AMERINDIANS – The First Guyanese

Amerindians are the original inhabitants of the Americas and the Caribbean. They are also called American Indians (from which the term “Amerindians” is derived) and Aboriginal Indians.

They were first called Indians by Christopher Columbus who, when he arrived in the New World, thought he had reached India. It is believed, however, that Amerindians were originally inhabitants of the continent of Asia and crossed the Bering Strait into North America during the last Ice Age.

The Amerindian population in Guyana is estimated to be over 29,000. This population is composed of 9 tribal groupings based mainly on language, but also on culture. The groupings are Carib, Arawak, Wai Wai, Akawai, Makushi, Warrau, Wapishana, Arecuna and Patamona.

Amerindians lived mostly in the Amerindian Reservations (occupying a total of about 6000 square miles). The reservation system was introduced in 1902. In 1910 the Aboriginal Indians Protection Ordinance made the Commissioner of Lands and Mines the Amerindian Protector, proscribed visits to the reservation without authorization, and generally regulated Amerindian affairs. In 1951 a new Amerindian Ordinance was introduced. It represented a policy of acculturation and brought Amerindian villages under the Local Government System.

The three administrative districts in which the majority of Amerindians live (the Mazaruni Potaro, North West and Rupununi) include 90 major Amerindian villages. Each political unit of the Amerindian society, the village, is headed by a Captain or Touchau elected by the people to maintain law and order in the village. In turn, the Captain, who is paid a monthly stipend by the Government, is responsible to the appropriate Government Officer.

With the inauguration of a new Government in October 1992, a Minister of Amerindian Affairs was appointed, and 10 Amerindian Members of Parliament were elected out of a total of 65 members in the National Assembly. In percentage terms, this indicated that although Amerindians comprised 6 per cent of the population, they held 16 per cent of the seats in the National Assembly. Although democratically well represented, the Amerindian MPs are divided along party-affiliation. Political agendas do not always pay the necessary attention to ongoing structural marginalisation of the Amerindian population.


(The photo on the left shows forests being bulldozed to expose bauxite deposits in a state-run mining operation.)

There are large deposits of aluminum and iron ore in Guayana, and the country has harnessed the Caroní River to power huge smelting operations. Widespread mining of gold and diamonds is destructive to the environment, due to mercury contamination and extensive erosion of riverbanks.

Useful information about Amerindians include “Focus on Amerindians”, edited by Dr. Walter Edwards and published by the Amerindian Languages Project of the University of Guyana.