GUYANA REPORT by the AMER.INDIAN LANDS COMMISSION AUGUST, 1969 Allerindi�n Lands Commission, 105 New Garden Street, Queenstown, Georgetown, Guyana, TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Par,agaphs � PART I Terms of Reference 6 - 7 2 Procedure adopted 8 - 23 3 Brief Geographical Note 24 - 29 8 Brief Historical Note 30 - 51 9 Interpretation of 'Amerindian• 52 - 60 17 Tribal Distribution 61 - 66 20 Freedons and Permissions 67 - 76 20 Land Use 77 - 86 25 INDUSTRI ES 1. .Agriculture 87 - 100 29 2. Cattle 101 - 128 33 3. Timber 129 - 139 41 4. Balata 140 44 5. Mining 141 - 144 44 Entitl enent 145 - 160 46 Local Government 161 - 172 53 Social Services 1. Education 173 - 179 57 2. Cor:1t1unity Developnent 180 - 182 59 3. Health 183 - 188 60 Integration 189 - 205 62 Legislation 206 67 Sw:imary of General Recornnendations 68 fl.RT II - SPECIFIC RECOMMEND.i\.TIONS General Remarks 207 - 220 71 1. W�]2ishana Cor:1I!lunities: ) 221 - 230 74 ) Achiwib: Karaudanawa ) Af.shalton: Awariwaunau ) ) 77 Mururanau: Shea ) Sand Creek: Sawariwau ) Potarinau. ) Paragraphs 2. Macusi Co:mnunities: 231 - 241 94 ) Shµlinab: St. Ignatius ) Moco-Moco: Nappi: Parishara ) ) Yupukari: Massara ) Annai: Toka ) 97 ) Ya.karinta: Aranaputa ) Karasabai: Taruka ) Kanapang: Itabac. ) 242 - 249 115 3. Patruaona Communities: ) Monkey Mountain: Kato ) Farama.katoi: Kurukabaru ) ) 117 Kopinang: Waipa & Sandhill ) Kaibarupai: Ka.mana ) Chenapau: Maikwak ) Mahdia-Kangaruma: Tunatunari � .Akawaio-.Arekuna Communities 250 - 258 130 ) Kamarang Keng: Wara!!ladon ) Jawalla: Morowta ) Phillippai, Kwaimarudai, Ji.taro Valley) 133 Ji.mokokapai ) Chinowieng: Meruwang ) ) Jilaruioa : Kaikan ) Arau: Awarapati. ) 5. Arawak: Warrau: Carib Connuniti� 259 - 275 146 ) Bethany: Mashabo ) Capoey: Mainstay/Wyaka ) Tapakuna ) ) Kairir:1ap: Kabakaburi ) Siriki: Akawini ) Wakapau ) ) Manawarin: Waranuri ) Santa Rosa: Asakata ) 152 ) Kwabanna: Little Kaniaballi ) Snall Troolie Creek ) Waropoko, Morebo, Alaka ) ) Waikrebi: Kokerite ) Barabina: Koberina ) Tobago & Wauna Hills ) Bunbury Hill: Wauna/White Croek )) Aruau River: Hota.kwai ) ]I·araoa,Ji_hS Page Ji.rawak: Warrau: Carib Cocu:aunities cont'd: 259 - 275 ) Hobodia: Kanwata Hill ) Red Hill: Koriabo ) ) Sebai ) Santa-Aritak: Mabora ) 152 St. Cuthbert's: St. Francd.s ) Wikki: Hururu ) Hittia: Orealla/Siparuta � Kurutuku ) 6. THE B.AR.Al'JJ:A RIVER CARIES 276 - 2s, 200 ) Barar:iita ) Upper Bara.ma River Tributaries ) 202 Baramita and Bara.ma Head ) 7. THE WAI-WAI 284 - 292 205 Kan.ashen 208 PART III - INDIVIDUAL AND HOUSEHOLD CLJJMS 293 - 299 209 Conclusions 300 302 210 Acknowledgenents 303 - 305 211 APPENDICES I. Menorandun fron Captains of 213 South Savannahs, Rupununi. II. Meoorandun by the Captains and 215 Leaders, known as Waffugees of the Greater North-West District 1-.o.erindians.• III. Memorandum by the Captains and Leaders 217 of liDerindians settled in the Upper Mazaruni River Lands. IV. Questionnaire Forr;is:- (i) Cor:u:iunal occupation 220 · (ii) Individual occupation. 223 v. List of Witnesses. 225 VI. Distribution of Tribal Groups and 228 Coastland Cor:ununities of nixed .Amerindians. VII.-: Rules of Procedure Adopted by the Amerindian 229 Lands Comnission. VIII. List of Reports, etc. studied by the Comoission. 231 IX. Purchases from Cattle Producers for the year 1968. 234 X. Proposed District Council Areas. 235 I N T R O D U C T I O N Hon. L.F.s. Burhnam, Q.C., Prime Minister, :Parliament Buildings, GEORGETOWN. Sir, The Amerindian Lnnds Comru.szion Ordinance 1966 made r.,:--uvision for the setting up of a ;!oru;ti.z:-;i,.,,_ ·c.P "tiV'":l ·Ji,n·sons. 2. The following were membars of the ·Commission ap_f.lointed by the ilinister of Local Government in August 1967:- Chairman Mr,. Patrick A. Forte Der·tty Chairman Mr. A.H. Moore Full-time Member ?fr. :.f. ll. Seggar Full-time Member :- Mr. �.J. Scow Part-time Mer.iber M±-s. Umbelina Campbell 3. Mr. Forte ably headed the Commission for 15 months until November 1968- when he :;3uccumbect to an illness from which he never recovered. Consequent on Mr. Forte's death in March 1969, Mr. Moore was appointed Chairman and Mr. Maurice Bennett was ap-pointed to fill the vacancy. Mr. Bennett is a young .ll.lnerindian from Kabakaburi. 4. Mr. Se['.gar, now permanently r ...�sid .-ir, t L, the United Kingdom, served for 18 y0&.r·s in the Interior Der,ar+.m0�t in this country prior to his retirement as Assistant District Cor-:r::i.ssioner in 1964. M!'. Scow, himself a.n Indian, is a lawyer and a native of Canada. He is the nominee of the Canadian Govern�ent. Mr. c. McA. Ashley served as Secretary to the Commission from its inception �ntil 18th April, 1968 when he returned to the Ministry· of Local Government to act as Commissioner of Interior. After a lapse of some four months I�. F.M. Cumberbatch of the District Administ,ration was appointed to succeed Mr. Ashley. 