Wednesday 16 November 2011
Trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania
...to attend the International Contest & Convention (IC&C) in Hershey, Pennsylvania. We left Toronto on Wednesday morning around midday - we had great plans to leave first thing in the morning but after realizing we had a bit of running around to do - not to mention packing !! - we decided that we would have a late breakfast and then hit the road - was a long drive - border crossing was uneventful - we arrived at the Hershey Lodge around 11 p.m. - everyone was extremely tired -
Thursday 6 October 2011
Basil Rodrigues M.S. is a ‘Special Person’
Folklorist, Musician, Educator and highly respected Elder
Pull quote: “I was respected by persons in the communities in which I resided, and I was chosen for many leadership roles.”
By Rohan Sagar
Born at Bullet Tree, Waini River, Basil Cuthbert Rodrigues, affectionately known as Uncle Basil in all Santa Rosa and Moruca, traces his heritage back to Venezuela where his forefathers lived in Angostura or modern Cuidad Bolivar. They escaped the aftermath of the ‘Big War’ – the Bolivarian War of Independence as it is known in the Oral Traditions of the Spanish Arawaks – and later resettled in Paloma, a tiny community further inland from the banks of the Moruca River. Paloma is accessible by a narrow dirt road from Cabucalli and Kokal.
Soon after Uncle Basil was born (in 1932) his family, minus an older brother and sister who remained in Santa Rosa to attend school, relocated to the Waini where his grandfather, Antonio Rodrigues called Papita, lived and where Basil experienced in real time the traditional way of life commonly associated with Indigenous Peoples on the Atlantic shorelines. These included farming and all that went into the preparation, planting and harvesting. Then there was fishing, an activity that can last sometimes for days as Papita would explore tiny creeks where the fishing grounds were the more attractive.
Basil Rodrigues
Papita’s illness at age 75 prompted Basil’s parents to return to Moruca along with Papita. Now it was time to return to Kokal. Basil continued attending school at Kokal, then administered and taught by Roman Catholic nuns.
Like most musicians who came out of Guyana’s hinterland, he began his musical life whilst experiencing the richness of his traditional culture. At this time in its history the community of Kokal formed a part of the wider Santa Rosa village (along with Cabucalli where Basil’s mother came from, Paloma where his father originated, and San Juan). Kayaps and the coming together of the community to indulge in the traditional ceremonial way of life fused with Roman Catholic ceremonial rites such as baptisms, weddings, Christmases as well as others that enriched the lives of the community’s population.
And there was a justification, as the Arawaks were also devout Catholics and it was they who caused a Roman Catholic priest, Fr Thomas Hynes, to travel from Trinidad, to bless a local and newly constructed Church in 1830.
As a young man Uncle Basil was deeply influenced by two persons who caused him to pick up the guitar as his musical instrument – his father who was a violinist in demand and later Aloysius La Rose, who was another violinist and cultural visionary. Incidentally, it was at this time that the Arawak language began to experience a decline in use and this affected the music which resulted in less emphasis on the singing of the lyrics, and so the violin became the pre-eminent instrument that carried the melody of the traditional music of the Arawaks.
Additionally, the music of the Arawaks of Santa Rosa was unique – it was not the usual traditional 2/4 common to Indigenous music, in fact, Banchikilli which in Arawak means to ‘dance to the violin and banjo’ evolved as a hybrid of the Venezuelan Joropo and the melodic form of the Mari-Mari.
Basil loved music, and his favourite was of course his people’s Banchikilli – and then there was the Country & Western. This love for Country & Western was not unusual as it was a common characteristic of rural and hinterland populations of Guyana.
Basil’s favourite artist was Hank Williams Snr and he remembers paddling down the Moruca River in the bright moonlit night singing and playing his guitar to the tunes of Hank Williams. He was partnered by his friends, and these extraordinary performances often ended in the local bars.
Basil Rodrigues’ moonlit performances did not find favour with one section of the Kokal population – the nuns who live at the convent overlooking the Cabucalli and Hurdiah communities along the Moruca River. In fact, this activity was deemed to be quite harmful to young Basil’s prospects of “entering the Gates of Heaven” whenever that moment should arise, and the nuns duly informed his parents that he ought to be engaged in activities that were more constructive and purposeful. This was to decisively reshaped Basil Rodrigues’ future and impacted another population in a very significant way.
At the age of 18, in 1952, Basil Rodrigues stepped off a DC Dakota plane at Lumid Pau to commence his second life – as a teacher. This was the culmination of the discussions between his parents and the nuns of the local convent, and the outcome of his serenading activities on the Moruca River. This new phase was not quite different in that it was quite common then for young Amerindian males to gravitate towards the forestry or mining industries. Basil did, too, and he worked in the North West (as a miner) as well as doing camp duties both there and in Linden.
Fr. Bernard McKenna, who he calls the educationist priest, was instrumental in seating Basil on the plane. He then assigned him his first school and for the next 40 years, except for periodic visits to Georgetown and Moruca, Basil Rodrigues lived and taught in the Rupununi. During this time he married Delores, and together they parented four children, two sons – Wally who is a malarial microscopist at Aishalton, Curtis (attacked and killed by a tiger in the Marudi Mountains), and two daughters Beverly and Kay, who live with him in Kokal today.
The Mariaba Players performing the Banchikilli at Moruca
In cricket, Shea defeated schools that were two or three times larger its size, and when he used music, he noticed an aura of excitement amongst his pupils, and as he sang, his students would sing along – the children of the Rupununi loved to sing!
Basil Rodrigues taught in many communities such as Karaudarnau, Shea and Aishalton amongst others. And though he lived in these communities (he spent the longest in Shea) in the latter part of his forty years he spent in the Rupununi, he decided that he would permanently settle in Aishalton. The Toshao gave him a piece of land that no one wanted, as it was infested with rattlesnakes. The place was called Drummaud, which he renamed Drums.
He cleared and cleaned the land, built a house, and invested in a few head of cattle that were to later increase many fold. For Uncle Basil the Rupununi was special – he remembers the many moments as he stood in awe of the grandeur of the Kanuku and the savannahs. The beauty and serenity was inspirational for his many compositions. One particular place he remembers most fondly was Shea Rock. With an elevation of about five hundred feet, Uncle Basil would walk to the summit, and sit and gaze into the far distance. It was moments like these he believes that inspired the lyrics of his songs, and these came to him as if carried directly by the gentle savannah wind.
Although Basil Rodrigues was a school teacher he was also given and accepted roles as counsellor and community leader, and with the respect given unto him as a teacher, he was able to guide his fellow citizens towards a greater collective sense of responsibility.
“I was respected by persons in the communities in which I resided, and I was chosen for many leadership roles,” he reflected.
Whenever there were projects to be done, however big or small, he would encourage the Toshao to kill and cook a cow or pig, and have the women prepare the Parakiri (local beverage from cassava) and invite the community to come out and perform collective labour. It was an embedded value amongst the many Amerindian tribes, and one that reminded Uncle Basil of his own experiences at home in Kokal many years before. These projects helped to deepen social and communal cohesion within the community.
Another of his experiences was the cultural habits that were both strange and instructive from the communities that he interfaced: Amongst the Wapishanas, any festivity often would last for many days, sometimes as much as seven days. Here, the community gathers at a central place, and when the celebration commences persons would dance and eat as often as one was able to and when tired sleep, and then awake to carry on more dances and eating.
The dancers do not stop unless the musicians do and some individual dances can last for hours. As in most cultures beverages, especially the fermented ones these can be debilitating, and with that comes unnatural behaviour. This was so amongst the Wapishana and Uncle Basil speaks of fights that would occur occasionally.
But these were not the fights that would grace the newspapers of today; in fact at that time fights in the Wapishana community were more of a pushing and shoving contest. So in a specific contest, the antagonists would be engaging each other in the centre of a crowded assembly. The first combatant to fall ends the fight and then the party resumes. In the Wapishana collective there are no winners and losers, and blood spilling was rarely seen.
On December 25, 1992, Basil Rodrigues gathered his family together and informed each that with the natural aging process of both himself and Delores, and with the given fact of a barely functioning health system at both Lethem and Aishalton, a decision was made that he and his wife would return to Kokal, Moruca River (he was already retired). He offered his children the option of deciding their own future then and both his sons determined that they would remain in the Rupununi. His two daughters decided that they would accompany their parents back to Kokal (though one did so after a brief sojourn in Brazil).
When he arrived at Kokal, Basil found his family plot in a depressed state, and his community sharing a similar experience.
He was soon invited to rejoin the teaching service and taught in the local Santa Rosa Primary School. He worked together with a Roman Catholic nun Sister Jacinta and with this collaboration he caused local community health centres to be built. His third project after arriving in Kokal was to relink with his old buddies (Frank and Basil Hernandez, Emmanuel Cornelius, Antonio Torres, Vincent Sookhan, etc – the latter two now deceased) and formed a cultural group, the Mariaba (which means guava in Arawak after the fruit trees found in abundance then) Players.
