On this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) honours the strength, resilience and enduring spirit of Indigenous Peoples in Guyana and across the world. We honour the women who have carried life through generations, the elders who have protected knowledge, the leaders who have defended our lands, and the communities that continue to stand firm in the face of challenges that threaten our rights, cultures, territories, and ways of life.
This year, World’s Indigenous Peoples Day is observed under the theme “Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Safeguarding Life and Well-being,” and brings into focus one of the most powerful expressions of Indigenous knowledge. Indigenous midwives are more than healthcare providers. While some are in the formal system, others are custodians of generations of traditional and cultural midwifery practices. Together, they are knowledge holders, teachers, caregivers and custodians of traditions passed from one generation to another.
While there have been some infrastructure improvements and more are being planned, across Guyana, Indigenous communities continue to face significant barriers to accessing quality healthcare. Nevertheless, our healthcare providers continue to serve our people. Their strength, resilience, and determination to serve our people see them cross rivers, savannahs, and mountains to perform their duties. Quite often, risking their own safety.
Many of our communities are located in remote areas where distance, inadequate infrastructure, transportation challenges, shortages of medicines and limited healthcare personnel can determine whether someone receives timely care. Indigenous knowledge and traditional healthcare practices, despite their importance and effectiveness within communities, have too often been marginalised, and it is time that their valuable contributions to the national healthcare system are also recognised.
But the struggle of Indigenous Peoples in Guyana extends far beyond healthcare.
For generations, Indigenous Peoples have fought for recognition and protection of our lands, territories, resources, cultures, languages and right to determine our own future. Communities continue to confront pressures from mining, development, conservation initiatives, carbon markets and other activities affecting Indigenous territories. Too often, decisions that have profound consequences for our communities are made without our full, prior and informed participation and can have consequences for health care and healthy births.
The fight for Indigenous rights is therefore a fight for voice, dignity and self-determination. It is a demand that Indigenous Peoples are not merely consulted after decisions have been made, but are recognised as rights holders whose knowledge, consent and leadership matter.
On International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we do not simply celebrate who we are. We remember what our ancestors fought to protect. We recognise what our communities continue to fight for. And we stand determined to protect what belongs to generations yet unborn.
Our knowledge must live!
Our voices must be heard!
Our rights must be respected!
Our lands must be protected!
Our peoples must thrive!
Happy International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2026. May the ancestors forever guide your path.