CULTURE
Until its independence, Guyana
was tied culturally more closely to Suriname and French Guiana
than to the rest of South America. Guyana was settled by East
Indians, who still speak Urdu, Hindi, and Tamil dialects; black
Africans; and a few Europeans, mostly from Britain. These various
ethnic strains have remained fairly distinct, and today each group
has its own style of life and culture, although the ties of nationhood
tend to bind them together.
Postindependence Guyanese
culture still bears the imprint of its colonial heritage. Guyanese
were taught to respect and covet European values during the colonial
era, and this has not changed despite government exhortation.
Yet ethnic identity continues to be important, with daily life
centring around ethnic and family groups; the mother- and grandmother-dominated
family among blacks differs from the father-oriented East Indian
family. Men of both groups often commute long distances to work
along the coastal highway. Daily dress normally does not distinguish
one group from another.
Amerindian culture, which
remains uninfluenced by national politics, is recognized as an
important element in Guyanese museum displays and as an inspiration
in local music and painting. Cultural institutions are concentrated
in Georgetown, including the Guyana Museum, which includes the
Guyana Zoo, with its impressive collection of animals from northern
South America. Guyanese writers have made noteworthy contributions
to literature; the works of Wilson Harris, A.J. Seymour, and Walter
Rodney are among the foremost.
