Many will probably wonder why indigenous people are singled out, specifically in relation to the environment and in the Caribbean.

Several Caribbean countries are still the home of indigenous groups and/or their descendants including Guyana, Suriname, Dominica and Trinidad and Tobago. Here in Trinidad and Tobago we hear about the Santa Rosa Carib Community, and in Guyana and Suriname we hear about the Amerindians.
 
The Church has indicated that there is a special need to look at the relationship between indigenous people and land. “The relationship of indigenous peoples to their lands and resources deserves particular attention, since it is a fundamental expression of their identity.

 Due to powerful agro-industrial interests or the powerful processes of assimilation and urbanisation, many of these peoples have already lost or risk losing the lands on which they live, lands tied to the very meaning of their existence. The rights of indigenous peoples must be appropriately protected”.

Here in the region, this is the stark reality, particularly if we look at the issues facing the indigenous communities in Guyana and Suriname. 

In Guyana the indigenous people have inhabited the country long before the land was discovered by the Europeans. They are also major inhabitants of sections of the hinterland: forest, savannah, coastland and highland.

They possess knowledge of the natural environment that enables them to make their living in remote areas without modern infrastructure. There are nine remaining tribes left, the Wapishiana, Akawaio, Arekuna, Macushi, Carib, Warrow, Patamona, Arawak and the Wai Wai.

However, these groups often find themselves in the midst of land use conflicts, when the land they reside upon or live next to is given as a concession to foresters, miners, resort developers or conservation areas.

They are also vulnerable to exploitation by some people who use their skill to harvest forest products, such as wildlife and non-timber products; they are paid very little upon delivery.

Also often in their communities the economic activity does not bring them good infrastructure such as roads, running water and electricity or adequate clinics and medical facilities with trained personnel or schools.

In the mining and timber sector the environmentally unsound exploitation of the mineral and timber resources of Guyana have affected the way of life of the Amerindian people in various critical ways. 

Principally, there has been environmental degradation, which includes damage to the rivers, streams and lakes which are the sources of fresh water and food - in the form of fish - for most communities.

 There have also been a number of studies which show that Amerindian communities have been affected by mercury pollution which is a direct consequence of gold mining. With regard to forest exploitation a number of Amerindian communities have been victims of poor agreements resulting in companies’ harvesting in an unsustainable manner.

Those communities that have borne the brunt of the environmental damage are very resentful of the social effects of mining and timber harvesting which include the introduction of large amounts of alcohol, illicit drugs and prostitution camps. These activities take place either within the mining areas or close to the mining areas.

There are cases in which some communities are so resentful of these practices that they have sought legal redress. These communities feel that the only way they can be protected is if they are given full ownership of the resources and better control of those resources, which means that they would benefit from them.

The Amerindian community in Suriname has also suffered a similar fate to those in Guyana. They have the same issues with respect to mining in terms of the environment and the social ills that oftentimes come along with it.

For example the indigenous community of Kwamalasemutu in Suriname has demanded that mining companies leave its land and that its rights to own and control those lands be recognised and respected.

Kwamalasemutu is a community of approximately 1500 persons located in the far South of the Suriname rainforest near the border with Brazil. The cause for complaint involves the granting of a gold and diamond concession to a Surinamese company. The community was not consulted or informed about the decision to grant the concession. 

They felt the action was totally unacceptable to them and a violation of their rights as indigenous peoples. They demanded that the concession be revoked and that their ancestral lands be legally recognised and demarcated as soon as possible.

Indigenous people in Guyana and Suriname have demonstrated unique knowledge and skill to utilise the resources of the natural environment in order to survive and support themselves, and at the same time avoided having much adverse impact on natural systems. Thus they are an important factor in considering the state and future of the natural environment in these countries. 

An activist for the Guyana indigenous people indicated that while most indigenous communities accept the national economic significance of the country’s mineral and timber resources and the importance of its exploitation for the national good, these communities over the years have used these resources in a sustainable manner.

 In the forestry sector, for example, it is not just timber products that are important but also non-timber products including medicinal plants, craft and other pursuits that do not involve the felling of trees.

The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church has also recognized that “these peoples offer an example of a life lived in harmony with the environment that they have come to know well and to preserve. Their extraordinary experience, which is an irreplaceable resource for all humanity, runs the risk of being lost together with the environment from which they originate”

The indigenous peoples have a right to any lifestyle they choose, as well as livelihood and culture. It is therefore imperative that we promote the rights and interests of indigenous persons, create the mechanisms for these people to have an effective voice in decision-making, challenge polices and projects that deprive local peoples of resources and publicise their plight through research and analysis.

Next week we look at the use of biotechnology.

Quotations in these articles are from the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Persons interested in purchasing a copy of the Compendium can contact the Justice Desk, Archbishop’s House at 622-6680. Also on sale at the Justice Desk are the Take a Bite Social Justice Programme on DVD and the Responses to 101 Questions on Catholic Social Teaching.