Santa Rosa, White Chapel on a Hill

History of the church at Santa Rosa Mission, Moruca River –

Familiarly known as Santa Rosa – White Chapel on a Hill

Patron saint - Saint Rose of Lima - First Saint of the Americas 

Saint Rose, born Isabel De Flores Y Del Oliva in Lima, Peru on 20 April, 1586, and after a life of constant struggle, died there 30 August, 1617. She was beatified by Clement IX, in 1667, and canonized in 1671 by Clement X, becoming the first American saint. Represented in numerous images wearing a crown of roses, her feast day is celebrated 30 August.

The history of the Catholic mission to the Amerindian of Guyana actually begins in Venezuela. Throughout the 18th century Spanish Franciscans ministered to the indigenous people of territories around the Orinoco. Their mission however came to an abrupt and tragic end when on 3 May 1817 Simon Bolivar’s forces put to death 26 priests and two lay brothers. The Amerindians fled from the destroyed mission, some seeking refuge in the British held territory around the Moruca River.

When the Arawak Amerindians of Moruca made their appeal for a priest, Providence had provided John Hynes to respond. In a letter written to a Dominican friend on 6th June 1830 Hynes expressed his concern for all the indigenous people of Guiana, saying, “Since my arrival in the Colony I deeply lamented the condition of our much neglected Indian population and sincerely wished to have the power and means of conveying to them the blessings of religion” . He went on to recount how the Arawaks, “Hearing that a priest was in the Colony sent a white man (Hilhouse) to me to say that they were Catholics, ever so long without any spiritual guide, and entreating me to afford them, if it be in my power, an occasional opportunity of assisting at the Divine Mysteries and getting their children baptised.” Hynes welcomed this invitaion with joy and made arrangements to visit Moruca, setting aside 15 days for the round trip from Georgetown. Hilhouse describes the historic encounter, “On the eve of the feast of Saint John (24th June 1830) Mr Hynes reached their settlement in the dark woods and was received by them with many demonstrations of joy and affection. Muskets were fired as he approached: and on his landing, men, women and children flocked to kiss his hand in token of respect. It being night, the forest was illuminated with wax lights of their own manufacture”. During a three day visit Hynes baptized 75 children and married two couples.

From this beginning a mission was developed to other Amerindian communities in the North West. A principal mission was established at Moruca which was dedicated to St Rose of Lima. This mission was quickly to become known by its Spanish name, Santa Rosa. Later a second mission centre was opened up at Morawhanna, closer to the Venezuelan boarder thus expanding the range of communites served by the priests of the North West District.

One significant group of Catholics that presented particular challenges was the Arawak Amerindians in the Moruca area. This community had always been especially dear to Bishop John Hynes and from 1840 until 1853 it had been well served by a much loved and respected resident Irish priest, Fr John Cullen. With Moruca as his base, this intrepid missionary had made numerous visits to outlying villages even as far as the Orinoco. Under his direction a new church had been built in Moruca which was solemnly dedicated and opened by Bishop Hynes on 27 October 1844. The saint selected as patroness for this church was St Rose of Lima. From that day to the present Catholics have referred to the Moruca community as “Santa Rosa”. It is worth recording that in 1847 when the poor of Ireland were suffering the ravages of the potato famine, the Amerindian Catholics of Santa Rosa took up a collection on their behalf, sending $ 44.88 to the Irish and Scotch Relief Society.

 On Cullen’s retirement through ill health in 1853 no resident replacement could be found. For a while the community received periodic visits from Fr. Francis Hayden and Fr. Joseph Fitzgerald, OP based at Abram’s Zuil on the Essequibo coast. When Etheridge arrived in 1857 he initially sent Benedict Schembri to Santa Rosa. Schembri arrived in December 1857 to find the church and presbytery in poor repair. He stayed less than a month before returning to Georgetown. Fr de Bentham, based at Abram’s Zuil took on the care of the Moruca community, continuing the practice of making periodic visits. Negri, Baldini, Casano and Mesini all of whom were at various times based at Abram’s Zuil, continued these visits to Santa Rosa. In November 1876 Marco Mesini began was able to increase the frequency of these visits to Santa Rosa and in 1878 built a new church there. When Fr Thomas Barker arrived to take over Abram’s Zuil in 1888 Marco Mesini was finally free to move permanently to Santa Rosa which had struggled for 35 years without a resident priest.

James Etheridge did not live to see the new church built in Santa Rosa. After celebrating mass on Christmas morning 1877 he set sail for Barbados and on the evening of 31st December while the ship was still at sea he died. His body was committed to the deep in the early hours of new years day, 1878.

