APA..Newsletter # 1
National News..Extension of Kaieteur National Park

On March 9, 1999, President Janet Jagan signed an order, Order No. 4 of 1999, extending the Kaieteur National Park from 5 sq. miles to 242 sq. miles. This news first became public at the National Toushaos Conference that was being held in St Ignatius. The immediate reaction of all present was one of great shock, and for the Toushao of Chenapou, Region 8, he was speechless and close to tears.

MAP SHOWING THE EXTENSION OF THE NATIONAL PARK BORDERING CHENAPOU

Later, as the information on what had really happened sank in, everyone became angry and felt betrayed by what the government had done. The reason for these reactions by the Toushao of Chenapou and by all present was the callous way the government had passed the Order completely disregarding the rights of the people of Chenapou who would be directly affected by the extension of the Kaieteur National Park.

The Kaieteur National Park Act Chap. 20:02 (4.(1)) regulates the Kaieteur National Park and as such, when the Order was passed it became operative under the Act. According to this Act: -

It shall not be lawful for any person to enter into, travel or to encamp within the park or to build any structure therein, or to hunt, chase, catch, shoot at, kill or otherwise disturb any animal or cut, pluck or gather any flora or interfere with or disturb the soil by mining or other operations within the park or to remove anything whatsoever from the park except in accordance with regulations made under this Act. (Italics added).

The area that the park extends into covers a large part of the traditional hunting and fishing grounds of the village of Chenapou. It also covers the area where they gather medicinal plants, cut trees for their canoes and houses and thatch for their roofs, among other purposes. The Potaro river which runs through the Park also provides a link between the Kaieteur Falls and the village and is the gateway in and out of the village. The falls itself has cultural and historical significance to the people of this area. According to legend, Old Kaie went over the falls in his canoe sacrificing his life to save his people from invaders.

With the Order in force, it thus meant that the people of Chenapou no longer had the right to hunt, fish, or even travel on the land they had always been accustomed to using. They could no longer cut trees to build their houses or canoes, nor collect thatch for their roofs or herbs for their medicine. With one stroke of a pen the rights of a people had been completely disregarded as though their lives meant nothing.

It was no surprise then that the people of Chenapou and the Toushaos at the conference were upset and angry at the news of the extension. While the community knew that the government was considering extending the Park, they were not in agreement with it as they said the government should address their land claim before extending the park. The government had had some previous dialogue with them on protected areas but they felt that many things were not clear to them and that they needed a lot more information before they could make a decision.

<-------------Amerindian man fishing in the River

In a meeting the community held after learning of the extension, they said they would not accept the extension as it had infringed on their basic human right - their right to life. According to one woman, "What will become of me and my grandchildren if we are no longer permitted to hunt and fish there?"

According to the villagers, when the Rapid Rural Appraisal Team from the government visited Chenapou, the people were told that their traditional rights such as fishing and hunting would be respected. They said that most of them did not understand what the RRA team was doing and they were given no explanations. While the team had promised to send a report of their visit back to the community, this had not been done.

Subsequent to the village meeting, the APA sponsored a team of representatives from the village comprising the Toushao, Anthony Melville, three councillors and a former Toushao to visit Georgetown to seek an audience with President Jagan.

At first, the representatives were told that the Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Vibert DeSouza and the Minister of Regional Development, Harri Persuad Nokta, would deal with the matter but the team insisted that they would like to meet with the President as she had signed the Order and only she was in a position to make any changes.

KAIETEUR WATERFALL THE HIGHEST SINGLE DROP WATERFALL IN THE WORLD AT 741 FEET---------->

The President therefore agreed to have a meeting out of which it was agreed that the Kaieteur National Park Act would be amended to provide for the rights of the people of Chenapou and that the village itself would provide the draft for the amendment of the Act.

Captain Anthony Melville of Chenapou second from right front row.