Guyana observes Amerindian Heritage month throughout this month of September, and President Irfaan Ali, has promised to make more resources available to Indigenous communities in an effort to bridge the development gap between the Hinterland and Coastland.

On Sunday evening, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs hosted an Amerindian Cultural extravaganza at the National Park to usher in Amerindian Heritage month.

At the event, the President acknowledged that while work is being done to improve the lives and communities of the country’s indigenous people, it might not be happening at a fast enough pace.

“And it is necessary to understand that when it comes to our Indigenous brothers and sisters, there is indeed a greater gap that must be bridged and that is why, per capita, we have to invest more and more so that that gap could be bridged faster and faster. And over the years, we have been doing just this since 2020 to now, we have invested over $60B to Amerindian villages all across this country,” the President noted.

He also noted that the Government has sought to improve access to health and education in the Indigenous communities, while ensuring more opportunities exist for the people of those communities.

“We here in Guyana, we are doing an outstanding job in shaping the narrative in ensuring that by our work, by our example, by our dedication, by our policies and principles, we are honouring to the greatest degree, there is no other country that can point to the types of reforms and investments we have made in honouring our Indigenous people and our Amerindians,” the President stated.

The President said the government will continue to expand opportunities through eco-tourism for indigenous communities as a means to boost village economies.

“We have raised the bar, we have allowed them to become bold in their thinking, we have allowed them to become imaginative and today, they are taking their future in their own hands, they are investing, they are doing the hard work and they are ensuring that their communities become vibrant once more.

The President assured that his government will continue to support the indigenous communities to ensure that Indigenous people reach their full potential.

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