Biodiversity and Guyana's Indigenous Peoples Zip download

There are nine (9) Amerindian groups settled across the ten administrative regions of Guyana. These are the Carib, Warau, Arawak, Makushi, Wapishiana, Patomona, Akawaio, Wai Wai and Arekuna peoples[i].

 The Amerindians make up 9.2% of Guyana’s population,[ii] and have legal titles to approximately 14% of Guyana’s total land mass 2.36 million hectares as of 2008; an increase from 1.40 million hectares in 2002. Currently 96 communities have legal land titles, while 10 communities have no formal legal title to the lands they occupy[iii].

Amerindian communities make use of forest resources as a source of food, building materials, fibres for textiles, weaving, medicines, tannins and dyes. They also depend on their territories through farming, hunting, collecting and fishing for their subsistence and welfare.  

Amerindian communities through the Amerindian Act (2006) have the right to prohibit or control entry and access to their territory and traditional knowledge, prohibit or control mining, zone their lands, protect sacred sites, and regulate hunting, fishing, tourism and research. In addition Amerindian communities, have the option of negotiating with the Government and other agencies to conserve lands which they do not own, but have an interest in. They can also establish protected areas on their lands as well as through their Village Councils make laws to implement Community Conservation Areas. 

Konashen is a Community Owned Conservation Area in the Konashen District of Guyana. It is a legally established, titled village under the Amerindian Act (2006) which is protected by law and accounts for 2.91% of Guyana’s total land mass. This district is occupied by the Wai Wai Amerindian community, who have their own traditional methods of conservation, e.g. they do not kill birds, instead they stun them and collect selected feathers, nor do they cut down trees, but instead climb the trees to cut down the fruit.

This area provides a sanctuary, with healthy populations of most of Guyana’s giants, like the Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) and the Jaguar (Pantera onca) and others such as the Blue Poison Frog (Dendrbates tinctorius), the Emerald Boa (Corallus caninus) and the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao).

[i] Ministry of Amerindian Affairs (2009) – Amerindian Tribes http://www.amerindian.gov.gy/discover/tribes/index.html 

[ii] Bureau of Statistics (2007) – Population and Housing Census 2002 – Guyana National Report http://www.statisticsguyana.gov.gy/pubs/Chapter2_Population_Composition.pdf

[iii] Janki, Melinda (2008) – Guyana Legal Survey http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/guyana_legal_survey.doc

Images

Map showing the distribution of Amerindians - Colchester, M., La Rose, J., and James, K. (2002). Mining and Amerindians in Guyana,: Ottawa: North-South Institute

Map of Konashen District - http://www.conservation.org/explore/south_america/guyana/konashen/pages/maps_and_facts.aspx