Berbice river findings suggest civilization 3000 years BC -- Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony

Written by Chriseana Ramrekha, Saturday, 31 August 2013 00:25, Source

WITH help of overseas researchers, the Culture Ministry has been able to unearth in the Berbice river area findings which indicate that indigenous civilization in that area dates back to about 3000 years before Christ.

Dancers from the St. Cuthbert’s Mission demonstrating in dance the processing of cassava.

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This was revealed yesterday by Culture Minister Dr. Frank Anthony when delivering remarks at the annual Amerindian Heritage Month cultural activity, held in the compound of the Culture Ministry in Middle Street, Georgetown.

Dr Anthony said this research is in its preliminary stages, but if confirmed, would be very significant, since this would mean that Guyana would have perhaps the earliest civilization in the Americas.

Dr. Anthony said the Culture Ministry would continue this type of work to not only enable persons to learn more about themselves, but also to learn about their ancestors, and by doing so, contribute to the knowledge of humanity in general.

Dr Anthony also encouraged persons from the University of Guyana to work with the ministry in expanding the knowledge base in this field.

He said the ministry has also been trying to get a more in-depth understanding of the indigenous people through successful research and investigations by the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology and in partnering with the indigenous community.

In doing so, he said, the ministry is now bringing to the general public lots more information about how people lived in those communities, and is getting a better understanding of some of the things that those people did.

Dr. Anthony encouraged all to visit the Walter Roth Museum in order to better appreciate cultural history.

According to Dr Anthony, the ministry has also been working with communities of indigenous people to develop community museums which would help to explain to people more about the indigenous people’s traditions, villages, customs and practices. He said this will also help the indigenous people in their eco-tourism drive.

He assured that the ministry was extending a hand to persons in indigenous communities, to help them with the technical research.

Dr. Anthony related that the ministry has also been doing a lot of work in terms of indigenous languages, and has been able to reprint dictionaries that were prepared by the Amerindian Research Unit of the University of Guyana, and some other dictionaries which were made by other groups.

He said the Culture Ministry has been able to reprint dictionaries for seven of the nine Amerindian tribes, and has been talking to experts who would be helping to complete the remaining two dictionaries.

The culture minister informed that the intention is to print a complete series of all nine dictionaries when the remaining two are done, so that people can benefit from this knowledge, because oral traditions can be easily lost.

Dr. Anthony said the ministry has also been working with various Amerindian communities to collect stories for documentation and publication.
According to him, the ministry wants to get the stories in their original languages and then do a translation in English.

He said the ministry is always supportive of communities that want to work on maintaining their language.

Dr. Anthony said the ministry also wants people to sing in their traditional languages, and hopes to work with the Amerindian community to develop a song competition wherein people would be singing in their respective languages, thereby helping to preserve the language, create good music, and have something that everyone can enjoy.

Dr Anthony highlighted that the ministry intends to have an activity every national holiday, so that people can get a better understanding and appreciation of the significance of the holiday.

He said persons should not only use the occasion to celebrate, but also to have introspection on how they can learn from the indigenous communities.

At the event, there were performances from the St. Cuthbert’s Mission dancers, which included a demonstration of the processing of cassava.

Dr. Anthony also presented a member of the Wapishiana tribe, Mr. Adrian Gomes, with a book reprinted in that native language.