First Peoples, Canada envoy plant trees

The group organised a tour of the First People’s Museum and a tree-planting event at the First Peoples’ Community Centre and the site for the Amerindian Heritage Village, Blanchisseuse Road respectively. A moriche palm, a red flamboyant and a yellow poui were planted by the Chief Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez, the Canadian High Commissioner Carla Rufelds-Hogan and Hakwai Clan. The event also launched Hakwai Clan’s tree-planting and land rehabilitation exercise to be conducted on July 8 at the Toco Forest Reserve on 25 acres of land allocated by the Forestry Division.

The commission has pledged a grant for this project.

According to Hakwai Clan, the partners were strategically selected as the First Peoples have developed a programme of activities to increase their visibility. The group also want to place “much-needed spotlight on the First Peoples’ ongoing struggles and, in particular, their newly-returned land.” Also, Canada being the host nation for WED is also celebrating its 150th Anniversary of Confederation with a focus on youth engagement, the environment, reconnection to indigenous peoples, and inclusion and diversity, said a media release.

Corporate secretary for Hakwai Clan Rudolph Hanamji said the initiative was designed “to give life to the theme of this year’s WED – Connecting People to Nature”.

“WED gives us a perfect opportunity to come together and give back to the land that supports us all – indigenous and non-indigenous –- all members of the ecosystem alike,” Hanamji said.

Bharath-Hernandez praised Hakwai Clan for “its foresight in leading such a project and the Canadian High Commission for its support”. He noted that “the First Peoples, whose world view is firmly rooted in nature… have depended on [it] for physical sustenance and intellectual, moral, social and spiritual growth.” He used the occasion to recognise the oneoff holiday on October 13 to celebrate the First Peoples and to invite all indigenous people across TT and the region to unite.

Mayor of Arima Lisa Morris-Julian, herself a descendant of the First Peoples, applauded the project and called on Hakwai Clan and young people to get more involved in national development and that of our indigenous communities.

Hogan-Rufelds shared similar sentiments.

She said “no people are more connected to nature than indigenous peoples.

They have a special relationship with the earth and all things living in it that goes back thousands of years. They have a rich knowledge, history and special skills in environmental stewardship. They have extraordinary contributions to make in discussions and decisions around climate change and sustainability.

We need to listen to them.” Hogan-Rufelds said she is “particularly excited to be in Trinidad and Tobago where the Tobago Main Ridge Forest Reserve is on record as the oldest legally protected forest reserve, established on April 13, 1776. Scientific American magazine has commented “that the protection of Tobago’s Forest was the first act in the modern environmental movement”.

Hakwai Clan was founded by a group of diverse young people with the aim of creating positive change.

Its founder Jeremy Tai Chew and some of its members such as director Jason Calderon are actually part-descendants of the First Peoples. The word hakwai, loosely means mixed, and not only describes the group’s members but represents TT ’s diversity and the fact that we are stronger in unity, the release said.

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