Mariaba, incidentally, was the name given to the site just outside Cabucalli, settled by the arriving Arawaks in 1817; this name was later changed to Santa Rosa (in honour of their patron Saint Rose of Lima or Santa Rosa del Lima) after the consecration of the local church in 1830.
Uncle Basil lives a very unassuming life and a visit to his home is an experience – his cherubic face awaits his visitors and with the most disarming of smiles his anthemic ‘Hello there, I was waiting on you’ greets you at his doorstep, before sitting his visitor to his lifetime experiences punctuated with his guitar strumming and singing his compositions.
Steeped in the traditions of his people, Uncle Basil enriches his life experiences through music. He was a main feature at the initial Amerindian Heritage celebrations when first launched (with his entourage of young singers), and continues to be the mainstay of the Mariaba Players (his and the members of the Mariaba Players are the last of the Banchikilli exponents). He continues to be inspired by and through the folkloric narratives of the Arawak/Lokono traditions, which he is quick to point out is the root and foundation of all his musical and poetic compositions.
An awardee twice of the Medal of Service, in 1989 and in 1994, Basil Rodrigues is considered a legend in a rapidly disappearing cultural legacy.
Elderly Arawak Indians watch slow extinction of native tongue
Published: Sunday, July 29, 2001
KABAKABURI, Guyana {AP}— At 86, John Peter Bennett is blind and nearly deaf, but he's still sharp enough to detect a dropped syllable in his beloved native tongue.
Living in the village where he was born, in the forests of Guyana, Bennett is one of a shrinking number of Arawak Indians who still speak their language, and he has noticed a tendency to drop the first syllable of "akorakali," the Arawak word for thunder, leaving "korakali."
"Everybody wants to do it in a faster way," Bennett says. "Speed has a great influence on all things."
Some experts predict that in the next century, more than half the world's 6,800 living languages could disappear. From the Indian language of Salish in the northwestern United States to Ibu in Indonesia, endangered tongues that thrived in isolation are fading as the outside world creeps in.
"These languages evolved over thousands of years, and they're being snuffed out over the order of decades," said Doug Whalen, a linguist who leads the Endangered Language Fund at Yale University. "It's an entire heritage that's being lost."
Even in the age of the Internet and jet flights, however, something of Arawak is sure to survive, thanks to a dictionary Bennett spent 25 years compiling.
Published in 1989 and updated in 1994, "An Arawak-English Dictionary with an English word-list" reflects the remoteness of Arawak life from the global mainstream. The dictionary offers no word for "computer" but has five for "frog" and four for "snake."
It doesn't even have "hurricane," even though the word derives from "hurakan," a god of the Caribbean island Arawaks. The reason for the omission: Hurricanes don't generally reach Guyana.
It does, however, define "bororo, n. — a frog, a large kind that spends its time on or in the ground," and "shiparari-kodibiu, n. — aeroplane, metal bird."
At night, Arawaks usually mention snakes with caution, according to Bennett, lest a snake's spirit overhear them and take offense. To be on the safe side, they speak of "madunarobe," or the "armless ones."
When Christopher Columbus reached the New World, Arawak in various forms was spoken from South America to the Florida Keys. It's the language from which came such words as hammock, tobacco and canoe.
The Arawak tribes largely died off under the enslaving, disease-importing Spanish. But they survived on the northeastern coast of South America, and an estimated 17,000 remain in Guyana and Suriname.
Only about 2,200, most of them elderly, still speak Arawak — or Loko, as it is called here.
In Kabakaburi, a predominantly Arawak village of more than 1,000 people on Guyana's Pomeroon River, children understand a few words of Arawak, but they communicate in the English brought by the British more than 150 years ago, and in an English-based Creole.
The village embraced Christianity with the founding of an Anglican mission in 1840, and teachers encouraged villagers to speak English. Bennett, born in 1914, recalls teachers forbidding the use of Arawak and flogging offenders.
Gloria Lowe, a 60-year-old teacher who helped run the class, said Arawaks seem largely uninterested. Few Guyanese today know that some rivers bear Arawak names, such as the winding Orinoco, which means "snake mouth," and the Maichony, which means "the song of trees' leaves when the breeze blows."
"It is sad to know that this Arawak language is dying," Lowe said.
"Everybody wants to do it in a faster way," Bennett says. "Speed has a great influence on all things."
Some experts predict that in the next century, more than half the world's 6,800 living languages could disappear. From the Indian language of Salish in the northwestern United States to Ibu in Indonesia, endangered tongues that thrived in isolation are fading as the outside world creeps in.
"These languages evolved over thousands of years, and they're being snuffed out over the order of decades," said Doug Whalen, a linguist who leads the Endangered Language Fund at Yale University. "It's an entire heritage that's being lost."
Even in the age of the Internet and jet flights, however, something of Arawak is sure to survive, thanks to a dictionary Bennett spent 25 years compiling.
Published in 1989 and updated in 1994, "An Arawak-English Dictionary with an English word-list" reflects the remoteness of Arawak life from the global mainstream. The dictionary offers no word for "computer" but has five for "frog" and four for "snake."
It doesn't even have "hurricane," even though the word derives from "hurakan," a god of the Caribbean island Arawaks. The reason for the omission: Hurricanes don't generally reach Guyana.
It does, however, define "bororo, n. — a frog, a large kind that spends its time on or in the ground," and "shiparari-kodibiu, n. — aeroplane, metal bird."
At night, Arawaks usually mention snakes with caution, according to Bennett, lest a snake's spirit overhear them and take offense. To be on the safe side, they speak of "madunarobe," or the "armless ones."
When Christopher Columbus reached the New World, Arawak in various forms was spoken from South America to the Florida Keys. It's the language from which came such words as hammock, tobacco and canoe.
The Arawak tribes largely died off under the enslaving, disease-importing Spanish. But they survived on the northeastern coast of South America, and an estimated 17,000 remain in Guyana and Suriname.
Only about 2,200, most of them elderly, still speak Arawak — or Loko, as it is called here.
In Kabakaburi, a predominantly Arawak village of more than 1,000 people on Guyana's Pomeroon River, children understand a few words of Arawak, but they communicate in the English brought by the British more than 150 years ago, and in an English-based Creole.
The village embraced Christianity with the founding of an Anglican mission in 1840, and teachers encouraged villagers to speak English. Bennett, born in 1914, recalls teachers forbidding the use of Arawak and flogging offenders.
Gloria Lowe, a 60-year-old teacher who helped run the class, said Arawaks seem largely uninterested. Few Guyanese today know that some rivers bear Arawak names, such as the winding Orinoco, which means "snake mouth," and the Maichony, which means "the song of trees' leaves when the breeze blows."
"It is sad to know that this Arawak language is dying," Lowe said.
Thursday 29 September 2011
Tribute to James Dean - Legend
Dean was the first actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and remains the only actor to have had two posthumous acting nominations. In 1999, the AFI ranked Dean the 18th best male movie star on their AFI's 100 Years ....100 Stars list.
