The Guyanese Organization of Indigenous Peoples (GOIP) is appealing to members of the public to avoid using the term “buck” or “buck people” to refer to Amerindians. The group said such descriptions not only reflect a lack of respect but is also racist.
For readers who are unfamiliar with the history of this term, it can be traced back to the Dutch colonizers. It was used back then to describe someone who is either incompetent or lacks basic reasoning. Over the years, the term has been used to brandish people of Amerindian descent as not only uneducated but of a lesser caste.
President of GOIP, Colin Klautky, said it is an insensitive and obnoxious stereotype, adding that indigenous people have made exceptional contributions to society in different sectors including politics.
He believes it is time for indigenous people to have the respect they deserve.
The group leader said, “…people will say that’s not a serious thing, that indigenous Guyanese don’t really suffer racism.” He noted that while the indigenous community remains silent, there is also an emotional effect to the use of the word, especially since now, more indigenous people know the origin and meaning of the word.
“Our people are scared to complain. We are not sure who we should complain to and many times when we make complaints…they are hardly acknowledged and if acknowledged, they will say thank you and that’s the end of it,” Klautky added.
But it is not just complaining about an issue. The organisation has dispatched complaints to the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC). He said however that the commission does not possess the power of enforcement against this issue.
Additionally, he said there is also the issue of objectification and racial profiling of indigenous women.
“We are up against a wall and some brief examples of racist profiling includes the fact that our indigenous females tend to be targeted for prostitution and trafficking in persons… this is unacceptably high in Region Seven in particular,” he said.
As he continues to lobby for greater respect for Guyana’s indigenous people, he called for their to be pragmatic solutions to address these and other acts of discrimination.
