Guyana Chronicle Emancipation Supplement

GNNL EMANCIPATION SUPPLEMENT Monday, August 1, 2022

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GNNL EMANCIPATION SUPPLEMENT Monday, August 1, 2022

A trip down memory lane: Elder Victoria residents reminisce on Emancipation traditions in days of old

By Shari Simon 76-YEAR-OLD Desmond Saul can still recall some of the traditions his family observed on Emancipation Day when he was a young boy while growing up in Victoria.

“That day would usually start off with a church service in the morning,” shared Saul, who explained that freed African men and women had embraced the importance of religion and education and earnestly sought to pass these principles onto their families and the wider community.

As one of the youngest children in a family of ten, Saul remembers the excitement he felt while going to the events with his siblings during the 1950s and 1960s.

His older brothers and sisters took care of him since his parents did not go with them.

He pointed out that there would be several outdoor celebratory events that filled the atmosphere with jubilation.

These events were held on the fields of the Lady Sendell Park, which was named

after the wife of a former Governor at the time, Walter Sendell. The people who attended these events were usually adorned in colourful and elaborately designed African clothing.

There would also be a wide variety of African dishes on sale such as conkie, which was made from cornmeal, coconut and pumpkin wrapped in banana leaves; metemgee, a mix of ground provisions boiled in coconut milk; cook-up-rice that was prepared from boiling rice, beans or peas, meat and herbs in coconut milk; and other dishes.

“Emancipation has always been in all the villages something to celebrate on August 1. A time to reflect on where the former enslaved Africans came from and where we are now as their descendants,” Saul expressed, adding: “People would sing. The Centipede band would play, just like they did at Christmas, but they would also play there.

People came out. They gathered at the park in the after-

noon, and it was fun.”

Saul believes that there is a need to revitalise past learning activities to teach people, particularly youths, the true meaning of Emancipation.

He opined that Emancipation Day has become ‘fun and frolic’ and the intervention of capacity-building initiatives can provide people with the opportunities to learn, grow and invest in development.

For 76-year-old Genevieve Russell, also known as Hazel Russell or Teacher Russell, Emancipation Day while growing up was a joyful time not only in her home but also in the community.

“You would see people preparing,” she shared, reminiscing about the sense of eagerness everyone had to ensure they purchased the right ingredients to make delicious African dishes and ‘clean up’ to have fun family gatherings at their homes.

“I loved all kinds of cookup-rice, eddo leaf cook-up, peas cook-up and ‘shine rice’!” she remarked.

On Emancipation Day, Teacher Russell related that

the adults and elders would blend their voices in harmony as they danced and sang African folksongs while celebrating on the Middle Walk Road.

Being one of eleven children, she remembers waiting and watching the yearly celebrations with her brothers and sisters.

“We were small children.

We used to watch them going down the road from the stairs in the yard while mommy and daddy went out,” she said, later bursting into a song: ‘Africa I want to go back home Bet yuh life, this same passage I am going home back Back to Africa To see ma grandfatha’ “They used to sing nice!” she exclaimed with laughter, while her eyes glistened with childlike glee from remembering a time that is long gone.

Like Saul, she too also expressed that Emancipation Day has changed throughout the years, and there is a current lack of emphasis on

Genevieve Russell, aka Hazel Russell or Teacher Russell (Shari Simon photos) preserving as well as promot- proached her mother to seek ing the rich cultural history permission for her to assist behind the day. children within the commuGrowing up in Victoria nity at a small fee of 60 cents Even as a young child, every month.

Teacher Russell was passionHer father, Fitz Herbert ate about teaching and loved Russell, worked as a cane gathering her younger broth- harvester and a farmer. Durers and sisters to teach them ing the out-of-crop seasons to read, write and count. on the sugar estate, he would “My hobby was teaching. plant produce such as baWe would sit on my par- nanas, plantains, cassava, ents’ steps, and I would teach mangoes and breadnuts that them,” she stated. were usually sold to support As time progressed and the family. Sometimes, she people around the community and her siblings went to assist started noticing how well she him in the back dams during taught her siblings, they apTURN TO PAGE 3

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GNNL EMANCIPATION SUPPLEMENT Monday, August 1, 2022

‘Ujama’ Emancipation exhibition a success

SCORES of small business owners were given an opportunity to showcase their products and services at “Ujamaa 2.0,” a two-day Emancipation sale and exhibition organised by the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly Guyana (IDPADAG) on Main Street, Georgetown.

