Damon Corrie
This book is the most comprehensive phonetic compilation of cultural information ever produced about the Lokono-Arawak Tribal Nation, of north-east Amazonia, a must-have publication for any academic, Taino, or Kalinago person wanting to know more about their Arawakan ancestral heritage and re-learn some basic practical aspects of their tangible and intangible heritage. After spending his entire life researching as much information as he could find from as many sources as he could find, about his own Lokono-Arawak people, the author realized that there are very few, less than 5 books of first-hand direct source information ever published that were written in English by a Lokono-Arawak person, and 2 of those were written by him, and the others were by pro-assimilation Lokono who did not reveal half of their ancient traditional spirituality that the author has revealed here for the first time. So the author decided to finish this project – to write a general knowledge comprehensive book about the Lokono-Arawak people, that he actually started 27 years ago, however it was a long and slow process of accumulating notes here and there, now and then but never finding the time to compile all in one volume. This is where the COVID-19 Pandemic became a blessing in disguise, becoming unemployed and with nothing but time on his hands, finally gave the author the 4 months he needed to put it all together. Most Lokono-Arawak persons alive today have passed through the scorching fire of Colonialism and its heir – Neo-Colonialism, and much of the information contained in this book – they are themselves unaware of because what was not beaten out of their grandparents and parents in Colonial-era Eurocentric schools, was preached out of them via the other fist of European colonialism called ’Religion’….where the so-called ’representatives’ of God on Earth – reinforce the brainwashing of indigenous peoples to make them believe that whatever the non-indigenous priest/pastor tells you is ’Godly and true’, but whatever your Tribal Holy man tells you is ’a lie from the Devil’. So this inter-generational trauma has left most of the Lokono alive today under 50 years old very ignorant of much of what is revealed in this book, and very much trapped in the lingering mental slavery Colonial-era brainwashed pro-assimilation thinking that only what the Europeans say or do – is ’civilized’ and ’progressive’….and whatever the pro-traditionalists like the author say or do – is ’uncivilized’ and ’backward’. So this book was designed to become a tool to ignite a spark in their hearts and souls, to not just claim to be ’proud indigenous’ with empty words and put on a show once a year at Heritage month time (September in Guyana – the precise month this book was released), but to TRULY live by those words, and begin to re-learn what it is to be a Lokono-Arawak again, and begin to forget what it is to live like an imitation European – as most are still doing to this day. This unique bok was also created to help Taino and Kalinago tribal relatives of the Lokono-Arawaks, because they have lost more of their traditional society from this terrible era of Eurocentric domination and forced assimilation, with not a single fluent speaker of either of their respective languages left alive today. This book can become an invaluable resource to any Taino or Kalinago who truly seeks to rediscover their ancient roots. Lastly, this book will become an invaluable academic resource for all dedicated researchers of indigenous cultures worldwide.
