Kabakaburi is an
Amerindian
In the Americas, Indigenous peoples comprise the two continents' pre-Columbian inhabitants, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with them in the 15th century, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with the pre-Columbian population of ...
village in the
Pomeroon-Supenaam
Pomeroon-Supenaam (Region 2) is a region of Guyana.
It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the north, the region of Essequibo Islands-West Demerara to the east, the region of Cuyuni-Mazaruni to the south and the region of Barima-Waini to the west. Po ...
Region of
Guyana
Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...
on the
Pomeroon River, from its mouth. The village was founded in 1845 by
William Henry Brett on the location where Fort Durban used to be.
The name of the village is Arawak for "the place with the itching bush." The "bush" referred to is a wild
arum
''Arum'' is a genus of plants in the Araceae family; they are native to Europe, northern Africa, and western and central Asia, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region. Frequently called arum lilies, they are not closely ...
(''
Dieffenbachia
''Dieffenbachia'' , commonly known as dumb cane or leopard lily, is a genus of tropical flowering plants in the family (biology), family Araceae. It is native to the New World Tropics from Mexico and the West Indies south to Argentina. Some spec ...
paludicola'') having irritating juice. The Arawak named this plant "jotoro", and named the place where it grew "kabo kabura." Over time, this became Kabakaburi.
The village has four subdivisions; Macaseema, Waiwaro, the Mission (Kabakaburi), and Aripiaco.
History
According to Brett's travelogue, Kabakaburi (Cabacaburi) was a hill owned by the Arawak and established as a settlement for wood-cutting. It was abandoned in 1843 until purchased by the first bishop of Guiana for use as a mission, and the village was settled by
Kalina people
The Kalina, also known as the Caribs or mainland Caribs and by several other names, are an Indigenous people native to the northern coastal areas of South America. Today, the Kalina live largely in villages on the rivers and coasts of Venezuela ...
in addition to Arawak. In 1858, the chapel Brett founded at the confluence of the Pomeroon and the Arapaiaco Rivers has deteriorated so much that it was moved to high ground at Kabakaburi.
Economy
The villagers are mostly
Arawak
The Arawak are a group of Indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. The term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to different Indigenous groups, from the Lokono of South America to the Taíno (Island Arawaks), w ...
and
Carib. Many of them work in the area's logging and mining industries.
As many as 60% of the residents rely on the logging industry and agriculture is challenged by regular flooding of the Pomeroon River.
The Kabakaburi Handicraft Association was founded in 1994 for community members, including training and a location for production, storage, and selling of handicraft items.
Services
Kabakaburi has a primary school, health centre, and sports hall. A new library, located in the Kabakaburi Primary School, was created in 2020.
The village mainly relies on gas-run generators for electricity and a 65 kW lighting system that was installed in 2012.
References
External links
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{{Settlements in Guyana
Populated places in Pomeroon-Supenaam
Indigenous villages in Guyana
Kalina