Complete restoration of this church took place and in September 2012 a commemorative mass was held by the Bishop to celebrate the opening of the renovated Santa Rosa Church or as it is fondly known as “White Chapel on a Hill”.

By Regina Rodrigues – November 2013

Source: http://www.guyanajesuits.org/mission/historyofguyana/Guyana%20Early%20History/history.html

http://www.guyanajesuits.org/mission/historyofguyana/Church%20History/churchhistory.html

Madeline Simon

Sometime ago, I posted an article about this grand old Patamona lady and was sad to read she had passed away - article from the papers - Chronicle September 18, 2012

MS. MADELINE SIMON who was recently honoured by the Patamona community for aging to 106 years passed away peacefully on September 12 last at Paramakatoi. In March 2012, communities of Paramakatoi, Monkey Mountain, Kato, Taruka, Kaibarupai, Kopinang, Chenapau, Kurukubaru  and many other communities of Region 8 (Potaro Siparuni) came to a grand launching of a new Church building at Paramakatoi and took the opportunity to honour Amai (Mother) Simon as the oldest resident and thanked her for services to the community in her youthful days. Her passing has left Paramakatoi mourning, especially her eight children, seven of whom were by her side in her final moments. She was interned after a solemn church service at the Weslyan Church. The centenarian population in Guyana has grown weaker with her passing. We are very fortunate to have become elders before she left us – says Ashton Simon (her eldest son). Not many are that blessed and we were also fortunate she spoke with us until her final day. She has been a blessing to our lives and we are proud of her. (Ashton Simon)

Bishop Alleyne and Elders of the Santa Rosa community prepare to be the first to enter their newly refurbished church.

Santa Rosa celebrates 195 years of the arrival of the Spanish Arawaks

June 28, 2012 | By KNews | 

On June 24, last, the small village of Santa Rosa celebrated in a unique way the 195th year since the arrival of the Arawaks to their village.
Among their distinguished guests were the Roman Catholic Bishop of Guyana His Lordship Francis Alleyne and priests, and visitors from New York, Paraguay, Ecuador, Cuba, Peru and Argentina.
Another source of joy for the Santa Rosa community was their church, St. Rose of Lima or Santa Rosa Del Lima, which recently underwent rehabilitation works.
The celebration took the form of the re-enactment of the arrival of the first priest to Moruca in 1823, Fr. William Hynes, who travelled to Moruca River via Georgetown from Trinidad. This was in response to the Arawaks’ plea for a priest to minister to their spiritual needs.
When Fr. Hynes arrived in Moruca River he was met by the Arawaks at Hobo Island (further south along the River from Santa Rosa) and then escorted by the community, at night he made his way to Mariaba (which was the name then of Santa Rosa).
As word went out that the priest had finally arrived, villagers along the river’s bank greeted him with the booming sounds from their bamboo guns. The villagers lived in tiny villages such as Cart Market, Koko, Paloma, Tokopeter and Aquero. After immediately ministering to the people there was a consultation and the community requested permission to build a church.
Permission was granted, and they built a church which became duly consecrated in 1830 by Fr. Hynes who was now Bishop Hynes.
On Saturday June 23, 2012 Bishop Alleyne played the role of Fr. Hynes. He and his group of priests and members of the Catholic community gathered at Aquero to give prayers and thanks. They then sailed from Aquero to Santa Rosa (in corials and boats outfitted with outboard engines) where they were met by another group of parishioners.
After being greeted in Spanish by a parishioner, the Bishop and the group then walked along the pathway lit by flambeaux from the river to the newly rehabilitated church. As they marched they were greeted by the bamboo guns booming away.
A Mass was said, followed by a cultural activity. Members of the church’s choir sang Tribute to Region One, an entry in this year’s Salute to Guyana School’s Mashramani Programme.
On Sunday, Mass was held to celebrate the Feast of St. John, patron saint of the Santa Rosa Community. After Mass the parishioners were fed and treated to another round of cultural activities, this time featuring the Mariabo Players performing their repertoire of Banchikilli Music.

Roman Catholic Bishop His Lordship Francis Alleyne, left in picture, performing the role of Fr. William Hynes is transported along the Moruca River from Aquero to Santa Rosa.