Monday 19 September 2011
Minister Rodrigues-Birkett receives hero’s award in Moruca
 |  |  |
| Monday, 12 September 2011 |
MINISTER of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett is accustomed to open arm welcomes when arriving at her native village, Moruca. But she will forever remember September 10, 2011, when she received a hero’s award.  Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues- Birkett, at right, with, from left, Agnes Daniels, Vibert De Souza and Basil Rodrigues, with their awards.Minister Rodrigues-Birkett, along with former Minister of Amerindian Affairs Vibert De Souza, and veteran teachers Agnes Bridget Daniels, and Basil Rodrigues were honoured with the unveiling of a monument with their names inscribed on it. Several villagers, young and old, including Chairman of Region One, Fermin Singh, and reigning Miss Moruca, Simone Fredericks, gathered at the Santa Rosa Heroes Square for the commemoration ceremony which took the form of eulogies, songs, poems and accolades to the heroes past and present. Among the deceased heroes are Joseph Atkinson who was instrumental in the establishment of the first Moruca Co-op Society shop; John Atkinson, the longest serving village captain; Rosa Atkinson, a herbal practitioner and spiritualist; Stephen Campbell, the first Amerindian parliamentarian; and John Ferreira, an entrepreneur who was fluent in the Carib, Warau and Arawak languages.  The Heroes Monument, Santa Rosa, Region OneBasil Rodrigues was the person instrumental in the idea of a Heroes Monument in Moruca. He used the occasion to thank members of the village council and public spirited persons for organizing such the event which, he acknowledged, emerged out of the realisation that there is a great need for youths in the village to know and appreciate their heroes, culture and language. The project, Rodrigues said, was not smooth sailing as many obstacles were faced to acquire funding for the monument which was built at a cost of over $45,000. Rodrigues was the former Aishalton Primary School head master, teacher of Santa Rosa Primary, and author of the songs “Nine Amerindian Tribes” and “Tribute to Moruca.” He also played in lead role in the play Kanaima and participated in the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) IX in Trinidad and Tobago. Minister Rodrigues-Birkett hailed him as a person who has done Moruca and the country proud. “He is so committed to the Amerindian culture… it was his idea that we have a monument… I’m very happy today that all Morucans are so supportive of this,” Minister Rodrigues-Birkett said. Agnes Daniels, the former school teacher who taught Minister Rodrigues-Birkett, was strict with her rules regarding dress, tardiness, and mannerisms; and the Foreign Affairs Minister recalled the inspiration she gained from the advice which she received to “use the Bible as a guide.” Minister Rodrigues-Birkett was also elated to receive the hero’s award, along with Vibert De Souza, Guyana’s first Amerindian Affairs Minister who, she said, was the person who gave her the scholarship opportunity, and advised her on the job opening at the Social Impact and Amelioration Programme (SIMAP). “He laid a foundation for me, because I came after him as Minister of Amerindian Affairs,” Minister Rodrigues said.  Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues -Birkett unveils the Heroes Monument in the presence of several Moruca residents, Region OneReference was also made to his advocacy for land demarcation. Listening to the eulogies of the heroes and the call for youths to be cognizant and appreciative of their heroes, Minister Rodrigues-Birkett vowed to publish a booklet on the biographies of each awardee, especially for the village. In her recollections, she called the names of several other persons who, in her mind, are heroes of Moruca who did not make the list, but were nevertheless “gifts to Moruca from God.” The minister referred to a woman named Yamakoto who performed the role of a midwife and brought her into the world, and others who were vocal on the rights of Amerindians. During the ceremony, a commemorative plaque was unveiled in honour of Stephen Campbell, with a citation that read: “Dedicated to the Memory of Stephen Campbell, First Amerindian Member of Parliament, pioneer of Amerindian land titles, his memory lives.” (GINA) |
Monday 12 September 2011
Editorial - Stabroek News - Sept 12, 2011
Amerindian History and the Schools
Today marks the start of Amerindian Heritage Month with its annual focus on indigenous art, culture and achievements. It is only in relatively recent times, however, that elements of Amerindian history and pre-history have begun to be uncovered, and for the most part the bulk of the population remains ensnared by a stereotyped – and mostly inaccurate – account of the indigenous past. The Amerindians had lived in what is our Guyana for thousands of years before Christopher Columbus made his fateful landing on the Bahamas’ Watling Island in 1492, and work in more recent times by archaeologists including (among others) the late Denis Williams, Prof Mark Plew and Mr George Simon of the University of Guyana and his colleague Prof Neil Whitehead of the University of Wisconsin, have begun to open a window on life in Guyana millennia ago.
Few of our children are taught in school that Amerindians are the pioneers of agriculture in Guyana, although they do learn about the making of cassava bread, etc. In many classrooms this is taught in a vacuum, however, and it is possible that some pupils are not even be aware of the remarkable nature of a process which involves the bitter cassava and not the sweet variety, and is designed to eliminate the toxins from this root vegetable to make it safe for consumption. The early peoples who developed the technique can be regarded as scientific experimenters of a sort, using empirical observations to produce a practical result and provide themselves with a dietary staple.
But the Arawaks in particular, are also the pioneers of large-scale drainage, designed to carry off water from their raised fields which served their fixed settlements. They eventually abandoned these, to return to farming methods and the lifestyle we associate with all the nations here today, but in their heyday the raised field complexes were very impressive. The largest known at present was at Hertenrits in Suriname, but raised fields have also been found in Canje and on the Berbice River, where they are being investigated now.
And it is also on the Berbice River that Messrs Simon, Whitehead and others are digging at a site near Dubulay which has been under human occupation dating back at least five thousand years, and after the latest carbon-dating tests are concluded in the United States, might be found to go back even as far as ten thousand years. If so, this would make it a premier site in terms of Amazonian archaeology.
One suspects that no hint of these developments seeps into the classrooms of Guyana’s schools (least of all the hinterland schools), although the Walter Roth Museum has run a Junior Archaeology Club for some years, which has attracted a few youthful adherents at the primary level. It is proposing to extend this and launch a programme to attract secondary school students around the middle of this month. If the interest of children in archaeology could be sparked, then the potential would exist to develop in due course a cadre of local archaeologists who could follow in the footsteps of their predecessors, both Guyanese and foreign, and unravel the distant past of this nation.
Even where the colonial period is concerned, not a great deal is known by the public at large let alone the Ministry of Education and its school teachers about the role of Amerindians. Here in particular, stereotyped stories hold sway, which are either irrelevant to our situation, or have only partial relevance. The history of indigenous nations in this country was not the same as that in the Spanish or Portuguese areas of the South American continent, and some groups at some periods in Guyana were actors in the colonial drama, rather than simply victims. Others shared a history of enslavement with the Africans, which for them lasted until 1793, when the Dutch state abolished indigenous slavery in Essequibo-Demerara, along with the slave trade which went with it. Having said that, however, it has to be conceded that not a great deal of accurate information about Africans in the pre-Emancipation period has penetrated the walls of Guyana’s classrooms either, or is even known by the public at large.
One can only hope that one day, the Ministry of Education will see fit to update its syllabus for the Grade 6 Assessment in Social Studies, among others, so the children at least can actually benefit from information which in some cases has been known by researchers for years, and in the case of the Amerindians, some of which has recently been uncovered. After all, peddling inaccuracies about the past and the ancestors of the peoples who go to make up this nation is not just counter-productive, it brings discredit to the Ministry and the Minister.
Today marks the start of Amerindian Heritage Month with its annual focus on indigenous art, culture and achievements. It is only in relatively recent times, however, that elements of Amerindian history and pre-history have begun to be uncovered, and for the most part the bulk of the population remains ensnared by a stereotyped – and mostly inaccurate – account of the indigenous past. The Amerindians had lived in what is our Guyana for thousands of years before Christopher Columbus made his fateful landing on the Bahamas’ Watling Island in 1492, and work in more recent times by archaeologists including (among others) the late Denis Williams, Prof Mark Plew and Mr George Simon of the University of Guyana and his colleague Prof Neil Whitehead of the University of Wisconsin, have begun to open a window on life in Guyana millennia ago.
Few of our children are taught in school that Amerindians are the pioneers of agriculture in Guyana, although they do learn about the making of cassava bread, etc. In many classrooms this is taught in a vacuum, however, and it is possible that some pupils are not even be aware of the remarkable nature of a process which involves the bitter cassava and not the sweet variety, and is designed to eliminate the toxins from this root vegetable to make it safe for consumption. The early peoples who developed the technique can be regarded as scientific experimenters of a sort, using empirical observations to produce a practical result and provide themselves with a dietary staple.
But the Arawaks in particular, are also the pioneers of large-scale drainage, designed to carry off water from their raised fields which served their fixed settlements. They eventually abandoned these, to return to farming methods and the lifestyle we associate with all the nations here today, but in their heyday the raised field complexes were very impressive. The largest known at present was at Hertenrits in Suriname, but raised fields have also been found in Canje and on the Berbice River, where they are being investigated now.
And it is also on the Berbice River that Messrs Simon, Whitehead and others are digging at a site near Dubulay which has been under human occupation dating back at least five thousand years, and after the latest carbon-dating tests are concluded in the United States, might be found to go back even as far as ten thousand years. If so, this would make it a premier site in terms of Amazonian archaeology.
One suspects that no hint of these developments seeps into the classrooms of Guyana’s schools (least of all the hinterland schools), although the Walter Roth Museum has run a Junior Archaeology Club for some years, which has attracted a few youthful adherents at the primary level. It is proposing to extend this and launch a programme to attract secondary school students around the middle of this month. If the interest of children in archaeology could be sparked, then the potential would exist to develop in due course a cadre of local archaeologists who could follow in the footsteps of their predecessors, both Guyanese and foreign, and unravel the distant past of this nation.
Even where the colonial period is concerned, not a great deal is known by the public at large let alone the Ministry of Education and its school teachers about the role of Amerindians. Here in particular, stereotyped stories hold sway, which are either irrelevant to our situation, or have only partial relevance. The history of indigenous nations in this country was not the same as that in the Spanish or Portuguese areas of the South American continent, and some groups at some periods in Guyana were actors in the colonial drama, rather than simply victims. Others shared a history of enslavement with the Africans, which for them lasted until 1793, when the Dutch state abolished indigenous slavery in Essequibo-Demerara, along with the slave trade which went with it. Having said that, however, it has to be conceded that not a great deal of accurate information about Africans in the pre-Emancipation period has penetrated the walls of Guyana’s classrooms either, or is even known by the public at large.
One can only hope that one day, the Ministry of Education will see fit to update its syllabus for the Grade 6 Assessment in Social Studies, among others, so the children at least can actually benefit from information which in some cases has been known by researchers for years, and in the case of the Amerindians, some of which has recently been uncovered. After all, peddling inaccuracies about the past and the ancestors of the peoples who go to make up this nation is not just counter-productive, it brings discredit to the Ministry and the Minister.
