Chenapou is a small Amerindian village located in the forested terrain
along the Potaro River, twenty-nine miles upriver from Kaieteur
Falls (three hours by speed boat). It is fairly isolated from the regional
administration (Madhia) and from surrounding Amerindian communities;
the nearest settlement (Karisparu) is a four hour walk and the closest
villages (Paramakatoi etc.) are two days hard trek through the forest.
Surrounded by mountains and forest shade, Chenapou remains cool
year-round and waterfalls in the surrounding area provide for added
recreational relief from the heat.
People
Chenapou has inhabited by approximately five hundred members of
the Patamona Tribe. The Patamonas normally communicate in their
own traditional dialect; however English is commonly spoken. The two dominant religions of the village are Catholicism
and Wesleyan, and Ministers of those religions are often invited
from Georgetown to conduct special services such as marriage ceremonies.
The traditional healer, who is usually called Piai man, is seen
as the healer of many diseases, but in some cases the remedy can
be harmful.
Communal living is one of the assets that Chenapou residents cherish.
During the Guyana Amerindian Heritage Month (September) a colourful
cultural festival is staged where the Patamonas perform the Humming
Bird Dance and the Parishra Dance.
Education
Most of the villagers have received only primary school education. Currently 170 students are enrolled in the primary school. Many of them go to secondary school in Paramakatoi (the closest village). Upon graduation, a few attend Kuru-Kuru College, a youth training center near Georgetown, to learn computer and carpentry skills etc. Those who cannot afford further education usually return to Chenapou to continue in the traditional occupations of their parents
Economic Activities
Hunting, farming, fishing and small-scale mining are the primary
subsistence activities. Locals use bow and arrow to catch birds, animals and
fish. Warishi, a traditional backpack made of vines, is used to
transport their produce. During their leisure time, Patamonas knit
fishing nets, hammocks and slings used to carry their babies.
Food
The staple foods are cassava bread, farine (cassava powder), pepper
pot (a dish made of meat stewed in a special dark sauce.), fish,
wild meat such as labba, wild hog, wild deer, agouti, and birds
such as marudi and powis. Among the local drinks are cassiri and
piwari made from cassava roots.
WWF Ecotourism Project
The aim of this WWF project is to increase the capacity of the Amerindian
people in the village of Chenapou to improve their socio-economic
welfare while continuing their traditional use of the natural resources
in the area. It is also their goal to support the efforts of the
Patamonas to preserve the biodiversity and important ecosystems
in their traditional lands. The first phase of the project to facilitate
transportation was completed in early 2004. The second phase of providing a guest house is nearing completion.
MENZIES LANDING
Location
Menzies Landing is a small settlement located on the Potaro River,
and is an easy twenty minute walk upriver from Kaieteur Falls. Over
the years, Kaieteur Falls, with its airstrip, has become a gateway
to the interior. As the main staging area for upriver passage, Menzies
Landing is used by travellers heading to Chenapou and other communities
as well as by miners and other travelers going on up into the wider Potaro area.
People
This settlement has now become an integral part of the Kaieteur
landscape, providing miners and near-by communities with their basic
needs. One small store sells supplies to miners and Amerindians
up-stream and another establishment buys diamonds and gold. Currently the site is occupied by approximately thirty persons, some having lived there for almost a decade.
Efforts are currently being made to regularize the settlement and
provide alternative means of earning a livelihood through increased
tourism related activities.
