Government should revoke mining concession on so-called Amerindian lands
– outlines research findings over the past nine years
Maps showing key findings presented by Laura George of the APA
Kaieteur News – Among a number of recommendations made at their virtual launch of the Participatory Assessment and Indigenous Peoples Land Tenure Geographic Database in Guyana, the Amerindian People’s Association (APA) has recommended that concessions be revoked, once they are give without prior relief and inform them. consent (FPIC).
The research project that started since 2012 using funding from the European Union and the US Department of International Development, while technical assistance from the Forest People Program and the Rainforest Institute, sought to assess indigenous villages in Regions One, Two , Seven, Eighty-nine and many of the villages were land conflicts.
Key findings based on the research were presented by APA Governance and Rights Coordinator, Laura George.
First, it was said that there was a lack of protection and recognition of the indigenous peoples’ normal tenure systems and a failure to recognize territories collectively. He said that since 1969, indigenous people would have recommended to the Amerindian Lands Commission that their customary lands should be protected. “Our usual lands mean that we have the usual tenure of how we use and manage our lands. For example, the resources we use are shared with several villages within territory for hunting, fishing and farming; to collect resources and we are also able to protect our waterways and sacred lands, ”George noted during her presentation. He further said that failing to recognize their lands was a violation of their rights.
Another key finding was that there was confusion over village title boundaries and mapping problems. There was overlap between mining concessions in some cases where native lands existed and despite government recognition of village titles, some villages still face problems with errors and inconsistencies made in their mapping and boundaries. He added that there was also a failure to include villages such as Kako during the mapping and zoning exercises, saying “An example is that Kako is completely lost on the Guyana Lands Commission and Survey database of native village land titles.”
According to George, it led to conflicts with miners, loggers and runners which resulted in some villages being denied access to land and resources for hunting and fishing. The final finding was said to be that the extractive mining activities damage land that contains a number of cultural heritage sites.
In light of the findings, the APA has consolidated recommendations to counter the issues highlighted.
The first recommendation was to amend the Amerindia Act in accordance with international standards for adequate protection of the rights of indigenous peoples in Guyana. It was also recommended that villages be allowed to hold the title of land jointly over their territory and to ensure that the titles correspond with normal lands.
The APA has recommended an improved land titling process and correction of the mapping errors identified.
In addition, the key recommendation was to address the land conflict by respecting the FPIC and “revoking concessions and protected areas placed inside or overlapping village titles without a FPIC.
It must be noted that the research involved 49 local indigenous researchers.