Sunday 28 August 2011
The Bush Master (Lachesis muta)
I had to post this as I remember as a child, my father had a scar on his leg and he said he was bitten by a bushmaster...of course he probably embellished his story somewhat, being a good "gaff" man lol...He said this snake could slide through the grass faster than a man could run and was often heard to chase its prey if these hapless people accidentally stumbled across one in Guyana's interior!!
The Bush Master (Lachesis muta) is a venomous pit viper species found in South America. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Adults grow to an average of 2 to 2.5 metres (m), although 3m is not too unusual. The largest recorded specimen was almost 3.65m long, making this the largest of all pit vipers and the longest venomous snake in the western hemisphere.
The head is broad and very distinct from the narrow neck. The snout is broadly rounded. There is no canthus. A pair of small internasals is present, separated by small scales. The supraoculars are narrow. Other parts of the crown are covered with very small scales. Laterally, the second supralabial forms the anterior border of the loreal pit, while the third is very large. The eye is separated from the supralabials by 4-5 rows of small scales.
The body is cylindrical, tapered and moderately stout. Mid-body there are 31-37 nonoblique rows of dorsal scales which are heavily keeled with bulbous tubercles and feebly imbricate. There are 200-230 ventral scales. The tail is short with 32-50 mainly paired subcaudals, followed by 13-17 rows of small spines and a terminal spine.
A bushmaster secluded in its habitat
Lachesis is one of the three Fates in Greek mythology and was supposed to assign to man his term of life — something this species is certainly capable of doing. The species is similar in appearance to rattlesnakes and vibrates its tail vigorously when alarmed, but has no rattle and was therefore called mutus (later muta), which is Latin for dumb or mute. However, when in the undergrowth, the tail actually makes quite a loud rustling noise.
Found in South America in the equatorial forests east of the Andes: Colombia, eastern Ecuador, Peru, northern Bolivia, eastern and southern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and much of northern Brazil. The species is also found in Trinidad.
They are found in primary and secondary forests; adjacent fields and cleared areas. In Trinidad it tends to prefer hilly and mountainous regions.
Some reports suggest that this species produces a large amount of venom that is weak compared to some other vipers. Others, however, suggest that such conclusions may not be accurate. These animals are badly affected by stress and often do not last long in captivity. This makes it difficult to obtain “good, healthy” venom for study purposes.
For example, Bolaños (1972) observed that venom yield from his specimens fell from 233 mg to 64 mg while they remained in his care. As the stress of being milked regularly has this effect on venom yield, it is reasoned that it may also affect venom toxicity. This may explain the disparity described by Hardy and Haad (1998) of the low laboratory toxicity versus the high mortality rate of bite victims.[11]
The most famous of the vipers in Guyana is the Bushmaster (Lachesis muta). This snake is aptly named in English and particularly in Latin – as the “silent bringer of death.” The bushmaster, known as the surucucu in Brazil, and the shushupe in other countries, is the largest venomous snake in the New World. These snakes can regularly exceed 2,000 millimetres in length (6.5 ft.), and one of the largest recorded was 4,267 mm (14 ft.).
Like the rattlesnake, it has a prominent dorsal ridge, and the head is broad with an upturned snout. The bushmaster is a nocturnal snake, and reported as extremely aggressive, although scientists believe this to be an exaggeration.
(Source – Wikipedia: The Free Online Encyclopedia)
Thursday 11 August 2011
Santa Rosa Church - Moruca, Guyana
it seems this little project is haunting me so here we go again. I have been corresponding with Fr. Wilian - I was brave enough to tell him to email in Spanish and so between some friends of friends and Google translate ....lol...I have managed to communicate not too bad!!
Bit and pieces are pouring in to help with the renovation but it's only a drop in the bucket - nevertheless we press on - it will get done. Thanks to all the people who are helping financially. so far we have:
Basil & Dolly Rodrigues 5 bags of cement
Bev Vasconcellos 1 bag of cement
Kay Rodrigues 1 bag of cement
Ovid Williams G$50,000 cash
Jean (Regina) Rodrigues)
Stephanie Walls ) Cad $450.00 (G$91,410)
Samantha King ) (equiv 50 bags of cement)
Margaret Hazlewood Clark 1 bag of cement.
(Maggie also contributed to the 2nd Annual Toy Drive for the children of Moruca. Thank you Maggie. We appreciate your always willing generosity.)
Kathleen Joseph US$100.00 (equiv 10 bags of cement)
Vaulda Maria Rodriguez will be in Moruca later this month and she has a whole agenda set up for fund-raising all by herself. Well done Vaulda!! - but take some time off to relax and dance a banchikilli ..ok?
Father Wilian has asked for help with the renovations of the Santa Rosa Church from the community and the ex-Morucans in any way they can possibly help. Cash donations can easily be sent via Western Union directly to Father Wilian (full name Wilian Montalvo Tello) and he can then go to Charity to collect. Please note his e-mail address (wilianmontalvo@ive.org) as you will have to notify him if you are sending a contribution and you MUST provide him with the code number from Western Union in order for him to uplift the money. Also, it sure will be easier for him if you write in Spanish Father speaks Spanish and is now learning to speak English. . Fr. Wilian thanks everyone for their contributions. One bag of cement costs approximately Guy $1,800.00 (or $10.00 Canadian) and the only other cost would be the Western Union fee (which varies depending on the amount – could be C$8.00 and up).
Father has said that the people from Moruca are helping with the sand (and rocks) and various wood that will be used during the reconstruction. Approximately 200 different sizes of wood will be used. This Tuesday August 9th they will have the second lot of wood that was purchased at Parika. Father said he needs 375 bags of cement in total – to date he has 7 bags. He believes in 2 weeks they will purchase the roofing and the nails. Father is also asking for many prayers as the original estimate will not be enough for the entire work as the contractor and his workers will require $20,000 US for the remodelling and reconstruction for the 3 months of work.
As you can see, we have an uphill battle - hopefully next time I post, I will have some more news.
Stay tuned..........
Bit and pieces are pouring in to help with the renovation but it's only a drop in the bucket - nevertheless we press on - it will get done. Thanks to all the people who are helping financially. so far we have:
CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS THE SANTA ROSA CHURCH RENOVATION
TO DATE: (August 5, 2011)Basil & Dolly Rodrigues 5 bags of cement
Bev Vasconcellos 1 bag of cement
Kay Rodrigues 1 bag of cement
Ovid Williams G$50,000 cash
Jean (Regina) Rodrigues)
Stephanie Walls ) Cad $450.00 (G$91,410)
Samantha King ) (equiv 50 bags of cement)
Margaret Hazlewood Clark 1 bag of cement.
(Maggie also contributed to the 2nd Annual Toy Drive for the children of Moruca. Thank you Maggie. We appreciate your always willing generosity.)
Kathleen Joseph US$100.00 (equiv 10 bags of cement)
Vaulda Maria Rodriguez will be in Moruca later this month and she has a whole agenda set up for fund-raising all by herself. Well done Vaulda!! - but take some time off to relax and dance a banchikilli ..ok?
Father Wilian has asked for help with the renovations of the Santa Rosa Church from the community and the ex-Morucans in any way they can possibly help. Cash donations can easily be sent via Western Union directly to Father Wilian (full name Wilian Montalvo Tello) and he can then go to Charity to collect. Please note his e-mail address (wilianmontalvo@ive.org) as you will have to notify him if you are sending a contribution and you MUST provide him with the code number from Western Union in order for him to uplift the money. Also, it sure will be easier for him if you write in Spanish Father speaks Spanish and is now learning to speak English. . Fr. Wilian thanks everyone for their contributions. One bag of cement costs approximately Guy $1,800.00 (or $10.00 Canadian) and the only other cost would be the Western Union fee (which varies depending on the amount – could be C$8.00 and up).
Father has said that the people from Moruca are helping with the sand (and rocks) and various wood that will be used during the reconstruction. Approximately 200 different sizes of wood will be used. This Tuesday August 9th they will have the second lot of wood that was purchased at Parika. Father said he needs 375 bags of cement in total – to date he has 7 bags. He believes in 2 weeks they will purchase the roofing and the nails. Father is also asking for many prayers as the original estimate will not be enough for the entire work as the contractor and his workers will require $20,000 US for the remodelling and reconstruction for the 3 months of work.
As you can see, we have an uphill battle - hopefully next time I post, I will have some more news.
Stay tuned..........
Tuesday 19 July 2011
Uncle Basil yearns for Banchikili revival
While being cognisant of the loss of the Arawak culture, Basil Rodrigues believes that if interventions are made, the spiral can be stymied so that this culture can be passed on to youths.
Rodrigues known as ‘Uncle Basil’ is a resident of Santa Rosa; a community found within the Moruca Sub-Region, Region One and has lived a life devoted to teaching and guitar music. He was born on June 13, 1932 at Bullet Tree, Waini River before moving in 1940 to Santa Rosa to attend primary school.
