The Indigenous World 2026: Guyana

Written on 22 April 2026. Posted in Guyana

Indigenous Peoples – or Amerindians as they are identified both collectively and in legislation – number some 78,500 in the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, or approximately 10.5% of the total population of 746,955 (2012 census). They are the fourth largest ethnic group, East Indians being the largest (40%), followed by African Guyanese (29%) and self-identified “Mixed” (20%). The Chinese, Portuguese and Whites constitute tiny minorities. Amerindians refer to these non-Indigenous people as “coastlanders” since most of them are settled on the coast.

The Amerindians belong to nine Indigenous Nations, based on language. The Warao, Lokono Arawak and Carib (Karinya) live on or near the coast. The Akawaio, Arekuna, Patamona, Makushi, Wapichan and Wai Wai live in villages scattered throughout the interior.

Amerindians form the majority of the population of the interior, in some regions constituting as much as 86% of the population. The forest resources/timber on government-titled Indigenous lands (Amerindian Village Lands) are fully under the managerial authority of the Amerindian title holders according to law, while minerals in the same lands ultimately remain under national government authority. In practice, the political administrations and technical agencies are negligent when enforcing the law. Two Amerindian Village Councils – Isseneru and Chinese Landing – have successfully appealed to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for precautionary measures against diminished human rights through continued illegal gold mining and environmental damage, albeit still with no effective government response. The poorly regulated and government-subsidised exploitation of these resources by multinationals, illegal miners and loggers is one of the challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples. Their primary concern is therefore to achieve full recognition and implementation of Indigenous land rights so that they can defend their ancestral territories from this unwanted exploitation.

The Independence Agreement from the United Kingdom (1965) included a land titling process. Recommendations regarding this process from the Amerindian Lands Commission (1967-1969) have never been fully taken up by successive governments. Requests made for collective district titles have been dismissed, resulting in the fragmentation of traditional territories into small areas under individual village titles. The Preamble to the Constitution of Guyana recognises “the special place in our nation of the indigenous peoples” and recognises “their right as citizens to land and security and to their promulgation of policies for their communities”. Guyana endorsed the UNDRIP in 2007 and, through its membership of the Organisation of American States (OAS), the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2016.

This article is part of the 40^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

Inconsistent and defective implementation of legislation affecting Amerindians

2025 was a year with no changes but a renewed promise by the re-elected Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP) to thoroughly revise the defective Amerindian Act (cap. 29:01, 2006).^[1] A greater problem is the inconsistent combined application of the Amerindian and Mining legislation in relation to long-delayed titling of Amerindian Village Lands (AVLs). A few land titles or extensions to titled areas were issued during 2025^[2] but it is unclear in the government reports if these were for the interim or final stages of a complicated process. Press accounts documenting the unchecked power wielded by the government vis-à-vis Amerindian institutions are ignored.^[3]

There were also persistent arguments about the legality of various gold-mining operations on AVLs legally controlled by the Amerindian communities.^[4] The locally-elected Amerindian Village Council (AVC) of Jawalla continued to assert that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) was using maps with the wrong boundaries and thus incorrectly issuing/renewing mining permits over AVLs to miners without the prior agreement of the AVC.^[5] The AVC for Kanapang asserted that, in 2016, the Minister for Amerindian Affairs had agreed, with the GGMC and AVC, to allow mining by Brazilian nationals who were blood-relatives of families in Kanapang.^[6] However, in 2025, without presenting any legal document such as a search or arrest warrant, a combined force of GGMC staff and the Guyana Defence Force arrested 30 such miners^[7] following a similar warrantless raid at Chiung Mouth a month earlier.^[8]

A halt to all gold mining in the AVL of Chinese Landing was ordered by the government on 31 July 2023,^[9] with no legal backing, as reported in previous Indigenous World editions (2024, 2025). The closure continued in 2025 with no attempt by the government either to justify the stoppage or to lift the ban. The deliberate block by government on the main livelihoods of this village has forced most of the men to look for jobs outside the village.^[10] A new lawyer contracted by the AVC found that papers were missing from the records in the High Court of the long-running legal dispute over improperly-issued and -renewed mining concessions held by a non-Indigenous gold miner in 1998. ^[11]

Revival of training and early business support for Amerindians

In the usual way in Guyana, the incoming political administration closed all social development programmes of the previous government in 2020, including the popular and successful Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS; see Indigenous World 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022). However, the PPP/C administration then re-launched what is, in effect, the same training and business incentive programme under a new name, the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP) for people 17-35 years old.^[12] Some 500 Amerindians have participated, including 120 for small engine repairs and 110 trained to drive agricultural tractors.^[13]

