The Hon. Sydney Allicock, vice-president of Guyana and minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, charmed and inspired a Canadian audience as he delivered the keynote address at the 40^th annual Elders and Traditional Peoples Gathering on February 28 at Trent University in Peterborough, Canada.

The 2016 gathering, entitled Rekindling the Fire: Reconciliation and the Way Forward, honoured the recent historic release of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which redressed the legacy of residential schools in Canada and advanced the process of reconciliation.

The three-day event featured workshops and cultural activities and provided a forum for a large contingent of Canadian Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, including elders, students, faculty, and members of the local community, to explore their role in the reconciliation process.

Mr. Allicock was introduced by Dr. Suresh Narine, a Trent University alumnus from Guyana who is now professor and director of the Trent Centre for Biomaterials Research. Describing Mr. Allicock as the "father of tourism" in Guyana, Prof. Narine said, "His life has been a journey of sharing Guyanese Indigenous people's cultures with the rest of the world in an equitable and proud fashion."  

In his presentation, Mr. Allicock described his government's commitment and reconciliatory approach to the necessary task of uniting all Guyanese peoples and building the country.

"Our government vows to ensure that the Indigenous peoples of Guyana are treated with respect and that our rights enshrined in national and international law are guaranteed. This is the principle aspect of healing and reconciliation for us," he said.

He said the goal of the Ministry of Indigenous People's Affairs was to fulfill President David Granger's dream of one nation, saying that it was a "strategically-positioned government ministry that cuts across all social and economic sectors, connects all administrative regions and seeks to integrate Guyana's Indigenous People with our mainstream population."

He pointed out that, for the first time, there are four Indigenous members of cabinet and that he is the first Indigenous person to be appointed a vice-president in Guyana, evidence of his government's seriousness in recognizing Indigenous people.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Allicock noted the commonality between the Indigenous peoples of Guyana and Canada and called for everyone to work together to make a better world. "Together we will be strong. Unity is strength," he said.