The decision to use the Repatriation Funds to build the National Cultural Centre was also arbitrary

Mr. Hamilton Green refers to “Ripley’s Belief it or not” to express his incredulity about an astronomical increase in the rental fees for the National Cultural Center. (“The National Cultural Centre was conceived as an auditorium to showcase and harmonize the cultural expressions of our six peoples” SN 5-28). He infers that “there was no consultation, which means the increases are arbitrary.” To justify his intervention Mr Green further declares, “This matter is extremely painful since I was in the frontline when the raison d’etre for the Cultural Centre was conceived. It was to provide an auditorium to showcase and harmonize the cultural expressions of our six peoples.” And to these assertions I now have to invoke “Ripley’s Believe it or not”.

In terms of “no consultation” and “arbitrariness” has Mr Green forgotten that the funds that were used to build the Cultural Center were arbitrarily and with no consultation were taken from the

Indian Repatriation Fund”? In 1966, a Committee had been established to make recommendations on the use of the BWI$300,000 in the Repatriation Fund, “for the benefits of surviving immigrants and their descendants.” The Committee submitted its report recommending the monies be used to construct an Indian Cultural Center, in each of the three counties.

However, in December 1969, Minister of Health Sylvia Talbot, under whose portfolio the matter fell, summoned the five main Indian Organizations to discuss the Government’s plans to utilize the funds. According to the Press Release of the organizations after the meeting, there was no “discussion” and they were simply informed that the funds would be used for a Cultural Center in Georgetown. For what it is worth, the PPP, also opposed the arbitrary and capricious manner in which the decision was made.