Indigenous women ‘deeply intertwined’ in cultural preservation, community development

Indigenous women have played an instrumental role in preserving traditions and culture while still providing for their families and aiding community development, Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai said on Tuesday.

Minister Sukhai spoke at an event hosted at the Umana Yana, Georgetown to commemorate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2022.

This year, the global observance is being commemorated under the theme: “The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge.”

In Guyana, Minister Sukhai explained, “It is the women who take the place of the farmer, the chef, the housekeeper and of course, the nannies.

“They also hold jobs, they also take care of the house… the women have played a few role in families and where our children are today.”

Importantly, the minister said that indigenous women are often the ones who diligently strive to ensure that traditions and culture do not languish.

“Their role is so intertwined, deeply and strongly, in what indigenous culture is about,” the minister underscored.

At that event, five indigenous women were honoured for their sterling contributions to indigenous development in Guyana.

They are: veteran Broadcaster Michella Abraham Ali, Village Leader and Cultural Ambassador Gloria Rosemary- Duarte, former Parliamentarian Sarah Browne- Shadeek, Educator Dr. Laureen Pierre and Dr. Latoya Nadia Outridge.

Though she hailed the work of these and other women, Minister Sukhai underscored, “… there are so many women in Guyana and maybe outside of Guyana, indigenous women, who are truly deserving of being honoured and being mentioned.”

The minister herself was hailed for her long-standing representation of indigenous peoples in the political sphere.