By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — As Emancipation month observances draw to a close, two prominent Guyanese historians and academics—Dr. Nigel Westmaas and Kizzie Kitt-Peters—are urging the Government of Guyana to take an active, institutional role in restoring and preserving national cultural monuments.
Speaking in an exclusive joint interview with HGP Nightly News, the scholars emphasized that safeguarding historic structures and public monuments is essential to preserving national identity, countering cultural erosion, and passing on accurate historical knowledge to future generations.
Educating the Public and Enforcing State Custodianship
Historian and university lecturer Kizzie Kitt-Peters stressed that monuments are not merely decorative public art, but tangible records of historical struggles, emancipation, and cultural milestones that require formal protection:
- Public Education: Fostering community appreciation and public awareness regarding the history behind monuments to deter vandalism and neglect.
- Direct State Intervention: Establishing dedicated state funding and maintenance schedules to systematically care for national heritage sites.
“We have to teach our people the importance of these historical sites, and then government must step in and take care of those monuments,” Kitt-Peters stated. “Preservation is essential not only for cultural enrichment, but also for fostering social identity and enhancing global appreciation of our historical legacy.”
Beyond Restoration: Subventions, Maintenance, and Legal Protections
Associate Professor of Africana Studies Dr. Nigel Westmaas emphasized that heritage protection must go beyond reactive, one-off restorations to include long-term institutional frameworks:
- Continuous Maintenance: Ongoing physical upkeep, structural stabilization, and the engagement of local visual artists and conservators to properly clean and maintain historical works.
- Grants and Subventions: Providing direct state subventions and matching conservation grants to non-governmental organizations, heritage trusts, and civic groups dedicated to historical preservation.
- Legal Protections: Enacting and enforcing stronger statutory safeguards under the National Trust of Guyana to protect designated heritage landmarks from commercial encroachment and environmental decay.
“Education is key to maintaining monuments, but you have to get government support. You need to brush them down, get an artist to clean and restore them,” Dr. Westmaas noted. “You need sustainable subventions—whether from NGOs, the community, or the state—to ensure these sites remain standing for our children.”
The historians concluded that investing in the physical preservation of Guyana’s monuments ensures that the sacrifices, cultural contributions, and triumphs of ancestors remain permanently anchored in the country’s collective memory.