“Banjo music had me interested and I wanted to know how to play,” he said. This early love for music grew from listening to Hurrup and Banchikili (Spanish Arawak music), which was played frequently in the community. He recalled how he and other boys would peep at “dances” from the trees since they were not allowed to go in. At other times, he and his friends would paddle two or three miles down the Moruca River singing western songs particularly those of Hank Williams, who hits included “Your Cheating Heart” and “Hey Good Looking”. A Roman Catholic nun, Sister Teresa, did not like that since she thought they were drinking, but he said that was not so; they just loved the music.
He was 19 years on in 1951, when his mother’s permission was sought for him to go teach at a school in Karaudarnaua, Deep South Rupununi. While he took with him his love for guitar playing, adjusting to a different environment where little English was used was difficult. He said he was often lonely and found that he could not fit in.
However, in 1954, he moved to Shea, another community in the Deep South, as head teacher with the aim of opening a primary school. He remembers climbing Shea Rock and using that time to reflect on life. “The geography of the land presented an ideal place to learn, reminisce and discover,” he said. It was while there that he realised that he could compose songs on life of the people in the Rupununi, their heritage, beliefs and the tough life they lived.
Therefore after work, he would try to fit his compositions to Samba, a music form which was often played there. “I found as a teacher, the children used to be more interested in this new form of music and it helped because I could not get them to understand how I operated as a teacher,” he said.
He wrote songs, skits and dances that the smallest child could join in and perform. Even though the Wapishana language was difficult for him, he was determined to learn it and managed to write many of his skits in this language.
“I spent almost a lifetime at Shea; almost 25 years, with breaks of course, because I had to attend the teachers training college during that time, and after I completed that I went back to teach in the Rupununi.” A few years later, he moved to Aishalton, another village in the Deep South, and spent the next eleven years teaching there. He said Aishalton was different from Shea in that the people were harder working, independent and wanted to do things.
He said that he was encouraged by former Toshao Henry Winter to settle there. However, when the plane service to the area was discontinued in the 1980s, articles in the stores got expensive. At that point, he was no longer a teacher and owned of a herd of cattle which he tried to increase in number so as to sustain his family. However, two things happened which changed the course of his life.
Firstly, his health began to deteriorate amidst the lack of proper medical facilities and secondly people started to get into the habit of cattle rustling. These two factors led to his decision to return to Moruca.
In 1992, he returned to Santa Rosa and rekindled his love for music especially the Banchikili which was the main form of musical entertainment there. But Amerindian culture there was different from how he had left it. “I found that the culture was rapidly dying out, the youths had left the culture by itself because they were ashamed to dance and play their music, and were more interested in modern music.”
He added that a famous violinist, who was well respected in the community, Aloysius La Rose called ‘Uncle Bull’ conceptualised the idea of forming a band along with Frank Hernandez who played the fiddle. He said he decided to part of the band because of his love for playing the guitar. They named the band, the Mariaba String Band. He said the name “Mariaba” was the original name of Santa Rosa.
The band played the banchikili music which was passed down from Spanish Arawaks who came from Venezuela in 1817 and settled in the Moruca area. Rodrigues said the band performed at several functions up until the late 1990s. Unfortunately, in 1996 he suffered a heart attack which resulted in him losing energy. As a result of his poor health, he could not move about much and as such lost interest in the band. During the course of that year, the band also lost two other members.
Rodrigues was also the recipient of two national awards namely the Medal of Service given to him in 1991 for his community work in the Rupununi. While the other, the Arrow of Achievement was bestowed on him in 1998 for his teaching and musical endeavours.
Currently, while the band is still in existence, “it is barely surviving”, he said, since its two members have limited knowledge of the banchikili music. He said he is very sad about that, but there is little he can do. When the band was at its optimum, it had recorded several tapes of its music; Rodrigues is hoping that he can acquire some of these tapes to keep as a memoir of the fading music.
He bemoaned the fact that the culture was not passed on after the elders died. “Why couldn’t I get our boys to pass it on?” He hopes that one day he can write about life at Moruca especially on “what happened to the original teachers who left Moruca for the South Rupununi for places like Achiwib, Awaruranawa, Mararuranawa and Sand Creek.” He added that the communities all had teachers from Moruca who later settled there. “Moruca is really the backbone of education there.”
Now, at age 78 Uncle Basil spends his time engrossed in reading and gardening. However, he identifies himself also as a poet of over 60 works on Moruca, Kanima and “jumbies”. He no longer performs but is ever-willing to assist school children with bits of advice and poetry.
While he may be removed from the physical aspects of culture, the worry of loss of culture and language is never far from his mind. “Sadly, culture is not popular here [Santa Rosa], we don’t know our language and the youths are not interested. We are forgetting our dances; it has become a laughing matter now because they make so many mistakes.”
Uncle Basil believes that not enough is being done to engage youths in their culture. He is of the opinion that schools can play a greater role in curbing this cultural loss with the addition of music teachers. Further, he said that a “meaningful” committee with determined people can be set up to revive the Arawak culture.
“We could make an impression; it doesn’t mean anything if we only want to do culture when September comes,” he remarked.
While there has been a loss in Arawak culture, he still hopes it can be halted by capitalising on the existing knowledge possessed by the community’s elders. While he no longer performs, he stands out as a man of knowledge about music and the Amerindian way of life in Santa Rosa.
Rodrigues known as ‘Uncle Basil’ is a resident of Santa Rosa; a community found within the Moruca Sub-Region, Region One and has lived a life devoted to teaching and guitar music. He was born on June 13, 1932 at Bullet Tree, Waini River before moving in 1940 to Santa Rosa to attend primary school.
Basil Rodrigues
“Banjo music had me interested and I wanted to know how to play,” he said. This early love for music grew from listening to Hurrup and Banchikili (Spanish Arawak music), which was played frequently in the community. He recalled how he and other boys would peep at “dances” from the trees since they were not allowed to go in. At other times, he and his friends would paddle two or three miles down the Moruca River singing western songs particularly those of Hank Williams, who hits included “Your Cheating Heart” and “Hey Good Looking”. A Roman Catholic nun, Sister Teresa, did not like that since she thought they were drinking, but he said that was not so; they just loved the music.
He was 19 years on in 1951, when his mother’s permission was sought for him to go teach at a school in Karaudarnaua, Deep South Rupununi. While he took with him his love for guitar playing, adjusting to a different environment where little English was used was difficult. He said he was often lonely and found that he could not fit in.
However, in 1954, he moved to Shea, another community in the Deep South, as head teacher with the aim of opening a primary school. He remembers climbing Shea Rock and using that time to reflect on life. “The geography of the land presented an ideal place to learn, reminisce and discover,” he said. It was while there that he realised that he could compose songs on life of the people in the Rupununi, their heritage, beliefs and the tough life they lived.
Therefore after work, he would try to fit his compositions to Samba, a music form which was often played there. “I found as a teacher, the children used to be more interested in this new form of music and it helped because I could not get them to understand how I operated as a teacher,” he said.
He wrote songs, skits and dances that the smallest child could join in and perform. Even though the Wapishana language was difficult for him, he was determined to learn it and managed to write many of his skits in this language.
Rodrigues and wife Dolly at the National Cultural Centre after he received the Medal of Service in 1991
“I spent almost a lifetime at Shea; almost 25 years, with breaks of course, because I had to attend the teachers training college during that time, and after I completed that I went back to teach in the Rupununi.” A few years later, he moved to Aishalton, another village in the Deep South, and spent the next eleven years teaching there. He said Aishalton was different from Shea in that the people were harder working, independent and wanted to do things.
He said that he was encouraged by former Toshao Henry Winter to settle there. However, when the plane service to the area was discontinued in the 1980s, articles in the stores got expensive. At that point, he was no longer a teacher and owned of a herd of cattle which he tried to increase in number so as to sustain his family. However, two things happened which changed the course of his life.
Firstly, his health began to deteriorate amidst the lack of proper medical facilities and secondly people started to get into the habit of cattle rustling. These two factors led to his decision to return to Moruca.
In 1992, he returned to Santa Rosa and rekindled his love for music especially the Banchikili which was the main form of musical entertainment there. But Amerindian culture there was different from how he had left it. “I found that the culture was rapidly dying out, the youths had left the culture by itself because they were ashamed to dance and play their music, and were more interested in modern music.”
He added that a famous violinist, who was well respected in the community, Aloysius La Rose called ‘Uncle Bull’ conceptualised the idea of forming a band along with Frank Hernandez who played the fiddle. He said he decided to part of the band because of his love for playing the guitar. They named the band, the Mariaba String Band. He said the name “Mariaba” was the original name of Santa Rosa.
Basil Rodrigues and members of the Mariaba String Band
The band played the banchikili music which was passed down from Spanish Arawaks who came from Venezuela in 1817 and settled in the Moruca area. Rodrigues said the band performed at several functions up until the late 1990s. Unfortunately, in 1996 he suffered a heart attack which resulted in him losing energy. As a result of his poor health, he could not move about much and as such lost interest in the band. During the course of that year, the band also lost two other members.
Rodrigues was also the recipient of two national awards namely the Medal of Service given to him in 1991 for his community work in the Rupununi. While the other, the Arrow of Achievement was bestowed on him in 1998 for his teaching and musical endeavours.