According to the oral traditions of the Spanish Arawaks their foreparents fled Venezuela in 1817 after the Capuchin Monks lost to Simon Bolivar in the Bolivarian War of Independence. The Arawaks who fought on the side of the Capuchin Monks became hunted.
Villages were burnt and their people murdered. The leader of the Arawaks, Toushaou Juan Aguilera, brought together a group which was willing to leave Venezuela, and in 1817 set sail from Angostura, now Cuidad Bolivar.
After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, they sailed into the Barima River where a group settled in now Mabaruma; the others continued into the Waini, Baramanni and Biara Rivers before finally entering the Moruca River.
They settled along the river but the main body landed on the site where the church is now located – this place they called Mariabo, Arawak for guava because of the numerous plants they found. In 1830 when the Church was consecrated St. Rose del Lima the village, was also renamed Santa Rosa.

Educator and musician, Victor Ferreira MS, is a ‘Special Person’-April 1, 2012 | By KNews |

 Pull Quote: “I am so thrilled that those who I would have taught in my career have grown to love and cherish me for my contribution to their education, and I am humbled by the respect I have received in the various communities.”
By Rohan Sagar
Like many persons born in the hinterland of Guyana, Victor Ferreira was not expected to

Victor Ferreira MS

climb the ladder of success. His earliest vocations were in the streams of education and music, and as he moved gradually upwards, it was hard for him and others not to believe that it was a gift.
Many students have passed through the hands of ‘Sir Vic’ or ‘Teacher Vic’ as is common how persons like him in hinterland communities are addressed. These students have become successful in their own right, and whilst they have consistently thanked him for providing that platform, for ‘Sir Vic’ it was nothing else but his mission to transform young people into valued and productive citizens of their community, and by extension, the world.
He desires none of the trappings that are associated with his kind of success. He continues to live on the island of Mathurin, Santa Rosa, Moruca River where he has lived for many years. This is his story.
Victor Ferreira was born on March 16, 1949, at the Acquero Maternity Centre in Moruca River. His father Vincent Ferreira was a fisherman and small business owner. His mother Mary Agatha Ferreira had three children before marrying Vincent, and Victor was the second child in this latter union.
Victor’s father became ill when the youngster was only seven and died two years later. From then on life became harder for the family, his mother took to work at the Catholic Convent as a launderer, washing the clothes of some 200 children for the princely sum of five dollars per month.
The family had a farm about one mile behind Huradiah, a village immediately opposite Cabucalli, where the Ferreiras lived previously. Here the boys would accompany their mother to help prepare, plant and harvest the land before and after school. They would also glean copra from coconuts which they would sell.
There would also be the traditional kayaps which would be used to help generate and supplement much needed provisions for the home. Victor describes his father as a disciplinarian and his mother a staunch Catholic, which had instilled within them intrinsic values helping sustain the family even after the death of his father.
Perhaps the most enduring memory of his boyhood occurred in the evenings when he along with his brothers would lie on the floor and watch his mother iron the convent children’s clothes, and then they would fall asleep. After all, it was the only bed they knew. Victor, after becoming employed, undertook the role of father-figure, helping his younger brothers and sisters through school (in Georgetown) and at the same time becoming the breadwinner at home in Cabucalli.
Later in life, Victor met and married Patricia (also of Santa Rosa) in 1976, and they had seven children, two of whom have passed away.

BIRTH OF A TEACHER
Victor Ferreira attended Santa Rosa Roman Catholic Primary school, completing his education in Form Two, which was then the furthest he could have gone. He left Santa Rosa to attend the St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Seminary where he studied for two years. After completion of the two years he returned to Santa Rosa. As someone who was then, for his community, better qualified, he applied for a

