By: Javone Vickerie.
Editorial Contributor
The 17th Annual National Toshaos Conference (NTC), held from May 19–23, 2025, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, unfolded under the theme “Robust Governance for Sustainable Village Development.” On paper, the forum promised to empower Indigenous voices and foster genuine dialogue about the challenges facing Guyana’s Amerindian communities. In practice, however, it served more as a platform for political performance than meaningful engagement.
Toshaos from more than 200 communities across Guyana, gathered with hopes of real discussion, real commitments, and real change. Instead, the conference was dominated by government presentations and carefully curated announcements, leaving little space for unfiltered voices from the communities most affected by poverty, isolation, and historic marginalization.
President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, in a speech heavy on pledges and light on introspection, announced a suite of initiatives, including the issuance of more than 250 firearm licenses to Amerindian communities, plans to expand tourism, and proposed improvements in education and healthcare.
“You can trust us to increase such support in successive People’s Progressive Party Civic governments,” he declared, reinforcing a familiar promise.
But rhetoric alone does not heal wounds or build roads, hospitals, or classrooms.
The Reality on the Ground
While officials spoke of progress, the conditions in many Indigenous villages tell a different story. Healthcare in the hinterland remains woefully inadequate. Clinics are understaffed and understocked. In some cases, women in labour or the critically ill must still travel by river or rugged terrain for hours, sometimes days, to access basic services.
Education is similarly bleak. Promises of better dormitories and digital access have not translated into tangible improvements. Underqualified teachers, crumbling infrastructure, and limited access to secondary education continue to hinder the futures of Indigenous youth.
And then there is the issue of land, the most existential and contentious concern of all. The Amerindian Act of 2006 was supposed to protect Indigenous rights, yet it permits ministerial intervention in land management under vague claims of “public interest.” This legal ambiguity has enabled extractive industries to enter Indigenous territories without proper consultation or compensation. Villages such as Isseneru and Jawalla have seen the ecological and cultural costs of this firsthand.
Despite this, land demarcation and titling, longstanding demands of Indigenous leaders, were brushed aside at the conference with vague reassurances and no concrete timeline. The silence was deafening.
Historical Purpose, Present Failure
The National Toshaos Conference was born out of a vision to bridge the divide between government and Indigenous governance ; a space for collective policy dialogue. But over the years, its original intent has been eroded. It has increasingly become an annual ceremony of compliance, where critical voices are muted and political loyalty is rewarded.
This year’s conference, occurring in the same year of the next general election, was politicized in subtle but unmistakable ways. Praise was reserved for aligned leaders. Dissent was left off the agenda.
This undermines both the credibility of the NTC and the spirit of Indigenous self-determination.
As one Toshao poignantly asked during the week:
“We are the first peoples of this land, but why do we still have to fight for recognition, for water, for roads, for basic respect?”
Security, Social Erosion, and Silenced Truths
Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn did respond to concerns about rising insecurity, announcing new police stations for Kato and Paramakatoi, and a Community Cadet Corps to support local policing. But again, the response was administrative, not transformative.
What of the persistent issues that corrode social life in these communities, like alcohol and drug abuse, domestic violence, lack of employment opportunities for youth? These were mentioned of course, but with no comprehensive plan to combat them. These aren’t peripheral concerns. They are central to the health of Indigenous society. And yet, they remain neglected.
Toward a More Honest Dialogue
If the government is serious about advancing Indigenous communities, then the NTC must evolve. It must shift from spectacle to substance; from a venue of announcements to a space of accountability. That begins with listening, not lecturing.
It means treating land rights as a constitutional matter, not a discretionary one. It means ensuring that health, education, and security in the hinterland receive equal funding and planning as on the coast. It means recognizing that Indigenous communities are not passive recipients of state charity; they are partners, co-architects of Guyana’s future.
The Indigenous peoples of Guyana are not symbols of heritage or token participants in governance. They are citizens with rights, communities with needs, and leaders with vision.
Until the National Toshaos Conference becomes a platform for truth, equity, and action, it will remain what it has become: a missed opportunity. Despite the rhetoric, the real issues confronting Guyana’s Indigenous peoples remain unaddressed!