Currently, while the band is still in existence, “it is barely surviving”, he said, since its two members have limited knowledge of the banchikili music. He said he is very sad about that, but there is little he can do. When the band was at its optimum, it had recorded several tapes of its music; Rodrigues is hoping that he can acquire some of these tapes to keep as a memoir of the fading music.
He bemoaned the fact that the culture was not passed on after the elders died. “Why couldn’t I get our boys to pass it on?” He hopes that one day he can write about life at Moruca especially on “what happened to the original teachers who left Moruca for the South Rupununi for places like Achiwib, Awaruranawa, Mararuranawa and Sand Creek.” He added that the communities all had teachers from Moruca who later settled there. “Moruca is really the backbone of education there.”
Now, at age 78 Uncle Basil spends his time engrossed in reading and gardening. However, he identifies himself also as a poet of over 60 works on Moruca, Kanima and “jumbies”. He no longer performs but is ever-willing to assist school children with bits of advice and poetry.
While he may be removed from the physical aspects of culture, the worry of loss of culture and language is never far from his mind. “Sadly, culture is not popular here [Santa Rosa], we don’t know our language and the youths are not interested. We are forgetting our dances; it has become a laughing matter now because they make so many mistakes.”
Uncle Basil believes that not enough is being done to engage youths in their culture. He is of the opinion that schools can play a greater role in curbing this cultural loss with the addition of music teachers. Further, he said that a “meaningful” committee with determined people can be set up to revive the Arawak culture.
“We could make an impression; it doesn’t mean anything if we only want to do culture when September comes,” he remarked.
While there has been a loss in Arawak culture, he still hopes it can be halted by capitalising on the existing knowledge possessed by the community’s elders. While he no longer performs, he stands out as a man of knowledge about music and the Amerindian way of life in Santa Rosa.
Thursday 14 July 2011
Before the computer age...
An APPLICATION was for employment.
A PROGRAMME was a television show.
WINDOWS were something you hated to clean.
A KEYBOARD was a piano.
MEMORY was something you lost with age.
A CD was a bank account.
COMPRESS was something you did to garbage.
LOG ON was adding wood to a fire.
A HARD DRIVE was a long trip on the road.
A MOUSE PAD was where a mouse lived.
CUT you did with scissors.
PASTE you did with glue.
A WEB was a spider's home.
And a VIRUS was a flu !!!!!
and I really do remember the days when paste was done only with glue!! I am very happy to say that I jumped on the tekkie boat as soon as I could and never regretted it!!
A PROGRAMME was a television show.
WINDOWS were something you hated to clean.
A KEYBOARD was a piano.
MEMORY was something you lost with age.
A CD was a bank account.
COMPRESS was something you did to garbage.
LOG ON was adding wood to a fire.
A HARD DRIVE was a long trip on the road.
A MOUSE PAD was where a mouse lived.
CUT you did with scissors.
PASTE you did with glue.
A WEB was a spider's home.
And a VIRUS was a flu !!!!!
and I really do remember the days when paste was done only with glue!! I am very happy to say that I jumped on the tekkie boat as soon as I could and never regretted it!!
Wednesday 8 June 2011
Somedays I find....
that I have nothing to blog about...lol...which brings up the question...why do we blog? who cares if we blog? well maybe we do lol..we like to tell the world something and hope that one person out there is listening and moreso..cares? Anyhow, somedays I find that I can write about lots of stuff and other times, nothing so I mostly fill in the space with bits of this and that. Lately I'm finding I have nothing to blog about..sigh
Summer weather is finally here - with a bit of rain but that's ok. I have finally packed away my sweatshirts and spring jackets and looking forward to some good days of camping.
I have been busy with my new project - well, it's done now except for a few other steps...chronicling the artwork of my very talented niece (I won't mention a name lol) - all is set and I'm going to surprise her with a bound copy of all her work. I say "surprise" yes as I know for sure she won't see this page - she is a self-admitted technophobe - but I'm working on it...wait till she sees her brand new website lol! She reads her email and that is that!!
Oh, I just got an idea for my next blog..yayy!!
stay tuned...
Summer weather is finally here - with a bit of rain but that's ok. I have finally packed away my sweatshirts and spring jackets and looking forward to some good days of camping.
I have been busy with my new project - well, it's done now except for a few other steps...chronicling the artwork of my very talented niece (I won't mention a name lol) - all is set and I'm going to surprise her with a bound copy of all her work. I say "surprise" yes as I know for sure she won't see this page - she is a self-admitted technophobe - but I'm working on it...wait till she sees her brand new website lol! She reads her email and that is that!!
Oh, I just got an idea for my next blog..yayy!!
stay tuned...
Friday 3 June 2011
Remembering the Arawak teachers..by Guy Marco
I came across this article by Guy Marco and thought it fitting to post...thank you Mr. Marco!!
Not mentioned here is my mother, Martina Rodrigues who was posted at Achawib Village under Father McKenna. My Dad was the carpenter and he travelled with Father to various schools, building desks or benches as required. He was also the lay doctor/dentist having done a crash course or two at the Red Cross!! He had one black bag with items that could cure various ailments and many a time, my mother was called upon to deliver a baby or my father would whip out some concoction to dress a large knife or axe wound, cure a snakebite, broken arm, malaria, dysentery and even pulled out an achy tooth from the smaller children as required. Here's to those stalwart Arawaks!!
Not mentioned here is my mother, Martina Rodrigues who was posted at Achawib Village under Father McKenna. My Dad was the carpenter and he travelled with Father to various schools, building desks or benches as required. He was also the lay doctor/dentist having done a crash course or two at the Red Cross!! He had one black bag with items that could cure various ailments and many a time, my mother was called upon to deliver a baby or my father would whip out some concoction to dress a large knife or axe wound, cure a snakebite, broken arm, malaria, dysentery and even pulled out an achy tooth from the smaller children as required. Here's to those stalwart Arawaks!!
 |
| Saturday, 27 de September de 2008 | |
Dear Editor, In 2001, I received a wonderful token from Mr Basil Cuthbert Rodrigues MS, AA, from Moruka, North West District, Guyana. He had sent me his book entitled Uncle Basil – An Arawak Biography which was transcribed, annotated and introduced by one Justin Green-Roesel (1998). It is about his teaching experiences in the South Rupununi and in his home town of Moruka, among other things, and indirectly about Father Bernard McKenna, an educationist priest of the Catholic Church who played a major role in the setting up schools for the Wapishana children. According to Uncle Basil Father McKenna came to Guyana after the Second World War. The book also contains some of Uncle Basil’s songs and poems which became very popular during Guyfesta in the 1970s when people from all districts of the Rupununi used to gather at Lethem to compete in various areas of the arts. It is great reading material, because even though it focuses on Uncle Basil’s experiences, it also captures a span of time (mid ’40s – early ’90s) in the South Rupununi. Uncle Basil, according to his biography, arrived in the Rupununi in 1951. He first landed at Wichibai where the plane (a WWII Dakota piloted by Art Williams) let off some cargo and teachers before it headed to Lumidpau not too far from Karaudanau village. It was there that Uncle Basil met his counterparts – the Wapishanas – for the first time and his school’s headmaster, Alex Atkinson, his village man, whom he had known before. It was at Karaudanau that Uncle Basil as a teenager (18) began his long and dedicated teaching service (40 yrs) to the children of the Wapishana people. It was there also he realized that he should have taken education more seriously at Santa Rosa Primary School, Moruka. Fortunately for him Fr McKenna tutored him for the Pupil Teachers’ Examination, which gave access to the teacher training college. Father Mc Kenna moved around the South Rupununi with his bullock-drawn cart doing his church services and at the same time tutoring ‘his’ teachers. Later on Uncle Basil met many of his own villagers who had gone there before him as well as those who would later come after him. They were teachers who took up the challenges of teaching in the South Rupununi which called for lots of sacrifices in term of adapting themselves to an environment and people very different from their home inMoruka/North West. Despite the obstacles they endured and dedicated their services to the children. As time went on many other teachers from Moruka went to teach in the South Rupununi. There were also coastland teachers who joined the Arawaks and contributed later to the education of the Amerindian children in the South Rupununi. These two groups of teachers not only focused on the teaching alone but they formed a branch of the Guyana Teachers’ Association. Being united they did community service − building bridges, for example, and other projects by means of self-help. On behalf of the Wapishana and Macushi people, I say thank you very much for all the sacrifices you (Morukans and Coastlanders) have made for our benefit. Yours faithfully, Guy Marco |
| |
Tuesday 17 May 2011
It's been a while
How time flies...as the old soap opera used to say " like sands through the hour glass..." or some such wise saying. I have this calendar on my Blog to remind me to Blog daily but obviously it doesn't work lol. No matter, I have been busy with other stuff - documenting some artwork for my niece in England who does the most amazing embroidery. I can't say much as she is somewhat "internet " shy - but she has had her embroidery published as a book cover or two and that makes her pretty talented in my eyes. Anhow, once I convince her to let me put it on the web for all to see, well that would be a major accomplishment for me lol.
