa Rosa, a small Amerindian settlement along the Moruca River in Region One, Barima-Waini became Guyana's first Amerindian Member of Parliament. He was elected to the then Legislative Council of British Guiana. September was officially designated Amerindian Heritage Month in 1995.

While September 10th is designated “Heritage Day,” on the national calendar, in Essequibo, heritage is not something that happens on just one day. It's lived.

When it comes to the food, Cassava and other ground provisions have long been important to Indigenous food traditions, while fishing, farming and knowledge of the natural environment remain deeply connected to community life. Then there are the crafts, the weaving, the handmade products, and the artistry that represent skills, knowledge and traditions passed from one generation to another. Across Guyana, Heritage Month celebrations deliberately create opportunities for Indigenous artisans, entrepreneurs and producers to showcase their products and culture. But perhaps the most memorable part of this journey is the people.

Every village or mission carries rich stories about the community, its ancestors, the land and rivers, the traditions that survived generations, and most interestingly stories about what it means to be Indigenous in modern Guyana. And travelling through the Pomeroon we learn that many of the communities are still only accessible by boat. It provides a window into some of the intricacies of river life, beautiful scenery and all, but beyond that the geography, history and even the everyday customs of the communities give the interesting sense that you’re travelling through living history.

The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs notes that Indigenous communities such as the Carib and Warau have longstanding connections to the Pomeroon and surrounding coastal and river areas.

This is Amerindian Heritage Month. This is Essequibo. And this is Guyana Tapestry, connecting Guyanese at home and abroad, telling Guyana’s immigration story.