Visiting an Amerindian village in Mabaruma is a wonderful and interesting experience. Many people living in the villages still make their living off of the land which is rich in natural resources by hunting, farming, fishing, etc. Perhaps when visiting you’d get the chance to play with a young squirrel monkey, taste alligator pepper pot, spot interesting birds or to learn how cassava, an important root for the Amerindian people of Guyana, is processed.
When visiting a village there are some guidelines that must be followed. Please see this link:
http://www.amerindian.gov.gy/access.html
Amerindian villages in the Mabaruma sub-district are as follows:
Arukamai *
Barima Koriabo *
Bumbury Hill
Hobodeia *
Hotoquai *
Kamwatta Hill *
Three Brothers
Red Hill
Tobago & Wauna Hill *
Whitewater *
Yarakita *
*Indicates the villages which we have visited and could provide more information on upon request.
*Amerindian village indicates titles lands with tuschaos as community leaders.
Amerindian settlements in Mabaruma are as follows:
Arua
Barbina
Black Water
Koberimo
Lower Koriabo
Powaikuru
White Creek
Imbotero
Unity Square
Smith Creek
Sacred Heart *
Wauna *
Aruka Mouth
St. Dominics
Lower Kaituma
Black Water Savannah
Almond Beach
*Settlement indicates an untitled land with a Community Development Council (CDC) rather than a tuschao.
Mixed Amerindian communities in Mabaruma are as follows:
Morawhanna
*Mixed community indicates an untitled land with a CDC as well as a mix of races living within the community.
Accessing an Amerindian village:
Some villages are accessed by boat only, some by vehicle only and some by both. Hiring a boat or a vehicle for the day is fairly easy and not extremely costly. Ask around at the market in Kumaka and you’re certain to find someone quickly who will be able to give you some direction. It’s best to plan trips into the villages several days in advance so that you will be able to execute them according to your schedule.
What to bring:
When visiting a village it is important to bring food for yourself to eat during your stay as well as supplies to cook with. Some villages have shops but the variety of items to purchase is oftentimes sparse. The tuschao may be able to direct you to someone willing to cook meals for you during your stay.
Bringing a water bottle is also a wise idea, villages have potable water available.
If you’re planning on staying the night investing in a hammock and bug net is important as villages don’t typically have guest houses, however, you may be able to set-up camp in an empty building or somebody‘s house. The risk of malaria is high in some villages, consider having medication available to yourself during your stay.
Many villages could benefit greatly from sports equipment, books or a special skill that you’re willing to share.
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| The river leaving Mabaruma on the way to Hotoquai, Hobodeia and other villages. |
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| A baby monkey in Hotoquai. |
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| Arukamai. |
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| A woman grating cassava in Kamwatta. |
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| A pineapple growing at a farm in Kamwatta. |
