First Peoples pray for parliamentarians

Carisa Lee

Reporter

carisa.lee@cnc3.co.tt

As the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community remembered their ancestors yesterday, Chief Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez made an entreaty to the forefathers, praying to them for this country’s parliamentarians.

“We pray for the leaders of the nation, our Prime Minister and his ministers, the Members of Parliament, members of the Opposition,” Bharath-Hernandez said.

“All the parliamentarians who deliberate to make Trinidad and Tobago a better place, continue oh lord to bless them all, inspire them, and guide them through your wisdom.”

The ritual, which was part of the Heritage Week for the Santa Rosa First People’s Community, took place at the Red House in Port-of-Spain.

The Red House, the building where politicians debate on proposed laws for this country, has special significance for the First Peoples in T&T.In 2013, the remains of at least 60 First Peoples were discovered buried there during rehabilitation work on the building and were re-interred there in 2019.

According to the National Library and Information System Authority, over 7,000 years ago, the ancestors of the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community journeyed from South America to Trinidad, which they referred to as “Cairi” (the island).

The Santa Rosa Amerindian Community was established in 1976 and October 14 has been recognised as First Peoples Day.

Arima MP Pennelope Beckles commended the Santa Rosa First Peoples for their advocacy to ensure everyone remembered their existence.

Beckles said she was at an Inter-American Development Bank annual meeting in Canada, where part of that meeting was dedicated to indigenous peoples and the First Peoples of T&T was one of the groups celebrated.

“There, I was very proud to see that they used the Santa Rosa First Peoples banner with the picture of the chief of the Santa Rosa First Peoples on the day that they celebrated Indigenous people of the world,” she said.

The MP acknowledged that the Santa Rosa First Peoples were still advocating for more but gave credit to the chief and his members for the work they had done.

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