Santa Rosa First Peoples celebrate recognition day

The Santa Rosa First Peoples Community will be celebrating the First Peoples Day of Recognition and Heritage Week of Activities from October 12-14. The theme for this year’s activities is Respect and Honour to the First Peoples.

The Day of Recognition was granted in 2000. It is not a public holiday as for other ethnicities, but is to bring awareness to the general population of the presence of Indigenous/First Peoples in Trinidad and Tobago, said a media release.

This is the 21st year of the celebration of the First Peoples Day of Recognition and Heritage Week of Activities. However, due to covid19 restrictions, the community is unable to do major public events as observed in the past, the release said.

This year’s programme will include:

* Ritual at the Red House in homage to the ancestors – October 12, 10 am

* Water Ritual at the Arima River – October 13, 9 am

* Smoke ceremony at the Hyarima Monument - October 14 - the Day of Recognition, 7 am

In 1990 The Santa Rosa First Peoples Community was recognised as “representative of the Indigenous Amerindians of TT.” Since then, the Day of Recognition was granted in the year 2000, and in 2008. “The design of the Order of the Republic of TT acknowledged the contribution of the first inhabitants of TT,” the release said.

These honours have served to increase the visibility of the First Peoples. However, since the Day of Recognition is not a public holiday many sectors of the population are unaware of the significance of the day, the release said.