A contract was awarded by the representative National Toshaos Council (NTC) for a new document to explain Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) guidelines,^[14] even though FPIC has been a central feature of the Amerindian Land Titling project and included in the main project guidelines since April 2017.^[15]

Whole-country access to Internet and large investment in village infrastructure

Most Amerindian communities, some 253 in 2025, had Internet access in 2025 using solar-powered receivers of satellite signals from Low Earth Orbit WiFiGY.^[16] This substantial effort should enable country-wide access to the lessons provided by the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL programme).^[17] The government claims that 135,000 hinterland people now have Information and Communication Technology (ICT) access. One persistent problem is the slow or very slow payment from central government funds for the village labour that is contributed to construct the village ICT hubs.

Before and during the annual meeting of the NTC (a government-run event for elected village leaders) in May 2025, there were the usual government claims about money being spent on the communities: for health posts, 400 residential houses,^[18] roads, schools (nearly 90% of Amerindians have access to secondary education),^[19] water tanks and 80 wells.^[20] It is difficult to ascertain what, if anything, has actually been initiated or completed, as the process of auditing is selective and takes many years. This often leads to frustration for communities.

It is also a worry that the programme for building schools does not seem to have learned any lessons from the fatal dormitory fire at the Mahdia secondary school in 2023.^[21] Instead, the government has charged a teenage Amerindian girl with 20 counts of murder, ascribing blame for the Mahdia fire solely to her.^[22] The government dissuaded the Private Sector Commission from distributing EUR 123,000 to the dead children’s families.^[23] Attempts by the families of the 20 dead to sue the government for negligence (warnings of unsafe construction noted during Fire Service inspections were not acted upon) have stalled in the High Court,^[24] as is usual with Amerindian court cases against the government.

While most infrastructural work is carried out by non-Indigenous coastlander contractors, the 21 Wapichan communities united under the South Rupununi Development Council have formed their own enterprise to bid for such contracts to build schools, roads and bridges. The government has agreed to support this venture by supplying machinery.^[25] This support appears to come from the EUR 4.1 million for hinterland roads that are to be built with community labour, announced by President Mohamed Irfaan Ali.^[26]

Continued government-directed spending derived from income from forest-based carbon credits

In preparation for the next tranche of forest-based carbon credits, the Winrock International ART/TREES programme sent AENOR, a new auditor, to check that the rural consultation requirements were being fulfilled. However, the only question asked of the interviewed sample of Amerindian communities in 2025 was: “Has there been a government consultation on the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030?”, a question irrelevant to the ART/TREES programme (pers. comm. Toshao Nikita Miller). The Amerindian Peoples Association noted the lack of FPIC in Guyana in its submissions to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.^[27] It is not clear from government announcements how much of the budgeted spend in Amerindian communities (EUR 19.9 million) is derived from the sale of the forest-based carbon credits and how much from the Consolidated Fund.^[28]

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) conducted at least one follow-up mission to Guyana on the precautionary measures it has issued for some Amerindian communities affected by illegal gold mining on AVLs and associated degradation of human rights [pers. comm. IACHR]. No formal government response has been published.

2025 was a year of national elections. In Guyana it is customary for the incumbent administration to spend government funds on party-political electioneering. The distribution of funds as “gifts” rather than as government items means that the communities have even less influence over how the money is spent.

2026 is not an election year, and government attention towards Amerindian communities is likely to reduce. However, the continued strong performance of the new political party (WIN, We Invest in Nationhood) in challenging the incumbent Peoples’ Progressive Party is stimulating interest in hinterland villages not closely linked to the PPP as WIN have made an effort to visit these communities and genuinely listen to villagers’ needs. This is in contrast to the incumbent party, which tells villagers what the government has chosen to do for them. This interest is also a risk, however, because the government discriminates against those villages that are not visibly aligned with the PPP. This discrimination has become more visible following the national elections in September 2025 and demonstrates a notably more authoritarian style of government.

Janette Bulkan is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, Canada. She was previously Coordinator of the Amerindian Research Unit, University of Guyana (1985 to 2000) and Senior Social Scientist at the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development, Guyana (2000 to 2003). Janette carries out long-term collaborative research with Indigenous Peoples and local communities in Guyana. Her research interests are forest governance, Indigenous natural resource management systems, forest concession systems and third-party forest certification systems.

John Palmer is a senior associate in tropical and international forestry with the Forest Management Trust, an ENGO based in Montana, USA. His experience of Guyana dates back to 1974, including UK-funded consultancies on forest finance and Iwokrama in the 1990s, and studies from 2006 onwards on the history of and many illegalities in the forest and mining sectors. Guyana also figures in his current work on certification standards for quality of forest management.