Our ‘Special Person’ performing one of his compositions

teaching post through the Catholic Church (which managed the primary school) and he was accepted, though his first posting was at Santa Cruz, a place he had never heard of before. It was his first time so far away from home and when the boat dropped him off at Santa Cruz, he recalls “crying like a ‘lil child”. He taught at Santa Cruz for a year and a half.
Fr. John Britt-Compton, the Catholic priest met young Victor whilst still a teacher at Santa Cruz and told him there was a vacancy at a school in Moruca. The priest convinced him that he was most needed at this school and he accepted. The school was at Kamwatta, another island further upriver from Santa Rosa on the Moruca River. That it was much closer to Santa Rosa was of great comfort to ‘Sir Vic’ and he taught at Kamwatta Primary for seventeen years.
He recounted that when some of his students went to work in Berbice they were asked who was responsible for their education – ‘Sir Carl’ Rodrigues and his (Sir Vic’s) name were mentioned and the two were duly recognised with gifts from their employer.
Desirous of becoming a graduate teacher, at the ripe young age of 34, Victor entered the Teachers’ Training College and excelled at all the subjects. After graduation as a qualified teacher he applied to teach at Santa Rosa Primary. He did not receive an appointment letter, but was told that in such an instance he could report to the nearest school (which was Santa Rosa Primary). So he turned up at the school and the District Education Supervisor promptly paid him a visit with the news that he was on the next boat – his appointment was at Waramuri Primary! ‘Sir Vic’ jokingly recalls that both he and ‘Sir Carl’ would calculate the number of miles they each would travel to Waramuri from Santa Rosa.
Though he was saddened that once again he had to spend time away from his family (he was now married) today he is overjoyed with the development, since he was able to engage in a music project which he is still involved. At Waramuri many of his former students remember him and actually thank him for being responsible for making them the respected citizens they are.
His fame has even spread to the present generation of students both at Waramuri and Kamwatta. According to Sir Vic, “I am so thrilled that those who I would have taught in my career have grown to love and cherish me for my contribution to their education, and I am humbled by the respect I have received in the various communities.”

‘Sir Vic ‘talks about his life's work

After his tenure ended at Waramuri he returned to Santa Rosa Primary to teach and he felt that it was time for him to make a real contribution to his community. He insisted that his students try to exceed past landmarks. ‘Sir Vic’ identifies as one of his best students, the present Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett. According to him, Ms Rodrigues broke all the records whilst a student at Santa Rosa Primary.

THE SECONDARY EXPERIENCE
One of his main concerns was the lack of opportunity for students who had the necessary qualifications to access a secondary education, but whose parents could not afford to send them all the way to Georgetown. A survey which was done around the same time revealed that the community was not ready for a secondary school.
‘Sir Vic’ admits that when he began the conversation about a secondary school he was not the first, as other parents had mooted the idea before.
In 1989, ‘Sir Vic’ along with ‘Sir David’ James began a series of consultations with parents and other leaders of the community about constructing a curriculum for a secondary institution.
Two years later, in 1991, the Education Department in Mabaruma informed ‘Sir Vic’ that approval was given for a secondary school programme to commence.
He remembered: “The challenge now was to find teachers, but with a handful of teachers made up of both citizens and (foreign) volunteers, a curriculum consisting of English, Math, Science, Social Studies and Agriculture was established and the secondary school was piloted in the same building that housed the Primary school. The Santa Rosa Secondary school started with two desks and benches, one blackboard and no syllabus.”
After a determination that the environment at the primary school was inadequate, the school was later relocated to Acquero, which happened to be the seat of regional government in the colonial and immediate post-colonial era.
The underlying philosophy behind the establishment of the secondary school was “the liberation our people from ignorance and poverty” which in turn led to the school’s motto of ‘Aim for the Top’. According to ‘Sir Vic’ students were encouraged to do just that, and they were cautioned that a pass of 50 % was not good enough, and that70 % was acceptable.

Compañeros on a Mission - Victor Ferreira (right) and Basil Rodrigues stand next to the monument they constructed in honour of citizens who have made notable contributions to the community of Santa Rosa.

The environment at Acquero was so passionate that students could be seen at any time of the day with a book, either in a corner of the school class, or even up in a tree!
‘Sir Vic’ counts as the prime of the student crop such individuals as Murphy DeSouza, Steven La Rose, Graham Atkinson, Charlene Rodrigues, Bruce Rodrigues, and his daughters Ramona and Nadia Ferreira.
The secondary also became a nursery for teachers in the region, and all the present teachers in the nursery, primary and secondary schools are graduates of the secondary school. In 1998, ‘Sir Vic’ was transferred to Kamarang where he continued effectively imparting his expertise.

THE GUITAR MAN
As a teenager, Victor Ferreira got his inspiration to play music from a cadre of musicians such as guitarists – the De Souza Brothers (Marco and John), Carl Rodrigues and Eddie Jarvis. It was a tradition that these musicians would gather every weekend at the then Catholic Convent in Kokal, where they would entertain villagers.
Since they were all males, it goes without saying that a significant majority of the audience were females, and this provided even greater incentive for ‘Sir Vic’ to become a proficient musician. Not wanting to be left out after attending his first weekend concert and after observing how the guitarists would move their fingers as they held their chords  he went home and practised his first song, ‘The Green, Green Grass of Home’. Though he did not reach instant popularity, his first outing was good enough for him to be accepted into that fraternity.
Later he would receive formal training from the renowned Guyanese music educator, the late Enid Peters. Initially, Ms. Peters was not too enamoured with having someone who was older (he was still in his mid-thirties) than she wanted, but Sir Vic was to later impress Ms Peters with his drive by becoming an accomplished player with the guitar, piano and recorder.
At the end of his tenure as a student with Ms Peters he proudly recalls her saying to him “I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again but I want you to go on and teach so many people. You have so much talent”.
When he returned to Santa Rosa, his first task was to form a choir at the secondary school. ‘Sir Vic’ has written some 40 songs and he has also written and composed the school songs for Kamarang Primary, Waramadong Secondary, Santa Rosa Primary and Secondary, Waramuri Primary and Kamwatta Primary.

PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION
There was more to Victor Ferreira’s existence. In the 1990s, a German national, Mr Hartgun Kruger, attended a Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) conference which was also attended by Sharon Atkinson, a Moruca resident. At this conference, Kruger indicated that he wanted to do a project in a Third World country. Sharon Atkinson suggested that he visit Santa Rosa, and when he did, Kruger got a firsthand look at the water source, food, and the general conditions of life and other places in Moruca.
Kruger was also especially interested in the way the people of Santa Rosa lived and in the Banchikilli music, which he recorded. In 2001 at Mr Kruger’s initiation, a pen-pal club was started between the students and people of Santa Rosa, and towards the end of that year ‘Sir Vic’ received an invitation (and ticket) to visit Germany.
He visited four cities in Germany – Dusseldorf, Hayden, Cologne, and Chemitz – and in each he delivered lectures on the traditional ways of life of the Amerindian Peoples of Guyana. The objective of the visit was to allow the Germans to learn from Santa Rosa how the people co-existed with their environment, and in exchange the Germans would fund a library, fund the purchase of school texts, and furniture for schools in the Moruca region.
The Germans were very impressed with each of his lectures and with each passing success the project first envisioned by Mr Kruger and immediately grasped by the Santa Rosa community was beginning to bear fruit. To ensure sustainability there was a school exchange programme where students from Germany visited Moruca and Shell Beach and in return eight students from the secondary school visited each city in Germany where they learned from the Germans and shared with them their own life stories.
Additionally, the Germans wanted to bring the (Santa Rosa Secondary) school into the modern world of technology and communication. In return, Santa Rosa had to commit to preserve the forest and the marine life, and build conservation clubs with a curriculum within the schools.
In order to bring Santa Rosa into the modern technological world, there was need for support systems like electricity, and the village and school did not have the resources to acquire generators and gasoline – in any case a generator would go against the very grain of what was being discussed. So the Germans agreed to fund solar systems, a satellite phone, computers and a television set for the school. Using the lesson taught to him by then Parish Priest Fr George Vanderwood SJ, when he was asked what assistance was needed by the secondary school, ‘Sir Vic’ had with him a prepared list of needs.
You wouldn’t expect anything less from a ‘Special Person’ would you?

106-year- old Patamona mother honoured by her community - April 2, 2012 KNews

 Very little is known of the history of the Patamonas who have resided in parts of the Pakaraima Mountain, Region Eight, for a very long time.
Patamona is an Amerindian tribe that is mostly found in mountainous areas. An early contact between them and Europeans was made in the early nineteenth century when they were described as mountaineers.
On January 01, last, Paramakatoi’s oldest Patamona resident, Madeline Simon, turned 106-years-old.
She was honoured at a special ceremony that coincided with the launching of a new church in the community
Residents of Paramakatoi, Monkey Mountain, Kato, Taruka, Kaibarupai, Kopinang, Chenapau, Kurukubaru and many more communities were in attendance at the function during which she was thanked for the services she rendered to the community in her youthful days.
Many more senior citizens were also recognised, including Simon’s deceased husband, John Simon who was the first local Pastor of then, Pilgrim Holiness Church and who was responsible for bringing over two hundred Brazilians to reside at Taruka during his missionary stint.
The Simons reared eight children, three of them- Calvin Simon, Kathy Sue Belle and Gregory Simon still live in Paramakatoi, while, Ashton Simon, Michael Simon, Nancy Perreira live on the Coast and another, Cheryl Arneaud lives in Trinidad.

Madeline Simon speaks about her early life at a special ceremony to honour her on her 106 birth anniversary.

