Indigenous Youth Advocate Tatiana Norton Calls for Greater Investment in Hinterland Education
By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News
As Guyana prepares to observe Indigenous Inheritance Month on September 1, 2025, Nightly News spotlights 21-year-old civil engineering student and indigenous youth advocate Tatiana Norton from Waramuri. Norton, a member of the Guyana National Youth Council and a youth influencer under the Ministry of Human Services, is determined to use her voice to break stigma against the nation’s first peoples and advocate for equality in leadership and policy.
In an exclusive interview, Norton underscored the urgent need for better educational infrastructure in hinterland communities, stressing that many students are still forced to leave their villages in search of opportunities on the coast.
“It’s an investment that needs to be made for indigenous youth — not just this generation but future generations,” Norton said, adding that standardized facilities will empower young people to remain in their hometowns with confidence.
The youth leader also spoke candidly about the stereotypes and discrimination faced by indigenous peoples. She emphasized that young women in particular must be empowered to pursue careers beyond traditional roles, highlighting her own experience as one of the few indigenous women in civil engineering.
Through STEM workshops and outreach programs in riverain communities, Norton plans to encourage more indigenous youth to enter science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.
“We can break barriers, challenge stereotypes, and create new opportunities. Indigenous youth can do far more than what society has labeled us as,” she affirmed.
As a future civil engineer, Norton intends to contribute directly to the structural development of hinterland communities, ensuring they are no longer left behind in Guyana’s national progress.
Antonio Dey, HGP Nightly News