This article is part of the 40^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

Notes and references

^[1] Kaieteur News. (10 September 2025). Govt. to further advance Amerindian land titling programme. Kaieteur News. https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/09/10/govt-to-further-advance-amerindian-land-titling-programme/

^[2] Department of Public Information. (06 May 2025). 16,174 Amerindians now have land security since 2020. Department of Public Information. https://dpi.gov.gy/16174-amerindians-now-have-land-security-since-2020/; Department of Public Information. (15 May 2025). Parabara to receive land title. Department of Public Information. https://dpi.gov.gy/parabara-to-receive-land-title/; Department of Public Information. (24 May 2025). President Ali announces transformative initiatives for Amerindian communities. Department of Public Information. https://dpi.gov.gy/president-ali-announces-transformative-initiatives-for-amerindian-communities/

^[3] Stabroek News. (31 May 2025). Unchecked power at NTC Conference. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/05/31/opinion/editorial/unchecked-power-at-ntc-conference/; Stabroek News. (14 July 2025). Unauthorized entry into Amerindian villages. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/07/14/opinion/editorial/unauthorized-entry-into-amerindian-villages/

^[4] Stabroek News. (11 April 2025). Mining permissions and indigenous communities. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/04/11/opinion/editorial/mining-permissions-and-indigenous-communities; Stabroek News. (22 May 2025). Toshaos raise concerns over mining. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/05/22/news/guyana/toshaos-raise-concerns-over-mining/print/

^[5] Kaieteur News. (23 February 2025). Upper Mazaruni District Council calls on Govt. to stop illegal mining at Jawalla Village. Kaieteur News. https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/02/23/upper-mazaruni-district-council-calls-on-govt-to-stop-illegal-mining-at-jawalla-village/ Stabroek News. (23 March 2025). Mining expansion. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/03/23/opinion/editorial/mining-expansion/; Ba, K. (06 April 2025). Lands and Survey examining boundary dispute between Jawalla, miners. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/04/06/news/guyana/lands-and-survey-examining-boundary-dispute-between-jawalla-miners/; Kaieteur News. (19 May 2025). Jawalla residents accuse govt of using ‘wrong’ map to seize titled lands. Kaieteur News. https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/05/19/jawalla-residents-accuse-govt-of-using-wrong-map-to-seize-titled-lands/; Ba, K. (01 June 2025). Jawalla, Paramakatoi land issues not addressed at NTC conference. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/06/02/news/guyana/jawalla-paramakatoi-land-issues-not-addressed-at-ntc-conference/

^[6] Stabroek News. (15 November 2025). Gov’t agencies crack down on illegal mining in Ireng area. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/11/15/news/guyana/govt-agencies-crack-down-on-illegal-mining-in-ireng-area/

^[7] Stabroek News. (17 December 2025). Kanapang council moves to court over police, army crackdown on illegal mining, mass arrests. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/12/17/news/guyana/kanapang-council-moves-to-court-over-police-army-crackdown-on-illegal-mining-mass-arrests/; Kaieteur News. (17 December 2025). Kanapang Village takes legal action against state over arrest, detention of 27 Brazilian miners. Kaieteur News. https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/12/17/kanapang-village-takes-legal-action-against-state-over-arrest-detention-of-27-brazilian-miners/

^[8] Stabroek News. (15 November 2025). Gov’t agencies crack down on illegal mining in Ireng area. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/11/15/news/guyana/govt-agencies-crack-down-on-illegal-mining-in-ireng-area/

^[9] Department of Public Information. (03 August 2023). Government issuing temporary halt to mining in Chinese Landing –Plans for interventions continue directly with the Village Council. Department of Public Information. https://dpi.gov.gy/government-issuing-temporary-halt-to-mining-in-chinese-landing-plans-for-interventions-continue-directly-with-the-village-council/

^[10] Anonymous. (18 February 2025). Chinese Landing job market remains hollow with only small scale mining to sustain families and this opportunity is continuously being denied. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/02/18/opinion/letters/chinese-landing-job-market-remains-hollow-with-only-small-scale-mining-to-sustain-families-and-this-opportunity-is-continuously-being-denied/

^[11] Personal communication Toshao Nikita Miller

^[12] Department of Public Information. (08 January 2025). CSOs programme continues to reap high reward. Department of Public Information. https://dpi.gov.gy/csos-programme-continues-to-reap-high-reward/

^[13] Guyana Standard. (10 January 2025). More than 500 hinterland youths empowered with various skill sets. Guyana Standard. https://www.guyanastandard.com/2025/01/10/more-than-500-hinterland-youths-empowered-with-various-skill-sets/

