Indigenous heritage month needed theological aspect

Stabroek news 0ct. 3. 2019

Indigenous heritage month celebrations have gone and we are now in October. Most of the activities took place in Georgetown, besides those kept in different communities across the country. Kudos to the hardworking organizers: The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MoIP), the various teams and all those who supported and participated to make the month of celebrations a success. The various activities and events showcased the great skills, talents and gifts that our indigenous people possess. Congrats to all of them! 

The different cultural activities such as games, arts and music, religious ceremony (the alleluia group) and the beauty pageant reflected our diversity and richness being indigenous people in Guyana. However, too much of fun and less seriousness is not good because it can produce a people of mediocrity.

Editor, in this context I found that the entire month of activities were centred too much on extravaganza and there was limited scope for being reflective to make us be aware of our socioeconomic and political situations that keep most of us in poverty, even though we know that we are religious beings and also erudite people. 

In philosophy man by nature is a religious being. And so are we indigenous people. For we have a soul which needs to be nurtured from a spiritual source. Unfortunately this aspect of our nature became dormant and was not seen as important by organizers of the heritage celebrations to promote as part of our indigenous lifestyle. It´s a pity most didn´t see it as important because it doesn’t yield economic benefits, and political gains or material possessions.

This shouldn´t be so. Let´s be real. The majority of Indigenous people in Guyana are “Christians”, or most claim to be and belong to different Christian groups. Some are pastors, and other church leaders who studied theology and who are living the theological praxis reality with their people each day.

Thus, I believe there was need for Indigenous people to have a theological segment of the heritage celebrations in September. This is where the churches could participate. Where a group of elder pastors and church leaders could come together to share their knowledge about the experience of the creator, the wisdom of shamans, ancestral wisdom pertaining to lands, nature and other perspectives from the indigenous worldview in Guyana. Perhaps by doing so a group of pastors or theologians could develop an Indigenous theology from the people they work with to produce an intercultural and ecumenical evangelical approach that can be more meaningful to our people especially the young generation.

In concluding, if such a theological segment can be added to the heritage celebrations next year, it can offer a platform for ecumenical and social cohesion to work better with other Christian groups in the communities. Besides, it can help to address social ills occurring in indigenous communities. Because churches working among indigenous people have a role to play to help them promote a sober and conscious people, oriented on good values which Indigenous people also practise, but which most times is overshadowed by the extravaganza and cultural entertainment during heritage month that reflects a one-sided cultural aspect of indigenous peoples’ culture in Guyana.

Medino Abraham