Traditional knowledge article series in national newspaper

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As part of the national consultations of the Traditional Knowledge National Action Plan (TKNAP) in Guyana, a series of articles were published weekly over March and April in the national newspaper Guyana Times, highlighting the importance of Indigenous peoples’ knowledge and the specific actions of the TKNAP. Read these articles here:   Article #1:The role of traditional knowledge in conservation: https://guyanatimesgy.com/the-role-of-traditional-knowledge-in-conservation/     Article # 2: A project focused on traditional knowledge in Guyana: https://guyanatimesgy.com/a-project-focused-on-traditional-knowledge-in-guyana/   Article #3: Increasing knowledge and … Read More

Consultations of the Traditional Knowledge National Action Plan for Guyana begin

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After a long delay due to Covid-19, a national consultation process for a draft Traditional Knowledge National Action Plan (TKNAP) for Guyana began on the 12th February 2021. The consultation with Indigenous communities in Guyana is supported by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs (MoAA).  A first consultation meeting was held with all the Community Development Officers (CDOs) who support the work of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs. They are field-based and have responsibility for clusters of hinterland communities in the … Read More

Indigenous Heritage 2020: Traditional tools

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  Traditional tools are an essential aspect of Indigenous life, even to today. From the use of clay for pottery, making of warashees, matapee and mats from various palm tree leaves by weaving or plaiting, or crafting bows and arrows for hunting purposes, we see a wealth of knowledge about the natural resources needed and the skills to craft the products. This knowledge is not well documented, but rather, as most traditional knowledge is, kept alive through the share of … Read More

Indigenous Heritage 2020: Traditional uses of cotton

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  Indigenous peoples are skilled in the art of creating many different handicrafts from a variety of materials. These skills, as is the case with most other traditional customs, are passed from the elders to younger generations. Some handicraft skills are customarily practiced by the men while others are specific to women. For example, males are more known to engage in handicraft skills associated with woodcraft, such as totem poles and making of traditional weapons – bows and arrows and … Read More

Indigenous Heritage 2020: Traditional fishing in Katoka Village, Central Rupununi

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  Are you looking for some tasty fish for your tuma? Then Katoka is the place to go! Katoka is an Indigenous village located on the right bank of the Rupununi River. The name Katoka is said to have been derived from a jaguar that was seen by a fisherman at the mouth of the creek where he was fishing.  The jaguar looked as white as cotton. With such a rare sight, the fisherman abandoned his fishing plans and ran … Read More

Our solutions are in nature

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“Our Solutions are in Nature” – what an appropriate theme for this year’s International Day for Biodiversity! The Convention on Biological Diversity highlights that ‘our biodiversity remains the answer to a number of sustainable development challenges that we all face. From nature-based solutions to climate, to food and water security, and sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity remains the basis for a sustainable future’. The year 2020 can be deemed as a year of opportunity and solutions for biodiversity. It is the final … Read More

Languages without borders

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In Guyana, many of our Indigenous Nations reside along the borders of our country and have a strong familial and cultural link to the Indigenous groups that live in Venezuela, Brazil and Suriname. In the current times of hardship faced by many Venezuelan Indigenous groups, cross border languages are being used to provide assistance that is in dire need. International Mother Language Day (celebrated on the 21st February each year) is designated to promote linguistic and cultural diversity, and multilingualism. … Read More

Pilot training in traditional knowledge integration for local stakeholders in Guyana

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As the Darwin Initiative project ‘Integrating traditional knowledge into national policy and practice‘ completes year three of implementation, the project team found themselves extra busy as 2020 began. Lots of work went into fine-tuning and finalizing material for the training course “Traditional knowledge integration for conservation and development”. Aimed at representatives of governmental organizations, civil society groups/NGOs and Indigenous leaders, the course aims to build capacity of stakeholders, not only be more knowledgeable of traditional knowledge, but also to better … Read More

Bridging the north south divide

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There aren’t many opportunities for young people from the North and South Rupununi to meet, share information and spend time interacting with each other. In this article, we hear from Marshalla Perry from Maruranau Village in the South Rupununi, who spent three months as an intern on the Darwin traditional knowledge project, based at the NRDDB office in the North Rupununi. It has been with great pleasure that I had the opportunity to work with the NRDDB team through the … Read More

Hearing from community researchers – testimonials from the Darwin Traditional Knowledge project

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Much of the work we do is through local community researchers. These peer researchers are recognised members of, and have kinship, ties, and alliances, with the Indigenous communities with whom research is taking place. They play a vital role in ensuring that the information collected is representative, respectful of different views and opinions, and that the research process is community owned. Here we hear from some community researchers working on the Darwin Traditional Knowledge and Conservation project about their experiences, … Read More

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