The exhibition, which is the second of its kind, saw Afro-Guyanese entrepreneurs displaying a range of products and services including catering, paintings and home decor.

With a number of persons passing through to purchase items or browse, the businesses were able to capitalise on gain-

Natasha Bristol, the owner of Empress Kids’ Palace

ing new customers and selling some of their products.

Speaking with the Guyana

Chronicle, Natasha Bristol, the owner of Empress Kids’ Palace, which customises clothing for babies and children, said her business has been in operation for almost three years and she wants to explore new styles and fabrics.

She has finally been able to do so with the help of the exhibition.

“We have the kids Ankara print outfits for Emancipation, we have them in any size; they are custom made. [We] do preorders and deliver in two to three days,” said Bristol.

She added: “I feel good, I think the exhibition was well executed. It’s been a while I’ve been wanting to do some outfits

A trip down memory lane...

FROM PAGE 2 the August holidays while attending Victoria Primary and a county high school in Buxton.

Even though her mother, Bernice Russell, was a housewife, she assisted in supplementing the family’s income by selling brooms. They would sit under the house to ‘strip’ coconut branches to make the brooms.

One day, her mother came home with a cart of beautiful earrings she had purchased and placed them on she and her sisters’ ears. “My mother bought that from the same broom money,” reminisced Teacher Russell.

While growing up, Saul and his siblings supported their father on the family farm that had rice, ground provisions and fruits. During the holiday seasons, while attending St. Andrews Primary, located at Cove and John and later on, the Hindu College and Golden Grove Secondary, he would assist his father.

“At rice crop time, we had to go up and help cut rice with grass knives or drive the bull so that it would mash the rice straws to get the paddy off,” he said.

His father travelled once every week to the West Coast of Berbice to sell the produce by taking a bus early in the morning on the day before he started selling.

Furthermore, one of Saul’s fondest childhood memories is sitting under moonlit nights listening to ‘Nancy’ stories.

“I remember the story about Bill, whose mother was making bakes and he stole bakes and hid it in his hat. But the oil started to drip at the sides of his head,” Saul shared, adding: “You also had Anansi spider, Tiger and Brer Rabbit.”

Because there were no distractions such as televisions, Saul strongly believed the stories taught them moral values as children and lessons about life.

Imparting knowledge in his community After completing secondary school, Saul became a teacher at St. Ambrose Primary and then Christ Church Secondary. He left

the profession three years later, in 1966, to study engineering in England.

Eventually, he returned to Guyana in 1970 and began working at the Guyana Telecommunications Corporation. He worked at the company as Senior Executive Engineer before migrating to Canada in 1980.

Over the years, Saul has served in several senior capacities for international telecommunications companies, executing projects based on placement strategies for fibre optic installations and introducing hightech cellular devices to markets.

Around the world, he has worked in China, Ireland and the Philippines. He retired in 2001.

By becoming motivated to improve the literacy rate of youths within Victoria, he returned to Guyana and opened the ‘Foundation for Real Christian Education’ (F.O.R.C.E.) school.

This school aims to provide vocational skills training for youths. The classes include carpentry, electrical engineering, welding, motor mechanics, sewing and music.

Unfortunately, the school’s population has decreased due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Saul mentioned that he was still awaiting responses from state agencies he would have approached for support.

Now, he is currently engaged in missionary work at the Victoria Brethren Church, teaching at F.O.R.C.E, as well as travelling to Ottawa, Canada, to visit his wife, Brenda Saul, four children and eight grandchildren.

Victoria is home Teacher Russell explained that she started teaching at 17 years old in ‘bottom house schools’, which were small educational spaces made to accommodate children under a house in the community. In 1971, she wrote the College of Preceptors exams and attained her certificate.

She related that ‘bottom house schools’ went on until 1976, which saw official plans to construct the Victoria Nursery School. While the school was being constructed, she joined other

teachers to carry out ‘self-help’ acts such as painting the walls.