5. Government anticipated that the Cor:mission would c.omplete its work in one or two years. Th'.:? Colll!llission held its first raeP.ting on the 4th September, 1967, in the absence of the oversP-as r.1er.1berF,. Mr. Seggar took up his nppointment on the 15th Septenber and. i>t.·. S..:ow on the 25th September. On the _latter date the Hon. ·Minister of Local Gove:rnment officially opened the first public neeting of the Commission. /T-erms of Reference: -2- PART I TERMS OF REFERENCE: 6. The Commission's terms of reference were as follows:­ (a) To determine the areas of Guyana where any tribe or community of .Amerindians was ordinarily resident or settled on the relevant date 26th Ma.y, 1966 including, in the case of Amerindian Districts, Areas or Villages within the meaning of the .Amerindian Ordinance, (Chapter 58) the part, if any, of such District, Area or Village where any tribe or community of Amerindians was ordinarily resident or settled on the relevant date, and to identify every such tribe or community with as much purticularity as is practicable; (b) to recommend, with respect to each such tribe or community of Amerindians, whether persons belonging to that tribe or cornmunity shall be given rights of tenure with rospect to the areas of residence or settlement determined under paragraph (a) above or with respect to such other areas as the Cor.1:1ission may specify, being are&s in rc.lation to which such rights of tenure would be no less favourable to such persons than sir1ilar rights held in relation to the areas determined as aforesaid; (c) to recommend with respect to each such tribe or community of Amerindians, the nature of the rights of tenure to ·be conferred in accordance with any recommendation under paragraph (b) above; (d) to recornn0nd, with respect to each such tribe or community of .Amerindians, the person or persons in whom zuch rights of tenure shall be vested; and where the Commission recommends that the legal and beneficial interest in such rights shall be differently held, to recommend the terms and conditions under which such legal rights shall vest and such beneficial rights shall be conferred; (e) to determine, with respect to each such tribe or community of Amerindians, what freedoms or permissions, if any, other than to reside or settle; were by tradition or custom enjoyed on the relevant date by persons belonging to that tribe or community in relation to any area of Guyana, including areas other than those in which such persons wore ordinarily resident or settled on that date; (f) to recommend, with respect to each such tribe or community of Amerindians, what rights, whether by way of easements, servitudes or otherwise, most nearly correspond to any freedoms or permissions determined under paragraph (e) above and the person or persons to whom such rights shall be granted in substitution for the freedoms and permissions aforesaid; (g) to make such recomm.endatiops in relation to all or any of the matters aforesaid as may to the Connnission SeBm appropriate; (h) to report to the Minister with respect to the matters set out in paragraphs (a) to (g) above. /The -3- 7. The terms of ref (;lrence broadly set the Co1'l!llission two functions; that of finding out certnin facts and reporting them, and that of making recommendations on the facts discovered. It became increasingly evident to us that we could not too narrowly interpret these functions if we were to assist Government to make up its mind as to the best course of action it should take in dealing with the matter in hand, that of giving legal title to Amerindians for lands upon which they·were or.dinaril� resident or settled at 'the time of Independence · ·. and... tha.t of integra-ting Amerindians in ,Guyanese· society•. we have been ·strengthened in.our·'Vi.ew by a . .number of witnesses who cautioned the futility of_ attempting t.o deal with the land question in. isolation .• .Mr.· McCannr a social. anthropologtst·who did.reaear.ch .among the·Wapishana quite aptly·obse�red "I propose to speak.in general terms about a . S0ci0l0gist IS interpretation Of the ·type Of inquiry being .held I .. .. starting :with the .term.s. of reference and basically elaborating a single proposition.. This is that· a ·people I s use of land and attitude to it cannot- ,be treated in isolation from other facts of their social. life ·without distorting their evaluation of .land and its u.se. So that if the · Cor:nnission. comes· to accept this proposition they may feel that. ascertaining . some of these other facts .is . essential"• . PROCEDURE ADOPTED: 8. The Commi.ssion in the early stages of its work spent a good d.eal of ti.me. j_n. the e.x.aui.na tion and study of su� reports as provided f useful background in ormation.· It3 first tour was made to St.