King Charles tried shaking indigenous maracas used for witchcraft as he met representatives of Guyana’s nine indigenous groups. Taking up a handcrafted maraca, Charles gave it a shake and said that he should have had it when he took part in the Junkanoo parade in the Bahamas.
Carianne Campo, 19, a Queen from the Carib tribe in Region Three, said: “It is used in witchcraft to summon the spirits. He shook it and he said he should have had this at the Junkanoo and said it was marvellous.”
Gifts and a bow and arrow
Later, Charles was gifted a traditional archer’s bow and arrow to take back to the UK and mimed using it before handing it to an aide for safe keeping. Other gifts included a riding crop, “Ah! If I go riding again on a horse,” the King said, and a whistle, which he said sounded like an owl.
Charles arrived at the Umana Yana, meeting place for the National Tashaos Council, in the searing heat. Before going inside the traditional hut used to host meetings, he was presented with an Amerindian necklace by Aliyah Abraham, 10, who had travelled overnight from her home in Surama.
Meeting with indigenous chiefs
As he walked inside, Charles was accompanied by Tashao (chief) Derrick John, who visited the King’s Gloucestershire home of Highgrove last year, a meeting that was shown in the King’s Harmony film. He said of the state visit: “It’s very amazing. It’s an experience we will never forget. He was very interested in the role indigenous people play in protecting our forests and the funding that is being transferred through forest carbon credit financing to the indigenous community and how that is transforming lives. With Guyana being a small country we are taking a bold step.”
Charles then held a ten minute private conversation with indigenous Tashaos, or chiefs, although the occasional shout from protesters outside could be heard. The King was shown around the centre where each of the nine different groups had a stall to exhibit local crafts.
Harmony Village plans
Charles was shown a plan for “Harmony Village”, a partnership between the Guyana government and the King’s Foundation. Ben Bolgar, executive director of projects at the King’s foundations, said that the site, which will host workshops, was “using Dumfries House as a model”.
Speaking later, Bolgar said: “The King and the President had this idea of Harmony Village, because the President was so inspired by Dumfries House.”