It's been rainy and damp all week and part of last weekend - isn't it supposed to be spring ? At this rate, we may well head into winter without seeing summer...yikes!!!
I love the kneeling buses in Toronto - this is so the elderly or disabled can get on or off the bus without difficulty. Yesterday I was at my doctor's appointment and the location is now in the CNIB building (Canadian Institute for the Blind) - so new location for me and getting on the bus at Davisville, I asked the bus driver if the bus went to the CNIB Building - he peered at me closely and with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes, he said don't worry I'll let you know. I sat down and after a while he called out "CNIB" and I got up - he lowered the bus for me to get off - guess he assumed I didn't have 20-20 vision!! He all but got up from his seat to help me down lol. That was so sweet - makes me glad to live in this fair city. I didn't have the heart to tell him I was only going to see my endocrinologist!! Anyhow, when I take the bus around my area, the driver always lowers the bus for me which is great as with my gimpy knee, well Steph you know how that goes!! hahah ...Remember Guyana and the milk crate you guys got for me to stand on to get into Trev's truck ? LOL oh it's embarassing that dang knee - example, the boat captain at Charity wanted to lift me and walk with me over the rickety stelling into the boat !! yikesss and the guy at the Savannah Inn, Lethem - remember the chair he brought for me to step on to get into the van ?? LOL anyhow no more is to be said about that !! lol
Stay tuned....
It's been rainy and damp all week and part of last weekend - isn't it supposed to be spring ? At this rate, we may well head into winter without seeing summer...yikes!!!
I love the kneeling buses in Toronto - this is so the elderly or disabled can get on or off the bus without difficulty. Yesterday I was at my doctor's appointment and the location is now in the CNIB building (Canadian Institute for the Blind) - so new location for me and getting on the bus at Davisville, I asked the bus driver if the bus went to the CNIB Building - he peered at me closely and with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes, he said don't worry I'll let you know. I sat down and after a while he called out "CNIB" and I got up - he lowered the bus for me to get off - guess he assumed I didn't have 20-20 vision!! He all but got up from his seat to help me down lol. That was so sweet - makes me glad to live in this fair city. I didn't have the heart to tell him I was only going to see my endocrinologist!! Anyhow, when I take the bus around my area, the driver always lowers the bus for me which is great as with my gimpy knee, well Steph you know how that goes!! hahah ...Remember Guyana and the milk crate you guys got for me to stand on to get into Trev's truck ? LOL oh it's embarassing that dang knee - example, the boat captain at Charity wanted to lift me and walk with me over the rickety stelling into the boat !! yikesss and the guy at the Savannah Inn, Lethem - remember the chair he brought for me to step on to get into the van ?? LOL anyhow no more is to be said about that !! lol
Stay tuned....
Thursday 5 May 2011
Tweeting
ok so I've joined the bandwagon - I had my Twitter account ages ago, just never used it. Recently, since I have some time (after retirement) I decided to activate my account. So I pulled it out of the drawer, blew the dust off of it and decided to see what the fuss was about. There are Twitter rules I found out - there is no law for how many people one can follow but they do monitor for aggressively following and "follow churn". Follow churn is following and unfollowing a large number of users. hmmmm aggressively following...this means don't stand too close behind the user lol...
".....In addition, every user can follow 2000 people total. Once you’ve followed 2000 users, there are limits to the number of additional users you can follow: this limit is different for every user and is based on your ratio of followers to following. When you hit this limit, we’ll tell you by showing an error message in your browser. You’ll need to wait until you have more followers in order to follow more users—basically, you can't follow 10,000 people if only 100 people follow you. When you reach a daily or total limit and we show you an error message, you've hit a technical limit imposed to limit egregious behavior by spam accounts and to prevent strain on the site. These are just the technical limits for your account; in addition, you are prohibited from aggressive following behaviors. These behaviors may result in account suspension, regardless of your account's technical ratio."
eeeks...all these rules...oh well since I have only 9 followers and follow 31, I think I am ok seeing that 9 is a long way off from 2000 lol...I will just plod along hopefully not breaking any rules...apparently excessive tweeting is "annoying" and "boring" and so I will try to limit to one tweet a day haha...oh please I practically have to make up stuff to tweet once a day LOL...well maybe I will get in the Twitter groove one day. I would be just as happy reading the Tweets and not tweeting at all!!
Sometimes when I don't get my Baseball game cos I don't have Sportsnet-1, I can read the comments on Twitter and the comments are so up-to-date, I feel as if I'm practically looking at the game on TV. However, nothing is better than watching the game on TV or live for that matter...which reminds me, I am yet to book some Rogers Centre dates...
Stay tuned....
".....In addition, every user can follow 2000 people total. Once you’ve followed 2000 users, there are limits to the number of additional users you can follow: this limit is different for every user and is based on your ratio of followers to following. When you hit this limit, we’ll tell you by showing an error message in your browser. You’ll need to wait until you have more followers in order to follow more users—basically, you can't follow 10,000 people if only 100 people follow you. When you reach a daily or total limit and we show you an error message, you've hit a technical limit imposed to limit egregious behavior by spam accounts and to prevent strain on the site. These are just the technical limits for your account; in addition, you are prohibited from aggressive following behaviors. These behaviors may result in account suspension, regardless of your account's technical ratio."
eeeks...all these rules...oh well since I have only 9 followers and follow 31, I think I am ok seeing that 9 is a long way off from 2000 lol...I will just plod along hopefully not breaking any rules...apparently excessive tweeting is "annoying" and "boring" and so I will try to limit to one tweet a day haha...oh please I practically have to make up stuff to tweet once a day LOL...well maybe I will get in the Twitter groove one day. I would be just as happy reading the Tweets and not tweeting at all!!
Sometimes when I don't get my Baseball game cos I don't have Sportsnet-1, I can read the comments on Twitter and the comments are so up-to-date, I feel as if I'm practically looking at the game on TV. However, nothing is better than watching the game on TV or live for that matter...which reminds me, I am yet to book some Rogers Centre dates...
Stay tuned....
Monday 2 May 2011
T.G.I.Friday's
In Rochester this past weekend, we visited TGIFriday and they had the most amazing meal which I have to Blog about..lol -their entire menu looked appetizing but unfortunately we only had two days to enjoy their menu!!
So here it is....
Japanese Hibachi Skewers - seasoned and marinated in their signature garlic sauce & black pepper soy sauce, grilled and basted with a wasabi-miso glaze and garnished with sesame seeds. Served with jasmine rice pilaf, vegetable medley and grilled pita. Served with either Grilled Chicken or Black Angus Sirloin.
So here it is....
Japanese Hibachi Skewers - seasoned and marinated in their signature garlic sauce & black pepper soy sauce, grilled and basted with a wasabi-miso glaze and garnished with sesame seeds. Served with jasmine rice pilaf, vegetable medley and grilled pita. Served with either Grilled Chicken or Black Angus Sirloin.
Wednesday 20 April 2011
Rodeo - Lethem, Rupununi, Guyana
yes it's a big weekend for the folks in Lethem, Rupununi - the annual Rodeo is on. Too bad our visit did not coincide with this event - would have been something.
Bob Marley
I just found this pic in my plethora of pics - and thought I would share..to all who admired him
Tuesday 19 April 2011
Happy Birthday!!
Happy birthday to our friend Vel who celebrated the big one yesterday!!
"always making noise
just like a baby
Don't know what to do..."
lolol
"always making noise
just like a baby
Don't know what to do..."
lolol
Thursday 14 April 2011
Camping at Elora
no ballgame on today....sigh...
anyhow, I am reminding myself that it's almost camping time - I like to go at least once a year - this was taken at Elora, Ontario last summer. It's a fun weekend when you sleep on the hard ground, get bitten by moquitoes, take a shower for a quarter or if you are a slow bather, perhaps 50 cents. I am normally out of there with change to spare from my first quarter LOL. Dinner is always something to look forward to as somehow, one's taste buds are sharpened to appreciate the finely seasoned steak on the little propane BBQ.
At least under the dining tent, we get to sit and enjoy our meal free from bugs and flies...Dogs were welcomed at the camp site and you can see Mitchie sunbathing on his blanket lol. Not sure if he enjoyed the weekend but we did!! We did a little tour of the town - all I can remember is that it was probably one of the hottest days I can remember!! A fun weekend...see you this year, guys!!
At least under the dining tent, we get to sit and enjoy our meal free from bugs and flies...Dogs were welcomed at the camp site and you can see Mitchie sunbathing on his blanket lol. Not sure if he enjoyed the weekend but we did!! We did a little tour of the town - all I can remember is that it was probably one of the hottest days I can remember!! A fun weekend...see you this year, guys!!
Tuesday 12 April 2011
Nice weather eh?
