Growing up Lokono Minister of Social Cohesion, Hon. Dr. George Norton –Looking back on his childhood with Dr. George Norton Guyana Chronicle September 8, 2019 By Wendella Davidson DR. George Norton, Member of Parliament (MP) and Minister of Social Cohesion, with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, is a Lokono by birth, one of the nine Indigenous Peoples native to Guyana; a peoples that we previously referred to as Arawak. An Ophthalmologist by profession, Dr. Norton is “the first of the last five of 10 children” born to Archibald Norton of ‘Caria Caria’, a little village within Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), and Marjorie Powley of the Upper Demerara village of Malali. The pair would subsequently settle at Riverview, another Upper Demerara community, where Dr. Norton and his nine siblings were born. In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Friday, Dr. Norton said that his father worked as ‘a squarer’ with various timber grants wherever work was available. What this meant, he said, is that his father, armed with a “broad-axe made of solid steel, and weighing between 10 to 12 pounds, would square logs into 12 x 12 timber to earn a living.” Being a ‘Squarer’, which is fast becoming a dying breed these days, Dr. Norton said, his father would be away from the home for about a month at a time, but always tried to make it back for two weeks, much to the delight of his children. He fondly remembers how, as children, he and his siblings would sit around their father and listen in fascination as he regaled them with the exploits of ‘Brer Nancy’, ‘Brer Rabbit’, and ‘Brer Tiger’, among other childhood favourites, to which he often added a few sing-along songs for good measure. A mean storyteller, his father would also borrow a few phrases from the ‘Dutch Arawak’ dialect spoken by native Lokonos, to spice up his stories and further hold the interest of his children. According to Dr. Norton, his paternal grandmother was fluent in both ‘Dutch Arawak’ as well as English, and had it not been for his mother’s structured upbringing, he, too, would have been bilingual like his ‘granny’. So ‘correct’ was his mother, Dr. Norton recalled, that she insisted that his sister teach him to read standard reading books, thereby limiting his exposure to the ‘Dutch Awarak’ dialect. All he now remembers is what sounds like “Halacoba”, the ‘Dutch Arawak’ equivalent of ‘Hello’; to count from one to 10; and perhaps ask and answer a few simple questions like, ‘Where are you going?’ But, there is yet hope, he said, as with the news circulating that the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs is contemplating holding classes to teach the various indigenous languages, he hopes to be among the first batch of students. CITY LIFE After writing ‘Common Entrance’, as the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) was popularly known back then, Dr. Norton was awarded a place at the prestigious Queen’s College, which meant that he had to leave his beloved Riverview. He described his move to the city as “a culture shock’, as he found it very difficult to sleep at nights, because of the noise from passing vehicles; something he did not have to deal with hitherto. He also had difficulty adapting to the different lifestyle, accustomed as he was to rushing to the river to take a bath and prepare for school; going to the farm, and generally being involved in rural community activities. But, as with everything else in life, he soon got used to it, and after completing his studies at Queen’s College, where he wrote and was successful at ‘A’ Levels, Dr. Norton would teach for a while, before heading off to Cuba, where he would enroll at the Superior Institute of Medical Science, graduating in 1984 with a Degree in Medicine, and later specialising in Ophthalmology. He fondly recalls that it was while in Cuba that he met his wife, `Sara’, who hails from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. That union bore two sons: George Jr. and Biniam, which in Amharic means ‘My right hand’. Happily, both boys, who now live in the US, would follow in their dad’s footsteps and also attend Queen’s College. Looking back, Dr. Norton said that his arrival in Cuba was nothing short of “an ideological shock”, due to the Cubans materialistic way of looking at life. For instance, he found it quite strange that persons, even young children, would openly proclaim that they do not believe in God. Upon his return to Guyana, he first served as a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). POLITICAL INTEREST Speaking about his interest in politics, which he’d developed since before leaving Cuba, Dr. Norton said he’d always been an admirer of the late LFS Burnham, especially his philosophy. He’d also tended to read a lot about Socialism, so it came as no surprise when, in 1992, he became active in the political scene here. Currently the Vice- Chairperson of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), and a Member of the Party’s Central Executive Committee, he once served as its Director of Hinterland Affairs. Besides his special interest in Sports, Youth and Culture, Dr. Norton is also a strong advocate for the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples. He entered Parliament in 2001, and has, ever since, been a vibrant representative of Amerindian Communities throughout Guyana. He served in the Tenth Parliament of Guyana as APNU’s Shadow Minister of Public Health and Disease Control, and also served as Minister of Public Health from May 2015 up until January 2017, when he was appointed by President David Granger as Minister of Social Cohesion, with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport. Asked about his relation to the latter discipline, Dr. Norton said that as a youngster living in his native Riverview, it was second nature to be involved in sports. Even while at Queens’ College, he recalled, he was not only into distance running, but also played football. He also played a bit of football while living in Cuba, so much so that these days, it is a normal routine for him to run every afternoon from the Pegasus Hotel to the Mon Repos Market and back. He hopes to one day witness a Guyanese athlete mount the podium at an Olympic meet and claim gold for Guyana. He also has this burning desire to one day participate in the famous New York marathon, and be among the thousands of people running in the same direction. His wife, Dr. Sara Norton works as an ultrasonographist at the Woodlands Hospital in the city. A © page from: Guyana: Land of Six Peoples