September is designated Indigenous Heritage Month in Guyana and this reflection takes on what is to be an indigenous Catholic. Those of us, particularly from the North West, the Pakaraimas and the Rupununi embraced Catholicism as part of our “new culture” from the 18th and 19th centuries, and since then it picked up a rhythm in practice which is assumed by us and can no longer be described as something from outside. We ourselves also practice some elements of our beliefs such as to pray to ancestor’s spirits etc. We also use Catholic prayers and devotions as part of our Christian life. This mixture in beliefs contributes to our new identity as being Indigenous Catholic, even though in its initial years Christianity stifled some elements of our original worldview of the Creator.
Nevertheless, most of us declared ourselves “Catholics” in Guyana with the entry of the early missionaries. This missionary contact gave us motives to embrace the Catholic faith from a social and humanitarian aspect. In other words, adherence to Catholicism by the indigenous population whether Macushi, Patamona, Wapichan, Warrau and Arawak among others was not only due to the repetition of the Creed, but to political, social, spiritual, educational and economic factors related to alliances that were made concretely with those who came to assist us.
This experience is shared by the majority of Indigenous people, especially from Santa Rosa, where the Catholic faith was planted 200 years ago, and in the Rupununi and Pakaraimas for 112 years and more. One regular custom that reflects our belief is to attend Sunday services conducted by a lay leader who has a unique vocation to serve his or her people in the Church, or when there is a priest, which is rare in most of the villages, to have the celebration of Mass.
Additionally, it includes attending worship with a congregation comprised of children, a few young people and the majority elders who are the regular ‘diehard Catholics’ which makes one think why is it so?
Furthermore, Church engagements taught us to be “good people”. Most of us leave Jesus behind in the chapel on Sundays. At home and village we are different in our treatment of others and most times silent on social issues. The custom also exists to go to church and say the mea culpa prayer or ask for forgiveness. This weak human side of us is a base to strive for salvation and practice the faith-in-action element of our Catholic belief.
As with all humans, not all our villages are on the same level in faith experience. There are lapsed Catholics, and those who left the Church because they fell out with others etc. Likewise there are others who won’t attend fellowship on a regular basis, and those who will eventually drift to evangelical churches or stay away completely from contact with churches and their teachings in communities.
This reality gives an impression that most times Catholicism is not something which some of us are grounded in simply because we don’t find it too meaningful to us. For this reason, come the questions of faith for an Indigenous Catholic. What is faith and how do we see it? Is it perceived through the eyes of the pastors, or the Church’s hierarchy or is it perceived though the eyes of the Indigenous?
Given the way and the context in which faith is taught, there seems to be a disconnect between the lived experience of us and the way the Catholic faith is presented. For example, after Confirmation, most of the newly-confirmed ones drift away from the Church or join other evangelical churches. Our indigenous brothers and sisters have basic needs for example food, shelter, clothing, security and family life. Villagers would travel out of their villages in search of employment. Due to the lack of employment opportunities the younger population migrates from their villages to the urban areas.
Externally, faith is associated with the church building, since its establishment in our communities, a place to obtain the sacraments and a place of worship. It is a place of initiation or baptism of becoming a member of the worldwide Catholic family and to be taught the catechism of the Catholic Church for example believing in the Creator, or Almighty God, Our Lady, the Holy Family and all the angels and saints. It is also a place where most of us seek our spiritual upliftment through prayers and devotions.
Socially, for most communities the church buildings play an important part of community life, where some see them as a place for social interactions, to converse with friends and neighbors and learn of activities happening in the village for the week which is usually announced by the village leader after the Sunday worships.
However, with the experience at present of the COVID-19 pandemic, church buildings are closed and the home becomes the place of prayer and worship to maintain the faith for some of us. The pandemic also brought out the strengths and weaknesses of being Indigenous Christian in contemporary Guyana. Some of us lucky ones with access to the internet followed livestreamed Masses on the internet on Sundays. With regard to the pandemic in our communities, some Evangelical groups received advice from their leaders to adhere to the precautions, adding their voice to support frontline and local authorities’ message. Others remained silent including those on either side of the racial divide leading up and after the national elections. The divisiveness of our church communities was not positive. Church members were scandalizing others with incorrect information and allegations about politics and some doubting that the virus is real.
Generally, Christianity and human behavior is not static, there are always transformations. One example is with the entry of other Evangelical Christian groups in our villages over the years. The entry of these evolved pluralistic villages experiences comprised of Fundamental Christian beliefs into once Catholic-dominated communities. This experience creates opportunity for ecumenical fellowship of God’s people by allowing ‘our traditional Catholics’ and their counterparts from other evangelical churches to be tolerant and to show respect for other beliefs. There are some of us also who seem confused about these churches, and most would react to their different messages with certain passivity. There are also Catholics who became believers of other faiths and who decided to erase their names from the Church. And conversely, there is the experience of some Indigenous Catholics who after visiting and learning from other faiths have decided to return to the Catholic Church.
From historical experience, for most Indigenous Catholics, Catholicism did not kill our culture because it was strongly practiced at home even though it stifled it in some instances. However, it did not take on a drastic colonial extinction approach like what happened in parts of Brazil and other Latin American countries in colonial times. Studies suggested that Catholicism’s entry into Guyana came at a later stage.
In this context, the indigenous people especially those in the Rupununi and Pakaraimas were able to maintain their language, customs and traditions given their remoteness from urban influence. This is evident in the local beliefs for example: in traditional healing and other customs pertinent to indigenous worldview. There is a wealth in indigenous epistemology which could possibly develop towards an Indigenous theology from our Christian ecumenical communities.
In conclusion, for most Indigenous Catholics, our perception of the Church is that it doesn´t preach fire and brimstone to us in these modern times as in the past. In view of this, credit must be given to the religious institution for respecting our culture, in promoting the languages and customs, particularly in the Rupununi and Pakaraimas where our worldview remains strong, a positive element for most of us which makes part of our proud Indigenous Catholic identity even though we waver in our Christian faith as we celebrate in unity this great blessing!
A blessed Indigenous Heritage Month to all!