Teacher Russell is one of the first teachers at Victoria Nursery.

Unfortunately, after surviving years of domestic abuse, she travelled to Linden and made it her home for 12 years. “Those were terrible times, but I got through it with prayer,” she said.

To earn an income in Linden, she did several jobs, including teaching while working at a snackette.

Although she returned to Victoria, it took a few years to successfully rebuild her life with her five children by her side.

Nonetheless, she continued her teaching career in Victoria and retired in 2009 at North Brook Nursery.

Today, Teacher Russell enjoys attending the ‘Christ Ambassador’s Church’ as well as teaching the Sunday school children. On her own, she runs the ‘Garden of Eden Nursery School’ and remains committed to teaching people around her.

for Emancipation and I finally got the opportunity through the exhibition.”

All items produced by Bristol are handmade or sown by her. She customises any outfit to suit the needs of her customers.

Her service is not only limited to clothing, as she also customises shoes and other accessories.

Meanwhile, Veronica Langford of Veeronke fashion, who is a first-time participant in the exhibition, said she is excited to see more platforms being created to promote local talent and businesses.

Langford creates as well as supports other creators, designers and artists in promoting their work to reach consumers,

through her boutique.

She also provides a unique twist on the Guyanese leather slippers, offering a unique and vibrant line of colours and styles.

“I have some leather slippers. I have some shirts. I have some tie-dye; we have some painted pieces – all handmade,” she said.

Yanniska Rufino, co-owner of Soul Essence gy, a skin and hair care business, displayed a variety of products catering for any kind of hair and skin texture.

Rufino, like many other participants, lauded the exhibition and hopes to see similar activities hosted by the organisation in the future.

In a previous interview with this newspaper, IDPADA-G Community Development Officer, Elsie Harry, had explained that the name of the event is actually linked to the African celebration of Kwanzaa.

“Ujamaa is the fourth principle of Kwanzaa. It means cooperative economics, so what we are promoting is building our businesses, building our stores and profiting from them collectively. So, we’ve provided a platform for African-Guyanese businesses to showcase their products and hopefully secure sales and long-term customers for their businesses,” she said.

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GNNL EMANCIPATION SUPPLEMENT Monday, August 1, 2022

EMANCIPATION DAY MESSAGES

Message from the People’s Progressive Party on Emancipation Day 2022

THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP) wishes to extend greetings to our Afro-Guyanese brothers and sisters across the country and

in the diaspora on the occasion of Emancipation 2022, which marks the 184th anniversary of the formal abolition of slavery in British colo-

nies.

Slavery remains the most cruel and inhumane system of subjugation and discrimination known to human history. The celebration of its abolition is the right and duty of every single human being.

This occasion, once again, provides another opportunity for all to reflect on the tremendous sacrifices made by our Afro-Guyanese ancestors who were brought inhumanely to this land in chains to provide free

labour for the sugar plantations.

They were stripped of their humanity and dignity and forced to toil long hours. Many were tortured and brutally killed for simply standing up for their rights. In their long and unyielding march for freedom, many battles were fought, including the Berbice Slave rebellion led by our nation’s National Hero, Cuffy.

When freedom finally came, the freed Africans and their descendants, though denied access to

education, demonstrated an exceptional degree of industry, thrift, and financial acumen and hence were able to acquire large portions of land, which today remains the foundation of our village movement and subsistence cash crop industry.

Indeed, the contributions of freed Africans and their descendants to every facet of life in this nation are simply immeasurable. It would be impossible to accurately capture this in a mere statement of this nature.

As we celebrate this important historic and national occasion, we urge every Guyanese not only to reflect upon the herculean sacrifices of the enslaved Africans and their descendants, their incomparable struggles, and their remarkable achievements but also to use them as a source of inspiration and guide as we continue to work together to build a united country free from poverty.

Happy Emancipation Day to all.

GNNL EMANCIPATION SUPPLEMENT Monday, August 1, 2022

EMANCIPATION DAY MESSAGES Message from the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) on Emancipation Day 2022

EMANCIPATION Day is celebrated annually on the first day of August. It is the day that the heroes of past slave rebellions that ushered in the end of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and brought freedom to the enslaved is celebrated.

