AFC’s MPs submit motion to rename Ministry of Amerindian Affairs

New Alliance for Change (AFC) Members of Parliament, Juretha Fernandes and Devin Sears, have submitted a motion to the National Assembly to have the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs’ recent name change reverted to its previous name as the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs.

The previous A Partnership For National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration in 2015 changed the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs’ name to the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs (MOIPA).
However, upon the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) securing office in August, they changed the name of the Ministry once again.
Following the appointment of Minister Pauline Sukhai, it was indicated that the PPP/C did have intentions of renaming the ministry.

Civilians along with several organizations would have requested that the ministry’s name remain as the MOIPA but the Ministry started issuing publications under the header “Ministry of Amerindian Affairs” and it was clear there was no intent to have the MOIPA retained.
Organizations like the Amerindian People’s Association (APA) held discussions on live forums where the use of the words “Amerindian” and “Indigenous” was discussed. In their discussion, it was established that the indigenous people of Guyana should have a say in what they choose to be called, and a government serving the people should make decisions that represent the interest of the majority.

A petition was also launched online that saw thousands of persons signing in agreement. The petition was launched on change.org by Romario Hastings, a resident of Region Seven.
It called for the use of the word “Amerindian” to be left out of official references to Guyana’s indigenous peoples because it is a historical misnomer.
It was stated that “The generalized ethnic label ‘Amerindian’ or ‘American Indian’ is now an acknowledged misnomer resulting from the erroneous geography of Christopher Columbus, a label which has been perpetuated without the consent of Indigenous Peoples; a label which will continue to distort our histories and search for our lost and hidden indigenous identities. This historical blunder must end with us,”

Along with that Dennis Glasgow, a local youth activist in a Facebook post sought to add to that saying: “Call it as you should using politically correct language and the language used by UN and International Human Rights bodies. Amerindian is disempowering to our Guyanese Indigenous peoples. Amerindian, basically ‘American Indian’, refers to just that. They share their own experiences and struggles that are vastly different from the Indigenous peoples of Guyana. They existed way before the Europeans could ‘name them’ Amerindians.”

It was also highlighted that Guyana would have signed on to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that constitute the minimum standards for the survival, dignity, and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world. It also elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms as they apply to the specific situation of indigenous peoples.