This is how Canadians start a conversation in an elevator or just about anywhere, in the line at Walmart or Metro or Shoppers....gotta love the Canucks..lol....Well today it's really nice weather ..high of 10 degrees I believe. Looks nice and sunny outside. I have been indoors doing stuff...clearing away junk or what I term "junk"!! and looking at taxes. I feel tired and it's only noon lol. My brain isn't as perky as it was last year when I worked!! I'm already daydreaming about springcleaning...hmmmmm
Monday 11 April 2011
Arawak dictionary
Look what I discovered...
I didn't even know there was an Eagle Clan and that there is a title called Fifth Hereditary Paramount Chief!! I will look into this!!
Saturday 9 April 2011
The Amerindian way by Annette Arjoon-Martins
Thursday 7 April 2011
Bunya nest
Monday 4 April 2011
Rainy Monday..
for those who work, it's a wet crappy day. For the rest of us, who cares lol...Actually, the sun is trying to peek out..yayy!!! On the weekend we went to the Horton Tree Farm Maple festival. Something to do on a Saturday, the weather was nice and bright but a bit on the chilly side. A good time was had by all. I was taking refuge by the boiling kettles where it was toasty warm. I found me a nice log and sat down to contemplate the forthcoming pancake breakfast, which was delicious!!
Pic is of maple sap dripping out of the tree - there is something about that phrase "slower than molasses"....heheh...the liquid was actually quite clear, looked like water. We were offered samples to taste, tasted "woodsy"...
This is what the process looked like when it was done in the old days by the Indians - I think the guide said that heated stones were dropped into the syrup. There is more to the process but unfortunately I missed it, I must have wandered off to warm myself by the kettles lol
I've been on FB browsing but after looking at pictures of familiar names and seeing a caption "Me and my mom" or sometimes, no caption at all, I gave up. Actually I'm not sure which is the worst sin lol. Then I am forced (so I'm nosy) to say, who is "me"....only time you're allowed to use this phrase..hehe.... and "who is Mom"...a tad frustrating - there should be a FB law...No caption, no picture!! lol wouldn't that be sweet? well, off to have some lunch. I have a busy week ahead with some Doc's appointments...groannnn.
Pic is of maple sap dripping out of the tree - there is something about that phrase "slower than molasses"....heheh...the liquid was actually quite clear, looked like water. We were offered samples to taste, tasted "woodsy"...
I've been on FB browsing but after looking at pictures of familiar names and seeing a caption "Me and my mom" or sometimes, no caption at all, I gave up. Actually I'm not sure which is the worst sin lol. Then I am forced (so I'm nosy) to say, who is "me"....only time you're allowed to use this phrase..hehe.... and "who is Mom"...a tad frustrating - there should be a FB law...No caption, no picture!! lol wouldn't that be sweet? well, off to have some lunch. I have a busy week ahead with some Doc's appointments...groannnn.
Friday 1 April 2011
Isn't he luverly?
Thursday 31 March 2011
Lusaka, Zambia, Africa
Actually there was a reunion in 2007 (30 year reuion) which I was unable to attend - I think about 16 members of the original group attended - what an amazing reunion that would have been for me!!.
The "Zambian" group of girls have done pretty well for themselves, it seems, and are now scattered between Canada and the U.S. One member has even written and published her book on the Zambia experience!! I am happy to say I am still in contact with two of the original "Zambian" members!!
Rainy day
It's raining today and I'm glad I've not got to go outside....had a chance to see my first baseball game last evening - even though it was only exhibition, the last before the regular season, it reminded of how much I enjoy my baseball. The lineup is different and I don't recognize too many of the players. Home opener is tomorrow !! yay!!!!!
Tuesday 29 March 2011
Mariaba Band - Moruca, Guyana
Traditional Dances: efforts are being made to revive these traditional dances. They have significant meaning and were developed as a reaction to important events in the lives of the Amerindians. Many of the dances are performed during special occasions like Mashramani or cultural presentations. A very special event during which many Amerindian dances are performed is the 'Banchieckelly'. This is an Arawak work, describing a happy gathering full of music and dance. Some of the traditional dances are the mari-mari where the dancers dance in rows, moving towards each other and then away from each other. The dance can be done in two different ways. When the dance is danced in the harsh way, it describes the times when Amerindians had to go to war or the rough times they had when they were hunting. When danced in the calm way, it signifies the times they spent in peace. The galarung dance is about the many hawks seen in Moruka. Because of this the dance is also referred to as the hawk dance. According to Amerindian folklore, when hawks are hovering over the village, it was either a good or bad sign, i.e. death or marriage. When dancing the galarung, the dancers dance with their hands out, pretending to be flying. The horropo dance is a joyful dance, celebrating all joyous things in life. The baboon dance is about the red monkey or baboon. In this dance, the dancers scratch their body, mimicking the baboon's actions. In the chain dance, the dancers suggest the making of a chain out of beads as per the Amerindian tradition of women in the olden days. There is the snake dance, where the dancers mimic a snake biting its enemy. In the tengayray dance, the dancers symbolize the roundness of a stingray by dancing in circles. The traditional instruments used in these dances are violin, guitar, banjo and marakas (shak-shak). The violin is the main instrument, though not many people play the violin except for the old master (Uncle Bull) and now Uncle Frank. The guitar accompanies the violin, the banjo keeps the rhythm and the marakas are used to keep a steady beat. Well, that's about it for the dances.
Saturday 26 March 2011
Vacquero in Rupununi
Friday 25 March 2011
Santa Rosa Church, Moruca, Guyana
Thursday 24 March 2011
Just another snowy day!!
I have been tweeting madly, still new at it but getting the hang of Tweeting and Retweeting. I decided to follow "Charlie Sheen" so far he is as sane....or mad...lol...as the rest of us!! It's fun - I'm following CP 24 but I get a lot of Tweets per day and then I decided to follow BlueJays and now I get as many as 23 tweets at a time...sigh...one of them HAS to go...a girl needs her rest ya know!!
Still cold and snowy - looking at my Guyana pictures helps bring the warmth to my day...when will this madness end?? However, the sun is shining brightly - just looked outside and almost got blinded by all that sun hitting the white snow...geeeshh! We did some packing of boxes to send to the folks in Moruca, some foodstuff and also some stuff for the Padres and the church. Not much but hopefully, in some small way, it helps. Still sorting out my photographs - too bad not everyone has a computer or sending photographs would be so much easier!! oh well, off to Shoppers to get them printed. Stay tuned!!
Wednesday 23 March 2011
Opening day
Feels like Spring but doesn't look like it...it's white outside my door.
However, Friday April 1 vs. Minnesota Twins - Blue Jays opening night!!
When the Toronto Blue Jays kick off the 2011 season April 1 against the Minnesota Twins, it will be before a full house. The Blue Jays announced Wednesday they've sold out the Rogers Centre for opening night against the Twins.
However, Friday April 1 vs. Minnesota Twins - Blue Jays opening night!!
When the Toronto Blue Jays kick off the 2011 season April 1 against the Minnesota Twins, it will be before a full house. The Blue Jays announced Wednesday they've sold out the Rogers Centre for opening night against the Twins.
Snow again!!
well, the weather man was correct - we have snow...again!! Good thing I haven't put away my winter coat....sad news...screen legend Elizabeth Taylor has died in Los Angeles. She was 79. R.I.P.
Tuesday 22 March 2011
OMG - not again!!
according to Frank Ferragine of BT Television "Sunny periods today with highs of 6c..snow arrives overnight, heaviest after 11am tomorrow we could get 2 to 5cm in Toronto"....
yikes...
woke up so early this morning - first at 2.30 a.m., then 4.40 and I ws so glad to see 5.45 a.m. at which time I jumped out of bed...so here I am doing my emails and blogging at this ungodly hour!! I see some FB friends on, guess I am not alone eh? Not sure what the temperature is today but I'm betting it's not a balmy 75 degrees, sigh!! Yesterday, I worked on my website for quite a bit, then went out for some shopping - let's see what today brings....stay tuned!!
Monday 21 March 2011
yes, I'm working on it!!
I mean, my website....I finally feel some creative juices flowing back into my veins...I'm busy today organizing my pictures and trying to update my website. Now I have two blogs to update...I'm a sucker for punishment lol. I hear that if I do Ads on my page, cha-ching!!!!!!! all the way to Bank lol...but let me get the blog up and running first. The day turned sunny after a grey and rainy start. Facebook is quiet, everyone must be at work, awww...poor them!! Well, back to work..stay tuned..
Saturday 19 March 2011
Almost Spring!!
Tomorrow officially Spring will have sprung!! weather is holding out...had a lovely family breakfast at the home of my youngest niece - was lovely and we had a chance to get together again - very enjoyable do - I'm still "recovering" after that hectic Guyana trip - I was kinda pooped!! But I did manage to eke out my Newsletter - have to work on my website next week. Stay tuned!!
Thursday 17 March 2011
Tuesday 15 March 2011
da danky da bu
I believe this word means Thank You in Arawak, I have been trying to find someone, anyone who could tell me the Arawak words for Thank You or welcome - since I haven't yet found out how to say Welcome, I chose Thank You!! Thank you for my family and good friends and so far good, though not great, health!!
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