The celebrations follow the general concepts initiated by Africans freed on that memorable day, August 1, 1838, one hundred and eighty-four years ago, when African menus and locally produced drinks, wine

and spirits were enjoyed amongst singing of emancipation songs.

The annual observance of Emancipation Day is first and foremost a commemoration of the legislated end of slavery. But moreover, a reminder of man’s brutality to fellow man, as large populations of one ethnic group had to suffer more than 400 years of injustice and abuse at the hand of another.

The abuses included, but was not limited to, the pillaging of the African con-

tinent’s natural and human resources, forcefully subjecting the human resources to bondage, dehumanisation, forced labour and sexual exploitation, destruction and relocation of segments of family units to different parts of Europe and the Americas, while stripping them of identities, dignity, generational linkages, religious beliefs, cultural norms, customs and practices, among other things.

The culmination of the tireless struggles for free-

dom from oppression and the ushering in of emancipation eventually meant that the remnants of those enslaved and their descendants would have the challenge of eking out a living within the territories they served, because of inabilities to return to their places of birth or origin.

This meant that the former slaves had to find creative ways to earn a living.

So, armed with savings from forced apprenticeship programmes allowed under the law between 1933 and 1938, the emancipated bought land and undertook skills in agriculture and various trades.

Their high levels of education also made them suitable to serve within the Colonial Civil Service/Teaching Service and the Police Force.

Through this silent reminder that the blood, sweat, and tears of our forefathers are on this land, together we must ensure that generations of the present and future enjoy the freedoms and benefits so valiantly fought for during the years preceding emancipation and the blood spilled upon the land. Let it be not in vain.

Let us not forget those who lived upon this land before us and witnessed

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the anguish of our forefathers, some suffering like them, and those that came as indentured labourers in the latter years to make a better life, but suffered under draconian laws, akin to bondage.

Let’s not forget the Almighty that delivered our nation from the clutches of evil to our current status.

Believe that the Almighty would continue to bless this land and its peoples and destroy those who seek to divide us.

GPSU wishes its members and citizens of Guyana, a peace-filled Emancipation Day 2022.

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GNNL EMANCIPATION SUPPLEMENT Monday, August 1, 2022

EMANCIPATION DAY MESSAGES

Message from the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) on Emancipation Day 2022 IT has now been one hundred and eighty-four (184) years since the descendants of former enslaved Africans, who experienced successive generations of brutality on the plantation, attained their full freedom as declared by the Emancipation Proclamation.

History recorded that the colonialists brought an end to slavery as a means of social and economic organisation in its colonies on account of several issues.

The abolitionist movement and a growing consciousness of the inhumanity of slavery, undoubtedly, would have played a part.

As we observe Emancipation Day this year, we give

recognition to the role and efforts of the many who resisted and rebelled against the cruel system of slavery.

In as much as the purveyors of the dehumanising system of chattel slavery were dominant in maintaining complete control and power, it did not quell the undying spirit of our forefathers to resist the oppressive plantation life.

Our forefathers and mothers were not merely passive onlookers awaiting the gift of freedom. But they rejected being the possessions of others.

Our history is filled with several battles, which, at times, had a heavy human toll, as the fight for freedom from the shackles of enslavement advanced.

Today, as the GAWU extends to all Guyanese best wishes on the occasion of Emancipation Day 2022, we pay tribute to those who selflessly and valiantly advanced the struggle for freedom.

Indeed, Emancipation provides us the opportunity to recall, yet again, our wretched history and the heroism of those who brought us to the

point of freedom.

We have been bequeathed a proud legacy of struggle and fightback to bring an end to domination and exploitation and for a fair and just life.

Let the spirit and message of emancipation be our guide as we face up to national challenges and advance our cause for fairness, equity, and social justice.

GNNL EMANCIPATION SUPPLEMENT Monday, August 1, 2022

Journey to Victoria Village hardworking people can be seen either going to and fro the main access road while riding bicycles or scooters, walking, or commuting in vehicles.

Oftentimes, these people pass each other with a friendly greeting, a warm smile, a nod of the head, or a simple ‘hi, good day.’

