Late Carib Queen Jennifer Cassar was among those honoured as the First Peoples Recognition Week celebrations began at the Lopinot Heritage Site, where the First Peoples of Santa Rosa remembered their ancestors with a water ritual.
Cassar, who was crucial to the First Peoples obtaining their public holiday last year, died in July. Yesterday was the first time in 18-year history of Heritage Week celebrations that she was not present.
"We were a bit saddened by it, I mean last year she was with us in all events. This is the first year that she is not present but life goes on. She has gone to great beyond, we prayed for her this morning.
“She has joined the ancestors. She is speaking for us at another level," chief Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez told those gathered at the event.
The Carib chief confirmed a replacement for Cassar had not been decided but said the deadline for the nominations for the new queen was last Sunday (October 7). He said the group had not gone through the nominations, but would likely do so then go through the process of interviews following the current celebrations.
The water ritual in Lopinot yesterday was the first major event of the week of celebrations, which will culminate in the recognition day on October 14. The water ritual shifts location every year. Last year it was celebrated in Moruga.
"It is a water ritual whereby we respect the elements of nature because they are the main elements for our survival. We see the manifestation of God through nature.
“We come to pay our respects through our prayers. We offer flowers, we offer the food of our people through the cassava, through the corn," said Bharath Hernandez.
Bharath-Hernandez said while there had been an increase in people approaching the community attempting to figure out their heritage, it was still difficult to quantify how many people of Amerindian heritage were in the country.
"We lobbied also to be included in the national census. The last census we had people weren't aware that they could classify themselves as First Peoples. They still classify themselves as mixed or other," said the chief.