^[14] Kaieteur News. (25 January 2025). NTC contracts consultant to develop draft of Free, Prior & Informed consent guidelines for Indigenous peoples. Kaieteur News. https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/01/25/ntc-contracts-consultant-to-develop-draft-of-free-prior-informed-consent-guidelines-for-indigenous-peoples/

^[15] Government of Guyana, & UNDP. (2017). A guideline for Amerindian land titling in Guyana. GRIF/ALT. https://www.un-redd.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/FINAL%20Guideline%20for%20ALT%20Guyana_Adopted%2028042017.pdf

^[16] Department of Public Information. (01 December 2025). WIFIGY connects the nation: every hinterland, riverain, and remote community now online for the first time. Department of Public Information. https://dpi.gov.gy/wifigy-connects-the-nation-every-hinterland-riverain-and-remote-community-now-online-for-the-first-time/

^[17] Department of Public Information. (07 January 2025). Bridging the digital divide: 146 ICT Hubs completed in the Hinterland. Department of Public Information. https://dpi.gov.gy/bridging-the-digital-divide-146-ict-hubs-completed-in-the-hinterland/

^[18] Cuffie, L. (15 May 2025). Sustainable housing expands in Guyana’s hinterland. Department of Public Information. https://dpi.gov.gy/sustainable-housing-expands-in-guyanas-hinterland/

^[19] Department of Public Information. (07 May 2025). Nearly 90 per cent access to secondary education for hinterland regions achieved – Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett. Department of Public Information. https://dpi.gov.gy/nearly-90-per-cent-access-to-secondary-education-for-hinterland-regions-achieved-ambassador-rodrigues-birkett/

^[20] Department of Public Information. (21 May 2025). Over 80 new wells to be constructed in hinterland communities this year. Department of Public Information. https://dpi.gov.gy/over-80-new-wells-to-be-constructed-in-hinterland-communities-this-year/

^[21] Changlee, J. (01 April 2025). Those in high office cannot hide behind ignorance of the facts. Kaieteur News. https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/04/01/those-in-high-office-cannot-hide-behind-ignorance-of-the-facts/; Changlee, J. (18 July 2025). It seems that the lessons from the Mahdia Tragedy have not been learnt nor implemented in new schools’ construction. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/07/18/opinion/letters/it-seems-that-the-lessons-from-the-mahdia-tragedy-have-not-been-learnt-nor-implemented-in-new-schools-construction/; Guyana chapter in IWGIA 2024: pages 385-8.

^[22] Stabroek News. (20 February 2025). Girl committed to stand trial over Mahdia dorm fire deaths. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/02/20/news/guyana/girl-committed-to-stand-trial-over-mahdia-dorm-fire-deaths/

^[23] Stabroek News. (25 May 2025). Private Sector Commission collected $30m for Mahdia dorm fire relief but didn’t spend it. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/05/25/news/guyana/private-sector-commission-collected-30m-for-mahdia-dorm-fire-relief-but-didnt-spend-it/

^[24] Stabroek News. (11 June 2025). Court to rule Sept 9th on state’s bid to strike out compensation case brought by parents of Mahdia fire victims. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/06/11/news/guyana/court-to-rule-sept-9th-on-states-bid-to-strike-out-compensation-case-brought-by-parents-of-mahdia-fire-victims/; Singh, M. (12 June 2025). It is time our Amerindian brothers and sisters stand up for these Mahdia children. Stabroek News. https://www.stabroeknews.com/2025/06/12/opinion/letters/it-is-time-our-amerindian-brothers-and-sisters-stand-up-for-these-mahdia-children/

^[25] Department of Public Information. (24 September 2025). Villages join forces to shape South Rupununi’s infrastructure growth. Department of Public Information. https://dpi.gov.gy/villages-join-forces-to-shape-south-rupununis-infrastructure-growth/

^[26] President Ali announces transformative initiatives for Amerindian communities. Department of Public Information. https://dpi.gov.gy/president-ali-announces-transformative-initiatives-for-amerindian-communities/

^[27] Kaieteur News. (25 April 2025). Amerindian group tells UN forum Indigenous Peoples in Guyana have no ownership of resources in titled lands. Kaieteur News. https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/04/25/amerindian-group-tells-un-forum-indigenous-peoples-in-guyana-have-no-ownership-of-resources-in-titled-lands/

^[28] Kaieteur News. (23 May 2025). No increase in LCDS money for Amerindians this year. Kaieteur News. https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/05/23/no-increase-in-lcds-money-for-amerindians-this-year/

Tags: Global governance