Martina affectionately called by all "Aunty Bissy"

Martina Rodrigues – early years

Born at Cabucalli, Santa Rosa, Moruca on November 11^th, 1916 – to Georgina and Emmanuel Ferreira – one of six children who lived to adulthood.  She married Eleutherio Esteban Rodrigues at an early age – on 24^th July, 1932 -  she was all of 16.

Santa Rosa is a community in the Barima-Waini district of northern  Guyana. It’s population is approximately 10,000.

It is the largest Amerindian village in Guyana. This predominantly Arawak village is located on the Moruca river, 29 km from its mouth. The village is actually a collection of at least ten settlements spread out in the Savannah wetlands along a ten mile stretch of the Moruca River. Santa Rosa is one of the earliest Catholic Missions in Guyana. Its name is in Spanish (in English… Saint Rose).

Martina was the mother of 7 children, two died as babies but of the five remaining children, two live in Guyana with their families and three migrated to Canada where they live with their families.

She was known as Aunty Bissy – she told us once that as a child she was always doing something and was told she was like a busy bee and later became known as Aunty Bissy.

A major contribution to the life of the Amerindians of the Rupununi and Pakaraimas was the establishment and running of a network of primary schools. Teachers for these were largely recruited from the Arawak Amerindian community at Santa Rosa . Fr Bernard MacKenna operating out of Sand Creek was the priest largely responsible for this work among the Wapishana of the Rupununi., while John Quigley worked with the Macushi of the central Rupununi and Wilson-Browne with the Patamona in the Pakaraimas.  Martina was one of the teachers who left Moruca in 1952 to teach in the Rupununi.

On a tribute to her after her death, she was described as a “talented poetess, artist and seamstress who was best known for her contribution to the teaching profession.  She worked among the Caribs at Red Hill, Barama in the late 1940s, at Achawib Village, Rupununi among the Wapisianas in the 1950s and finally to Dora on the Demerara in the 1960s.  Old Santa Rosa folks will remember her witty, jovial and culturally centred letters she wrote in the Catholic Standard.  They were likened to the contributions of the late Sister Theresa.”

The school at Achawib where she was Head Mistress is the village at the most southern tip of Guyana – the nearest village and airstrip was fourteen miles away and Martina made many a trip on her  bicycle once a month, accompanied by one or two schoolboys to lead the way – in order to post her letters and receive her mails, which included a much cherished Reader’s Digest.

She sewed her children’s clothing on her trusty Singer sewing machine.  This model was purchased in 1953 and was very high end at the time as it had a foot pedal instead of one turned by hand.  She proudly had her machine transported from Georgetown all the way to Achawib and up to this day, this machine still exists in working order and is kept by her eldest daughter, Elsa Barker at her ranch in the Rupununi, where she resides with her husband, Bob Barker, who is also a legend in his own way !!

She moved away from her beloved Rupununi to be closer to her children, the younger three were teenagers by then.  She taught at Dora, on the Demerara River in the 1960s.

She eventually retired in the mid 1960s and moved to Georgetown to really be close to her younger children who were schooling in the city at the time.

In 1976 she emigrated to Canada after the death of her husband Stephen in 1975.  She lived in Canada quite independently in her own apartment,  until her death in 1992 even though she made frequent visits back to Guyana.  She diligently sent off boxes and barrels to the family in Moruca and she never forgot her roots as she always visited Santa Rosa where her mother and older sister still lived.   She never forgot to bring some goodie or the other for the elderly and frequently gave away her clothing to someone who admired it or seemed to be in need !!

She loved going to Bingo and every evening she would dress and take the bus to Bingo – even in winter when we might have told her it was too cold and snowy  she dressed in her warmest – including hat, gloves and boots and off she went – who could stop this indomitable force who was fondly known to all as “Aunty Bissy” !!

by: Regina Rodrigues

November 2013