Victoria has a population of approximately 5000 residents. According to a resident, Desmond

Saul, the entire village is ‘130 rods wide and 7 miles deep.’ With many acres of cultivable land, one of the main economic activities is farming.

Residents invest a lot of time and essential resources into planting and reaping various produce such as ground provisions, coconuts, fruits and vegetables. They also rear livestock and poultry and operate other small busi-

nesses.

Currently, there is a health centre, cultural centre, gas station, two nursery schools (Victoria Nursery and North Brook Nursery), a primary school (Victoria Primary), several churches belonging to different Christian denominations such as Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism and Seventh Day Adventists, to name TURN TO PAGE 12

Victoria Primary School that is currently being renovated (Photos by Shari Simon)

By Shari Simon BUILT on dreams of freedom, years of rebellions and resistance to enslavement and a shared spirit of tenacity to create an economically thriving and culturally rich community during the post-slavery period, Victoria Village, East Coast Demerara,

was the first village to be purchased and established by freed African men and women in Guyana.

Last week, the Guyana Chronicle’s Pepperpot Magazine journeyed along the coast to visit Victoria Village and learn about the ancestral history that was passed down by former enslaved Africans,

interact with residents and listen to their stories about life in the community.

Victoria is located approximately 18 miles from Georgetown, and it sits placidly between neighbouring villages Cove and John and Belfield.

Across the community’s landscape are many houses, including some with shops and visibly

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The ‘Cove and John Company Bridge’ that leads to Victoria Village

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GNNL EMANCIPATION SUPPLEMENT Monday, August 1, 2022

GNNL EMANCIPATION SUPPLEMENT Monday, August 1, 2022

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Soiree

GNNL EMANCIPATION SUPPLEMENT Monday, August 1, 2022

Dressed in traditional African wear (Photo: Guyana Chronicle archives) in Guyana and many other the African ancestors. ing and dancing would start parts of the world. In GuyOn the night of July 31 or around 18:00 hrs on the eve of DANCE and music are com- ana, dance and music are even on previous nights before Emancipation in an area of the mon forms of expression heavily influenced by the August 1, soirees are held in village called ‘Twenty-Two’. country’s multicultural so- predominantly Afro-Guyanese The large crowd would ciety. villages along Guyana’s east- disperse into groups to keep In Guyana, particularly, ern coast. their separate libation ceremopeople of African descent, This cultural festivity has nies, while the main access who are connected to the tra- its roots in the 1800s, and is road cutting through the vilditions of old, use dance and indigenous to villages along lages is flooded with hundreds music to commemorate im- the coast and banks of the of Guyanese with their music portant social and religious main rivers that Africans sets, creating a party-like atevents. bought when they were liber- mosphere.

One of these many fes- ated from slavery.

Traditionally on July 31, tivals is Soiree, a tradition Villages that have em- there is a thanksgiving church

By Naomi Parris

The main access road during Hopetown Soiree in 2014 (Photo: Guyana Chronicle archives) held yearly in celebration of the Emancipation of enslaved Africans in Guyana.

Similar to ‘Queh Queh’, a pre-marital celebration, Soiree is the gathering of family and friends in celebration.

The joyous occasion is celebrated with drumming, chanting, and Shanto dancing, used to invoke the spirits of

braced this tradition even now are Hopetown, Ithaca, and Belladrum in Berbice; and Buxton, Victoria, and Bagotville in Demerara.

The village of Hopetown was bought by former enslaved Africans in the 1840s which is around the time the Soiree tradition emerged.

Today, drumming, march-

service at the village’s traditional church. At 22:00 hrs, the villagers then head to the village koker for the libation ceremony.

They dance and mimic the sounds of the drums and other musical instruments. Upon arriving at the koker, the participants sing as they TURN TO PAGE 12

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Prime Minister meets African Royal Delegation

PRIME Minister, Brigadier (ret’d), Mark Phillips, on Thursday, met with Guyana Reparations Committee Chairman, Dr Eric Phillips and a visiting African Royal Delegation from South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho who are in Guyana for Emancipation celebrations 2022.

