Campbelltown is an

Amerindian The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the A ...

village in the

Potaro-Siparuni Potaro-Siparuni (Region 8) is a region of Guyana. Venezuela claims the majority of the Region located west of the Essequibo River as part of Guayana Esequiba. It borders the region of Cuyuni-Mazaruni to the north, the regions of Upper Demerara- ...

Region of Guyana, north of

Mahdia Mahdia ( ar, المهدية ') is a Tunisian coastal city with 62,189 inhabitants, south of Monastir and southeast of Sousse. Mahdia is a provincial centre north of Sfax. It is important for the associated fish-processing industry, as well as w ...

. The village has been named after Stephen Campbell, the first

member of Parliament in Guyana.

Overview

Campbelltown is managed by the village Captain (Toshao), a Vice Captain and five councillors. This community has a population of about 300 persons, being Amerindians and mixed people of part Amerindian descent. Most residents of this village are members of the

Patamona The Patamona are an Amerindian people native to the Pakaraima Mountains of Guyana and northern Brazil.Patamon ...

tribe, but the village has become mixed with

Arawak The Arawak are a group of indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. Specifically, the term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to the Lokono of South America and the Taíno, who historically lived in the Great ...

and Carib tribes. There has been some degree of integration between the Amerindians and Afro-Guyanese and the Brazilian miners. The village has merged with neighbouring

, and is not listed separately on the census. Even though Mahdia has a town status, Campbelltown is still governed by the Toshao. Farming is the main economic activity and

subsistence farming Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow food crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements, with little or no su ...

is practised by the residents on farmlands miles away from the village. Some of the Amerindian men are employed as guides, gold miners, labourers and drivers. Some women from this area work at the Regional Office, the schools and some of the stores in the Madhia community. Most of the other residents hunt, fish and farm for their livelihood. The women reported that men live in the mining camps. This has resulted in several families being headed by women. There are no industries, shops or businesses in this community. There is a community ground and an Amerindian hostel which provides free accommodation for Amerindian miners and families who are in-transit. The community has a well which is powered by a

windpump A windpump is a type of windmill which is used for pumping water. Windpumps were used to pump water since at least the 9th century in what is now Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. The use of wind pumps became widespread across the Muslim world an ...

. Residents usually depend on rainwater and creek water whenever the well malfunctions. Campbelltown has no other utility service. This community is accessible by road from Mahdia and by trail linked to the Bartica/Potaro road.

References

{{Settlements in Guyana Indigenous villages in Guyana Populated places in Potaro-Siparuni