The Simons’ eldest son Ashton Simon in brief remarks told the gathering, “I cannot ever remember experiencing anything out of the ordinary. My dad was an expert hunter; my mom is a hard working farmer, so between them we were never out of food. My mom prays every day for her children and their families and the villagers, maybe that has kept us on safe grounds over the years. I am proud to be one of her many children whom she raised under careful guidance of the church and never spared the rod – that was an important element of my childhood upbringing. During my recent visit back home, I walked to the local shop bare feet and found it to be surprising to some youths, but little do they know, I and many others ran up the Paramakatoi Mountain from our humble dwellings, bare feet to get to school.”
When asked the reason for the longevity among Patamonas, Ashton Simon said “we are mountaineers and exercise is an important element for health. Patamonas climb every day. Clean air, organic foods, lots of cassiri and a healthy system does play an important element too, particularly the educational component.”
Special mention and recognition was also showered on Papai and Amai Agness Williams, father and mother of Ovid and Ian Williams.
Agness Williams was the only known person who spoke English to the Missionaries during the mission’s initial visits to Paramakatoi. She subsequently became their interpreter and so, many accolades were bestowed on her and family.
Her contributions as an English speaker became the bedrock for the missionaries during the latter 40’s and onwards.
Papai Williams, the longest serving Toshao was highly respected and showered with the fullest of cooperation on matters that benefitted Paramakatoi and other villages.

Canadian-Amerindians making a difference

by Shaun Michael on Friday, February 10, 2012 at 9:07pm ·

by Shaun Michael Samaroo  |  Stabroek News  |  Ways of Looking & Feeling | Thursday, February 9, 2012

Moruca-born sisters Stephanie Wall and Jean Rodrigues travelled from their Canadian homes in the heart of winter to traverse their beloved Guyana with one hope: to bring joy to the hearts of Guyanese children.
For over a decade the retired sisters have raised money in North America to import toys and other goodies for kids in development-starved hinterland communities.
On this month-long trip they shipped half a dozen barrels loaded with toys for kids in Moruca. They also committed to raise funds and other resources to restore the church building at Santa Rosa, which was in an awful state of disrepair.
They also saw to it that the community come together to build a house for an elderly Moruca resident, a wonderful cooperative effort that saw the men volunteer on a rainy day to build a wooden house for this lonely old lady.
Jean and Steph inspire people with their zeal, their zest for life and their commitment to make a difference for future generations.
Though they migrated from Guyana to Canada several decades ago, they maintain a close tie to their homeland.
They travel to Pomeroon, Moruca and Rupununi (where they maintain a house and have family in ranching) every year. They spend little time in Georgetown.
The hinterland’s sprawling green beauty is rugged but beautiful. With huge rivers and massive forests, the hinterland really is a daunting and imposing landscape. These ladies have no qualms about tackling its challenges. They love the lifestyle, and plan to one day move back home.
Born in Moruca, their parents moved them early to Rupununi, where their Mom was a teacher. Steph won a scholarship in the ‘60’s to study at a high school in Georgetown, and moved away for school.
But the love for Moruca, Rupununi and other hinterland communities stayed with them to this day.
They have both retired from successful careers in Canada. Now they dedicate their days to make a difference for these marginalized communities.
They operate a couple of Facebook pages, titled ‘Moruca’ and ‘Santa Rosa – White Chapel On A Hill’, and blogs and newsletters, with the simple goal of networking people from the hinterland through the Internet. The Internet is bringing together Amerindians from all over the world, who were born in this country. Many have migrated and done quite well. But even in local communities like Moruca, the young people are networking online with these overseas communities.
Moruca’s beauty queen Simone Fredericks and her father, a well-known local leader, both frequently post pictures and news from the Moruca community. Through their Digicel Blackberries, they post instant pictures, videos and news.
The Internet is in fact bringing the world to these once remote, inaccessible hinterland communities, circumventing the harsh, undeveloped landscape.
US-based Donna Stoll also plays a key role online to network this country’s hinterland with the global village. Stoll, Wall and Rodrigues, though working on separate projects, have grandiose dreams for projects in these remote communities. This writer toured many of these communities a couple months ago, and people everywhere complained about poor living conditions, lack of development and of scarce State input in their lives. Complaints about the government not caring for these communities ring across the hinterland. People everywhere feel left out of their governance, and even local government officials are distrusted and accused of corrupt practices.
Many of our hinterland residents rely on trade with Brazil and Venezuela to survive.
One man told this writer that fuel boats traverse the Barima River frequently bringing in fuel from Venezuela, which is way cheaper than locally purchased fuel shipped in from the coastal area.
These communities have learned to survive with little or no input from Central Government. Even in mining communities such as Port Kaituma, the town looks like an ancient village caught in an 18th century time warp. Pure water is shipped in from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, as the heavily populated town never got potable water development.
Who cares about the human capital development of the hinterland? People who go on to higher education either leave for the coast or migrate.
Even Mabaruma, which was once identified as a possible town, lacks any paved road, and its development seems ad hoc and unplanned. Yet, this community boasts a stunning landscape, with  spectacular scenery.
Who cares for these communities?
Through the Internet, a global network of Amerindians, and others who care, are coming together to play a dynamic role, and to make a difference. They work quietly, not sounding any drumbeat about their work.
Generation after generation of people in these communities were lost to gross poverty, poor education systems, lack of even the rudiments of basic society. Today, the younger generation look outside of their country, to those who have migrated and can afford to lend a helping hand from overseas, and to Venezuela and Brazil, for their sustenance and hope.
Despite the Government’s Amerindian Affairs Ministry, many Amerindians feel Government plays politics with them rather than commit with serious plans to develop their communities.
Land in many of these communities remain under collective ownership, and Amerindians are denied the ability of owning private titles so they could access banking capital to develop their communities. This policy of communal land ownership undermines the development of our hinterland and Amerindian people. For folks like Steph and Jean, there is a lot of work to be done.
They could easily enjoy their comfortable life in developed Canada.
Instead they leave their posh homes to travel through some of the roughest terrain in this country, to bring hope and joy to the hearts of our nation’s kids, the future generation.
Their commitment, their belief, their humility, their graciousness come out of hearts that care. They don’t seek anything in return – just to give. Blessed, they feel they can be a blessing.
The hinterland communities are starting to wake up to see the potential inherent in a global network of Amerindian people, with Steph Wall and Jean Rodrigues pioneering a new path to development, outside of dependence on a foul State structure.
In connecting with the global village, our hinterland communities may very well find their future.

