Indigenous Heritage queen still to be crowned

Kristie Emily Rambharat is still waiting to be crowned the Miss Amerindian Heritage 2022 queen as a planned event Monday night did not go ahead.

The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs had announced that there would have been a prize giving ceremony; it is at that event that Rambharat was expected to formally recognised as the queen.

Rambharat told the News Room via telephone on Tuesday that she has no idea when this will be done.

The return of the Miss Amerindian Heritage pageant, after a two-year hiatus, sparked controversy when Region Five’s Amber Andrews from Moraikobai village was crowned queen Saturday night, but 24 hours later, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs announced that the queen is really 16-year-old Rambharat from Region Seven.

“She (Amber) didn’t want the crown and I said: ‘Amber it’s not that you don’t want the crown they announced that you are the queen and you have to take the crown,’ and she said no, she was so shocked,” Rambharat told the News Room.

The Amerindian Affairs Ministry found that the person adding up the scores in last Saturday’s pageant did so incorrectly but there was no apology for Ms Andrew’s.

It was only after the public began demanding fan apology for Ms Andrews over the controversy, that the Ministry released a statement on Monday night.

“The Minister [Pauline Sukhai] offers her sincerest and most empathetic apologies to Miss Amber Andrews who has been, without any fault of her own, made to endure unwarranted emotional distress. Apologies are also extended to Miss Andrews’ family and the community of Moraikobai,” the statement noted.

Rambharat did not show up to the Amerindian Cultural Night celebrations at the Sophia Exhibition Centre in Georgetown on Monday because she was too “scared” persons might attack her.

“They took my moment; they messed up my time,” the young Rambharat said.

Rambharat won the best traditional wear and talent segments of the competition.

She scored 768 points, thus making her the queen.

Narria Simon who represented Region Four is the first runner-up and Valda Williams from Region Eight is the second runner up.

The third runner up position was shared between Ms Andrews and Renee France from Region Six.

For years, the pageant served as a platform for empowerment of young Amerindian women across the length and breadth of Guyana.