Shulinab Village in the South-Central Rupununi Savannahs, Region 9

First Published: 4th of September, 2020 by Patrick Carpen

Shulinab is an Indigenous village located in South Central Rupununi, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo, Region Nine, Guyana, South America. The village was named after a palm tree called Shaorai. It is situated between the right bank of Sawariwao river and to the left bank of Sawarab creek. It is bordered to the eastern and northern boundaries by the Kanuku mountains.

The community is home to some 500 persons and is the only Makushi speaking village in the South Rupununi. Before, the village homesteads were up in the mountains at Miri King (Lucas Creek), Bairii wao, and Karan wao.

The village is managed by a leader (Toshao) and a team of councillors which make up the Village Council. The current Toshao, Nicholas Fredericks, is the Chairman of the National Toshaos Council (NTC), the highest representative body for Amerindians in Guyana.

The main economic activities of Shulinab Village are livestock rearing, subsistence farming of cassava, peanuts, and ground provisions; fishing and hunting, craft, and wood works. The community also has several services such as Community Centre, Health Centre, Village Office, and churches.

There are two satellite communities next to the main village. There is Mirii wa’o village 4 miles’ eastwards of the main village and Quaiko village 2 miles west of the main village. These satellite communities are overseen by Senior Councilors and reports are given at general meetings in the main village every three months.

Some information for this article was gleaned from the Government’s Department of Public Information.