The delegation members indicated that their fundamental goals are to foster cultural exchange, education and development; explore regional economic integration, and strengthen the relationship between Africa and the Caribbean, particularly in

their own efforts to establish bilateral relations with nations whose populations have African lineage.

During the discussion, Prime Minister Phillips informed the delegation that Guyana is a multicultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious society that values all of its citizens, including AfroGuyanese, and the role their forefathers played in Guyana’s development.

The senior government official also explained that the concept of ‘One Guyana’, which has been a key area of focus for the Government, is based on mutual respect for society’s ethnic, religious, and

social groups. Respect, he contended, broadens the space for diversity by accepting differences and allowing all Guyanese to see themselves as equal members of society.

“African Guyanese have played a pivotal role in the development of Guyana and continue to be essential to the overall development of this country.”

His Highness Paul Jones Eganda led the African envoy, which included Her Royal Majesty Queen Cynthia Khamulo Mzilikazi III; Her Royal Highness Queen Ameenata Asaleh II; Her Royal Highness Princess Pre-

Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d), Mark Phillips, receives members of the visiting African Royal Delegation from South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho (Office of the Prime Minister photo) ing African spirit by culcious Lindiwe Nthibogel- among other members. ang; Her Royal Highness The theme of Eman- tural expression”. (OfPrincess Tshepi Motloung cipation Day 2022 is: fice of the Prime Minand Lady Mpho Dindi “Celebrating the endur- ister)

Journey to Victoria...

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FROM PAGE 7 a few.

There are no secondary schools in the village.

Students who complete their grade six assessment can attend secondary schools in the neighbouring communities, such as Hope Secondary, Golden Grove Secondary, Hindu College, and other local secondary schools.

Often referred to as the ‘mother of all vil-

lages’ and one of the largest villages in Guyana, Victoria is managed by the Region Four – Regional Democratic Council (RDC) that is located at Triumph (East Coast Demerara) and it is under the administration and management of the Haslington/Grove Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) that is located at Nabacalis (East Coast Demerara).

GNNL EMANCIPATION SUPPLEMENT Monday, August 1, 2022

Birth of Victoria Village The history of Victoria Village can be traced back 184 years ago. During an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine, Desmond Saul disclosed that Victoria, originally a former cotton plantation called North Brook, was purchased by 83 freed African men and women.

They were from the neighbouring plantations:

Dochfour, Hope, Paradise and Enmore. While some literature include Ann’s Grove as an additional plantation, Saul stated that based on previous knowledge, Ann’s Grove was established after Victoria.

Following the emancipation of enslaved Africans in then British Guiana on August 1, 1838, the freed Africans left the plantations to earn

Church of Immaculate Conception Victoria an income, acquire lands to farm and sustain themselves.

“They pooled their monies, and they bought this land, the first piece of land purchased by free men and women anywhere in the Western hemisphere. That occurred on November 7, 1839,” highlighted Saul.

Consequently, the village was named Victoria in honour of the former Queen of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria, whom they believed was responsible for their freedom.

“When the landowners heard that the freed Africans were interested in buying, they doubled the price, trying to deter them, but they persisted and bought it,” he said.

Saul explained that the freed Africans were cognisant of the challenges they had to face. They partitioned the lands and ensured that there were schools and churches be-

cause they valued education and praising God. Their primary goal was to ensure moral and ethical social development.

The administrative government later made the new land owners responsible for the maintenance of village infrastructures, and this required using the little monies they saved.

Additionally, the plantation owners would flood the village to destroy crops that were planted in an attempt to force the former enslaved Africans to return to the plantations.

During this time, people used to walk several miles to Le Resouvenir to attend church.

As a result, they built the ‘Wilberforce Congregational Church’ in 1845 in honour of William Wilberforce, a British politician and abolitionist. The church still has a bell that is rung in times of distress.

Soiree...

FROM PAGE 10

“invite the ancestors to join the celebrations”.

When it is certain that the ancestors are “within their midst”, the celebrants move over to the community centre for a grand enjoyment.

At this time, the centre is filled with spectators, dancers, drummers and singers, as well as children. At about 06:00 hrs the following morning, the libation ends, but not the Emancipation celebrations! This continues

throughout the day.