Moruca sisters giving back to their community February 3, 2012

I was blown away by this post - Reg and Seph in Moruca

Regina Rodrigues and Stephanie Walls are two sisters who hail from Moruca but now living in Canada. Both have recently retired. Young retirees. Now they dedicate their lives to giving back to the community. They raise funds throughout the year from family and friends which they use to buy toys for the children and other stuff to make life a little more enjoyable for a community that nurtured the good folks these two women are.  They have fun doing it. Regina has active profile on Facebook dedicated to connecting Moruca folks all over the world and it is thriving.
I am inspired by the work of these two women. Guyana has many pockets of poor and needy people and children. Not everyone has a relative to send them barrels every year or send them a little money to help out now and then. We have to find those pockets and make a difference like Regina and Stephanie are doing.
Adopt a village. If your own village do not need you try another one that does. Your contribution does not have to big but enough to make a difference in the lives of those who need.
The sisters are in Guyana at this time and here is an observation made by Stephanie in Facebook:
They (the women in Moruca)  endure a lot. They work the fields, they take care of their families. They cope with lack of money, the rainy weather and everything else and they laugh out loud. We were pulling up at Kumaka one day last week (in the rain) and two ladies were chatting on the pier and laughing out so loudly that I had to smile as well. Laughter is infectious and perhaps it helps people to cope. They welcome visitors with open arms. They are generous and they share the little they have and cannot do enough to make visitors feel welcome. They get old and die and are buried in the cemetery at Santa Rosa and the young ones become the old ones – and they keep on going. Moruca has not changed a lot, except there are now motorized vehicles – and cell phones. EVERYONE has one (lol). The above is a tribute to the Moruca women – women like Minerva, Whanita, Lena, Carol, Toolie, Bonnie, Thecla, Tr. Atty, Dolly, Elaine and the younger women like Natalie, Simone Fredericks, Donette, Whanita’s Amy, to name a few.

