Paramakatoi is an Amerindian community in the

Potaro-Siparuni Potaro-Siparuni (Region 8) is a region of Guyana. It borders the region of Cuyuni-Mazaruni to the north, the regions of Upper Demerara-Berbice and East Berbice-Corentyne to the east, the region of Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo to the south and ...

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 ...

, located in the

Pacaraima Mountains The Pacaraima or Pakaraima Mountains (, ) are a mountain range primarily in southwestern Guyana, and into northern Brazil and eastern Venezuela. Geography The range extends from west to east for over . Its highest peak is Mount Roraima at above ...

. With an altitude of , it is east of Kurukabaru.

History

The Akawaio and Patamona people are the most prominent groups in the area. Their communities had a deep connection with the land for their reliance on hunting, fishing, and subsistence farming. The village name comes from the name of the nearby creek, which is surrounded by Palamaka plants, and "toi" means savannah in the Patamona language. "Palamakatoi" became "Paramakatoi" when missionaries arrived in the area. The colonial period saw the influence of the Dutch and later the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

in the area, but much of the region's interior, including places like Paramakatoi, remained relatively isolated from European settlement. Paramakatoi's development as a more established settlement is closely tied to the expansion of government and infrastructure in the 20th century. The community saw the establishment of roads, schools and health services in the 1950s and 1960s. In modern times, Paramakatoi remains a small but significant administrative and cultural center for the local Indigenous communities. It serves as a hub for surrounding villages and is part of the government's efforts to provide services to remote areas.

Description

Paramakatoi functions as a regional centre for the

catchment area A catchment area in human geography, is the area from which a location, such as a city, service or institution, attracts a population that uses its services and economic opportunities. Catchment areas may be defined based on from where people are ...

. It is the largest and most developed of the

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 ...

communities in the region, and is home to the Patamona,

Macushi The Macushi (''Makuusi'', ) are an Indigenous people living in the borderlands of southern Guyana, northern Brazil in the state of Roraima, and in an eastern part of Venezuela. Identification The Macushi are also known as the Macusi, Macussi, ...

and

Wapishana The Wapishana or Wapichan (or Wapisiana, Wapitxana, Vapidiana, Wapixana) are an Indigenous group found in the Roraima area of northern Brazil and southern Guyana. Location Currently the Wapishana are located in the State of Roraima, Brazil, nor ...

tribes. It has a secondary school and has participated in the Hinterland Employment Youth Service (HEYS) programme since 2016. The village has a processing factory for

sun-dried tomato Sun-dried tomatoes are ripe tomatoes that lose most of their water content after spending a majority of their drying time in the sun. These tomatoes are usually pre-treated with sulfur dioxide or salt before being placed in the sun in order to im ...

products. In 2019, Paramakatoi hosted a debate held in the Patamona language, in observance of the

International Year of Indigenous Languages The International Year of Indigenous Languages was a United Nations observance in 2019 that aimed to raise awareness of the consequences of the endangerment of Indigenous languages across the world, with an aim to establish a link between langu ...

Transport

Paramakatoi is served by the Paramakatoi Airport.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Populated places in Potaro-Siparuni Indigenous villages in Guyana