A packed programme, prepared weeks in advance, is started at about noon.

The villagers gather at the centre of the village, once again, to witness the traditional concert.

This includes African dances and songs, skits, speeches, and, most importantly, storytelling.

This year Soiree celebrations will be in full swing after a twoyear hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

GNNL EMANCIPATION SUPPLEMENT Monday, August 1, 2022

Post-Emancipation strides and the militant women of Buxton-Friendship

Buxton, East Coast Demerara, is one of the very first villages established by liberated Africans; it is home to many brave and resilient women DESPITE passage of the Emancipation Act in 1833, the newfound freedom that the ex-slaves had once craved was no paradise.

There were more battles to be fought and the liberated

Africans found themselves spearheading protest after protest to ensure that their civil rights were not trampled on.

Soon after slavery was officially abolished in 1838,

the ex-slaves began what is known today as the Village Movement; they pooled their resources and purchased plantations where they settled and started to build new lives for themselves.

Villages were established, communities were built, and co-operative societies and village councils were developed.

Today, many of these structures remain an integral part of Guyana’s local government body.

One of these villages was Buxton-Friendship located on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), once called plantation Orange Nassau.

The village became known for having the largest local authority in what was then

the colony of Demerara.

As the first village to be established in an organised manner, this local authority took a leadership role in dealing with the plantation owners and the central government, which really was one and the same.

As far as the British were concerned, the liberated Africans were a threat, having had “too much independence.”

Seeing their successes and how they were smoothly running their own affairs, a major scheme was “cooked up” by the British to suppress the villages which had begun to thrive.

In attempts to undermine them, the legislature enacted TURN TO PAGE 15

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Foo-Foo paired with a beef stew (Photo credit: Guyana Dining)

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Making traditional African dishes the Guyanese way

By Naomi Parris FOOD and culture are interwoven. Traditional spices, recipes and food preparation techniques were passed down from generation to genera-

tion. This is true for cultures across the world.

The processes of preparing, serving and sharing certain foods and drink might appear simple, but could be complex when considering the social and cultural significance of these foods.

For Guyana, which is a melting pot of cultures, food plays a vital role in preserving culture across generations. The Africans, one of Guyana’s ethnic groups, make up a big part of the country’s culinary arts.

While attempts were made by colonising powers to strip the enslaved Africans of their sense of identity during slavery, there was a spirit

corporates all of these ingredients, with a modern twist and Caribbean flare, making use of fruits and vegetables that are readily available in the South American county.

These foods include Metemgee, which is a souplike dish with ground provisions, coconut milk and large dumplings, eaten with fried fish or chicken; Conkie, a sweet cornmeal-based treat cooked by steaming the cornmeal in banana leaves; and pumpkin and ‘Foo Foo’, which is a dough made from boiled and mashed ground provision.

These dishes have become a staple in Africandescended households on

Conkie of resilience among Africans and African descendants to preserve remnants of culture and tradition. The art and science of food preparation is one such preserved remnant.

African cuisine, as we know it in the West Indies, is a combination of locally available fruits, cereal grains and vegetables, and milk and meat products. In some parts of the African continent, the traditional diet largely includes milk, curd and wheat products.

Africa is not, however, a single space nor a single culture. Comprised of more than 50 countries and many smaller ethnic groups, the continent’s diverse makeup is reflected in the many different eating and drinking habits, dishes, and preparation techniques.

In Central Africa, for example, the basic ingredients in most dishes are plantain, cassava, chili, peppers and an array of vegetables and ground spices.

In Guyana, our understanding of African dishes in-

Sundays, mostly, but especially during emancipation celebration.

RECIPE GUIDE: Metemgee (Metagee) Ingredients: • 1 dry coconut • Three-quarter pound of mixed meat • Approximately one pound of fried fish or salted fish • One pound of cassava • One pound of plantain (you can choose whether green, ripe or ‘turning’) • One pound of eddoes, yam or dasheen • One large onion — cut into rings • A half-pound of ochro (okra) • Dumplings (optional) Preparation: • Cover the mixed meat with water and boil for half an hour. Put salt-fish to soak in water; if using fresh fish, this may be fried or placed on top of vegetables about 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time TURN TO PAGE 15

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Post-Emancipation strides and the militant...

