Amerindians in Guyana are talking about marching to Georgetown from all parts of the country in what is being called the great march. This idea was born in the Rupununi some time during 1998 and gained popular support during the National Toushaos Conference held in Zeriwa, Central Rupununi in April 1999.

The main reason behind the march is the government’s failure to deal with the Amerindian land situation. Amerindians throughout the country have been calling on the government to settle the Amerindian land question for a number of decades but the government has not attempted to deal with this matter in any comprehensive way. In the meantime, land as timber and mining concessions are given to foreign companies in a relatively short space of time.

Amerindians are hoping that a national march of Amerindians will focus attention on this issue and pressure the government to act in some positive way. According to one of the Toushaos at the Toushaos Conference, "Those days are long past where political figures make promises and we believe them; this is the time for our voices to be heard."

At a meeting in Georgetown where a number of toushaos from several regions were present, as well as APA and GOIP (Guyanese Organisation of Indigenous Peoples) representatives, a coordinating committee was formed to look into the logistics and other matters relating to the march. This committee comprises a representative each from the Regions as well as two representatives each from the the three major Amerindian NGOs, APA, GOIP and TAAMOG (The Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana).

The regional representatives are to act as coordinators within their regions while the NGOs will coordinate activities in Georgetown where the greatest load of work is to be carried out.

No date had yet been set for this march but in the meantime some initial ground work has already begun.

This is the first time a venture of this magnitude is being considered by Amerindians in Guyana and while many would like to begin walking to

Georgetown immediatley, this activity has to be thought out carefully in order to make the biggest impact possible.