Santa Rosa secondary school

Guyana Times - Sunday January 15th, 2012 

Santa Rosa Secondary turns Eighteen

By Indrawattie Natram
Prior to 1994, residents of the North West District village of Moruca had no access to secondary education unless persons left their homeland to pursue this higher level on the Essequibo Coast.
But the persevering efforts of parents and the community of Moruca led to the Jan 3, 1994 establishment of the Santa Rosa Secondary School.
Five pioneering teachers: Victor Ferreira, David James ( now attorney at law), Yolanda Ferreira, Ronda James and Renna Van Doggen ( VSO) worked with the first batch of 14 students who sat CXC ( Caribbean Examination Council) in 1995.
In celebrating eighteen years of existence, major achievements were highlighted and exciting new initiatives were established.
The anniversary celebrations, which were held Jan 6, 2012, saw many outstanding individuals being honoured in academic and extracurricular activities.
In sports, the Heligars – a brother and sister - were recognized for their achievements in swimming. In the 2011 National Athletic Championship, Dominic Heligar, the youngest brother, captured gold at the 50 M breaststroke.
Bara Holder was also recognized for her participation in the Caribbean Teacher's Union Athletic Championship in Trinidad, where she captured a bronze medal in the high jump.
Eighteen persons were awarded and placed in the school’s 2012 Hall of Fame.
The individuals were chosen from among best performers at the CSEC from 1995- 2011.
A previous reporter for Guyana Times , Ruben Stoby, is one of the journalists appearing in the Hall of Fame, while others include teachers, aspiring lawyers, politicians and engineers.
Two Hall of Fame special awardees for academic achievement were Jed Vasconcellos, who achieved an award for most number of grade ones at one sitting ( 6 grade ones, 2 grade twos and 1 grade 3). Nicasie Richards was awarded for the most outstanding performer, with 3 grade ones, 6 grade twos and 1 grade three.
Another of the Richards' was also honoured for a being a graduate teacher.
Nigel Richards, now dis trict education officer for Region One, was recognized as the oldest serving teacher of the school, ( 12 years four months) he was jointly recognized with Marti De Souza, a graduate teacher who also served for same number of years. Sarah De Souza was awarded for being the youngest teacher of the school, and Errol Chapple the oldest.
Speaking to Guyana Times Sunday Magazine , Marti De Souza, who is also a product of the Santa Rosa Secondary School, said he feels happy to teach his fellow brothers and sisters at the school. He said he is very happy that children in the area are being afforded the opportunity to pursue an education within their community.
He however said that his wish is for the school to become a grade A school. He said for the twelve years he served, children are performing excellently at the CSEC examinations, which is affording them scholarships to pursue tertiary education in various countries.
He said students that have attended the school are presently in Cuba studying to become doctors or agriculturalists.
Gylnn De La Cruz, Headmaster of the school, said that he is also happy to serve his fellow Amerindians at the grassroots level. He too confessed that his fervent wish is for the secondary school to become a Grade A institution, pointing out that the school has a population of 738 students, making it a potentially “ super ‘ A’ one”. He stated that over the years, the population has increased, and it is among the largest schools in Guyana.
He said that as the school continues to " blaze its trail", the success stories would no doubt increase as the students and teachers together continue to aim for excellence.
The school's motto is, " Aim for the Top'. The school has a dormitory where children from the far- flung areas are housed to help them also benefit from higher education.
Persons on the Hall of Fame 1995- Paul Atkinson 1996- Nadia Ferreira 1997- Gilbert Rebeiro and Ruben Stoby 1998- Vernon Jaime 1999 Marti De Souza 2000- Natalie Matthews 2001 - Cassandra Rodrigues 2002- Deanna Vieria 2003- Racheal Abraham 2004- Shuriland Viverous 2005- Andrew Marks 2006- Marlyn Harris 2007- Jed Vasconcellos 2008- Sarah Browne 2009- Daniella Da Costa 2010- Nicasie Richards 2011- Marcus Atkinson

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 -

Basil Rodrigues M.S. is a ‘Special Person’

October 2, 2011 | By KNews |

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

The reason for moving to Waini in the first place also was based on local superstition – some of his younger brothers and sisters did not survive very long and died quite young. Basil’s parents, believing that there were evil spirits around the home, moved.
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

As a teacher, Basil impacted profoundly, mainly in the Wapishana communities of the Southern Rupununi. A gentle people, whose gift of communication was ultra-conservative, provided him with opportunities to connect with techniques that were outside the standard Teachers’ Manual. He used both music and sports (drama as well) to help build the students’ confidence and was so successful that his school Shea Primary had the best drama and cricket clubs for years.
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

Associated Press

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.

Tribute to James Dean - Legend

James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931 – September 30, 1955) was a cultural icon , best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause (1955), in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark. The other two roles that defined his stardom were as loner Cal Trask in East of Eden (1955), and as the surly ranch hand, Jett Rink, in Giant (1956). Dean's enduring fame and popularity rests on his performances in only these three films, all leading roles. His premature death in a car crash cemented his legendary status.


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.

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. Seventeen highly acclaimed Morucans, 13 of whom are deceased, were declared Heroes of Moruca on Saturday when the village hosted Heroes Day in a show of loyalty to their villagers, in keeping with Amerindian Heritage activities. 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 One Basil 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 One Reference 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)