FROM PAGE 13 a law in 1856 granting powers to the government to levy “improvement taxes” on the properties of villagers.

This, however, did not sit well with the Africans, especially the Buxtonians.

Consequently, a group of proprietors of Friendship, led by James Jupiter, Blucher Dorsett and Hector John was the most active and determined of the ex-slaves.

They headed a list of 88 proprietors from Buxton who sent a petition to the governor of the colony, asking him to

reconsider the tax levy.

Turning a blind eye to their plea, the governor refused to listen to the men.

Instead, he branded the men as ringleaders and accused them of organising unrest.

In response to the villagers, the government confiscated the properties of James Jupiter, Blucher Dorsett, Hector John, Webster Ogle, Chance Bacchus, and James Rodney Sr. To enforce his decree, the governor dispatched a contingent of policemen and a detachment of the 21st Regiment

FROM PAGE 14 • Grate the coconut, pour one pint of water over, squeeze well and strain to extract the coconut milk.

Pour over the meat • Peel the vegetables, then put the meat and vegetables to boil in the coconut milk. Cook until almost tender • Put the salt fish, with the skin and bones removed, or fresh fish or fried fish on

warm water for dipping the mortar stick and for adding to the ‘foo foo’ to bring to the right consistency • Dip a metal spoon in clean warm water and remove ‘foo foo’ in balls from the mortar. Cover and keep warm. Serve.

CONKIE Ingredients: • One coconut • One pound of pumpkin • One pound of cornmeal • One ounce of lard

Making traditional...

Metemgee top of vegetables. Add the onion and ochro.

• Cook until the coconut milk is almost absorbed • If dumplings are used, they should be added about eight minutes before the vegetables are ready ‘FOO FOO’ Ingredients: • Two pounds of hard yams • One pound of cassava Preparation: • Wash, peel and cook vegetables in boiling water • When cooked, do not remove from boiling water or vegetables will become cold and unmanageable • Remove string from cassava; take cassava from water and pound first before adding yam to mortar • Pound to a fine texture until thoroughly mixed • Use some of the same

• One ounce of margarine • One teaspoon of salt • Sugar to taste • Four ounces of dried fruits • One teaspoon of black pepper • Banana leaves for wrapping Preparation: • Grate the coconut and pumpkin • Add all other ingredients • Stir in enough water to make a mixture of dropping consistency • Wipe banana leaves and heat to make pliable • Cut into pieces of approximately eight inches squared; wrap around filling and tie with twine • Place in boiling water and boil for 20-30 minutes.

of Fusiliers. They took possession of the houses, throwing the occupants and their belongings into the streets.

The villagers made several attempts to meet with the governor to discuss their complaints, but he again refused to meet with them.

They then turned to the Honourable Clementson, a member of the Court of Policy (legislature) for help, but this too failed.

To this end, the Africans felt they had no recourse but to initiate protests and unrest.

This meant that those persons

who had bought the confiscated houses were unable to occupy them and live their lives in peace.

In one instance, James Rodney mobilised a huge mob and forcibly took possession of his former property from the new owner.

Attempts were also made to contact the Queen of England herself to express their disapproval; unsurprisingly, that too was in vain.

WOMEN ASSEMBLE As a final straw, the Africans learnt that the governor was expected to travel by

train through the village to inspect the newly extended railway farther up the coast.

Deciding to confront him face to face, a group of women mobilised a delegation and forced the governor to listen to them and resolve the problem once and for all.

Standing their ground, these militant women cornered the governor on the train tracks; they blocked the vehicle from going any farther and locked the wheels of the train with large chains and padlocks.

This course of action left

the governor no choice but to listen to the women. The men joined in moments later and eventually, the governor listened and with immediate effect, all taxes were removed from properties in Buxton.

While the train tracks have been covered by new infrastructure over the years, the footprints of these women are still embedded in the soils of the village and are a constant reminder that the women of Buxton are descendants of bravery and resilience.

(Story by Naomi Parris)

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GNNL EMANCIPATION SUPPLEMENT Monday, August 1, 2022