Guyana case study: Wapichan nao (people) stand strong and resilient through the COVID-19 pandemic

This article is part of a series on the impacts of COVID-19 on indigenous and tribal peoples. The full policy report, “COVID-19 and indigenous and tribal peoples:  the impacts and underlying inequalities” which features 10 case studies, including this one, is available here.

By Marie Joyce Godio through the help of Lan Mei, Kid James, Immaculata Casimero, Carl Albert, Nicholas Fredericks, and Angelbert Johnny

The Wapichan people were first informed of COVID-19 via the local radio broadcasts throughout their territory. Little did they know that the dreaded virus would eventually enter their communities and disrupt their livelihoods. With the outbreak of the virus in the capital city Georgetown in March, leaders of the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC – a district council comprised of, and serving, an exclusively indigenous area) quickly met with local health care and security personnel to set out a strategic plan to guide their response in dealing with an outbreak of the virus.

Collaborating with the district hospital and the police, the SRDC embarked on several activities aimed at protecting their communities. They worked with communities to educate and raise awareness to ensure that Wapichan people across the 21 villages have up-to-date and accurate information about the pandemic; they blocked 15 illegal border crossings between Guyana and Brazil; and they monitored checkpoints and gates into Wapichan territory. Together with the district hospital and the police based in Aishalton, the SRDC organised training for the health workers and Toshaos of the South Rupununi, an exercise aimed at educating the participants with sufficient knowledge for them to be able to fight the pandemic in their communities. 

The SRDC also wrote to the Minister of Public Health requesting the suspension of the mining operations in the South Rupununi, in light of this sector’s contribution towards the spread of the virus in Region 7. Unfortunately, with the government designating mining as an “essential service” at this time of the pandemic, their plea is likely to go unheard.

In early April, the Wapichan people in the South Rupununi learned about a miner testing positive for COVID-19. The leaders then decided to take stringent measures to protect and safeguard their people and their communities. Immaculata Casimero, a Wapichan from Aishalton working with the SRDC, shared that the SRDC again embarked on awareness-raising activities and updating village councils across the district on the situation.

The villages that the SRDC is responsible for are highly exposed to miners—often from the neighbouring Roraima state of Brazil, en route to the Parabara, Wakadanao and Marudi gold mines—and business people from Georgetown. The SRDC is worried that these people will put the community at a higher risk of getting infected from the virus. For instance, on 11 May 2020, a miner from Georgetown insisted on crossing the gates at Aishalton to continue into the Wakadanao mines; a situation where significant exposure could have occurred. The village council had erected the gate to control and monitor the traffic passing through the village.

In July, the first five cases of the coronavirus were recorded in three Wapichan villages: Potarinau, Quiko and Sand Creek. Shortly after, two other villages recorded cases. Because of the impact, village leaders decided to lock down the gates and monitor the border to prevent the virus from spreading further. That was a challenging time for village leaders, especially for Toshao Carl Albert of Potarinau who had to self-isolate from his family because he feared that he would put them at risk. The Toshaos attended numerous meetings at the regional level and pleaded for assistance with monitoring of the border by the police and military. Sadly, no support of any sort was given.

As of 4 September 2020, there were no cases of infection in the five villages of the SRDC. However, the South Rupununi has 69 positive cases from five villages, 42 of them from Potarinau (South Central Rupununi). Toshao Nicholas Fredericks, SRDC’s chairman, is confident that as long as the border and gates are respected and their measures supported, the 21 villages of the South Rupununi will remain free from infection. If the virus spreads further, he is quite aware that they do not possess the proper facilities to provide the needed health care.

Immaculata Casimero noted that some members of her group, particularly the women, are missing their daily wage now that schools are closed as part of the government’s measure to contain the virus. The women are usually in charge of cooking meals as part of the “hot meal” programme, a government service present in each indigenous community in Guyana. The women would normally cook hearty meals for children aged 6 to 12 years in the primary levels, to ensure that they attend school with proper nutrition. Farmers would usually bring their produce to sell at these “hot meals” but this is no longer happening, stifling the already meagre income of many farmers.

The closure of the schools is an even greater concern for education of the indigenous children, now that the country has moved to virtual learning. Internet service in indigenous communities is relatively new and is of poor quality. With limited access to the internet and other resources necessary for virtual learning, our children are placed at a total disadvantage when compared with their non-indigenous counterparts, who have better access to the internet, located on the coastland of Guyana. 

To successfully minimise the further spread of the deadly virus, the SRDC, Village Leaders, local radio broadcasters and everyone must continue to work diligently in educating people and implementing the measures necessary to protect our villages. Our leaders and the SRDC coordinating office must be lauded for the strong leadership and courage in the battle to keep our villages safe. Leaders continue to monitor the entire territory and maintain a curfew system, among other measures. 

These actions are vital in keeping our villages safe, especially with the rapid spread of the virus in neighbouring Brazil and the close connection shared by Wapichan communities from both sides of the border. Villagers have also heard testimonies of their fellow indigenous brothers and sisters from the Brazilian Amazon and the Toshao from Potarinau whose village was highly infected as they grappled to come to terms with this new reality.

The world at large is no longer what it used to be. On the positive side, the pandemic has given a rare opportunity to many Wapichan families as a whole to reconnect with nature, moving to the farming areas and the fishing grounds, and spending more time transmitting important traditional knowledge, skills and experiences of the ways of the land.

 

"This is the first time that I have spent so long with my family on the farm. I have used this opportunity to teach my children about many things, including the different medicinal plants we find in our forests. They are now able to go hunting all on their own.” - Angelbert Johnny

 

Johnny’s statement is a reflection of many families enjoying life away from the village where there is no school or church. The Wapichan people will continue in our collective efforts and support the leaders and the SRDC in protecting our villages from COVID-19.