Santa Mission
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Santa Mission
|other_name = Santa Aratak
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|settlement_type = Village
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|image_skyline = Santa Mission - panoramio.jpg
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|pushpin_map = Guyana
|pushpin_label_position =bottom
|pushpin_map_caption = Location in Guyana
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = 25px Guyana
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|subdivision_name1 = Essequibo Islands-West Demerara
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|leader_title = Toshao
|leader_name = Hilton Williams{{cite news |url=https://guyanachronicle.com/2017/08/13/a-communitys-pride/ |title=Santa/Aratak villagers driving community’s tourism |website=Guyana Chronicle |access-date=1 December 2021|date=13 August 2017|author=Ravena Gildharie}}
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|established_title = Settled
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|population_footnotes = {{cite web|url=https://statisticsguyana.gov.gy/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Population_By_Village_2012.zip |title=2012 Population by Village|website=Statistics Guyana|access-date=1 December 2021}}
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Santa Mission (also: Santa Aratak or Santa Aratack{{cite web|url=https://moaa.gov.gy/indigenous-villages/ |title=Indigenous Villages|website=Ministry of Amerindian Affairs|access-date=1 December 2021}}) is a village in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara Region of Guyana. Santa Mission is mainly inhabited by Lokono Amerindians. The village is located on the Kamuni Creek, a tributary of the Demerara River.{{cite web|url=https://guyaneseonline.net/2018/09/19/santa-aratack-also-known-as-santa-mission-a-tranquil-slice-of-destination-guyana/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201180336/https://guyaneseonline.net/2018/09/19/santa-aratack-also-known-as-santa-mission-a-tranquil-slice-of-destination-guyana/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |title=Santa Aratack …A tranquil slice of destination Guyana|website=Guyanese Online|date=17 September 2018|access-date=1 December 2021}} The village of Hopetown, an early Chinese settlement, is located about {{convert|15|km|mi}} from Santa Mission.{{cite news|url=https://www.guyanatimesinternational.com/the-hopetown-chinese-settlement/ |title=The Hopetown Chinese settlement|website=Guyana Times International|date=15 April 2016|access-date=4 December 2021}}
Overview
Santa Mission was founded in 1858 by Alfred Patterson, a lumberjack who was looking for Wallaba trees (Eperua falcata). The village is built on white sand hills along the blackwater Kamuni Creek.
The economy of Santa Mission is based on tourism, craft making, and logging. The village has a Nursery and Primary school, a healthcare centre, and a local library. In 2008, the festivities of the Amerindian Heritage Month were held in Santa Mission.{{cite news|url=https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2008/09/10/santa-aratak-prepares-for-heritage-day-150th-anniversary/ |title=Santa Aratak prepares for Heritage Day, 150th anniversary|date=10 September 2008|access-date=1 December 2021}} As of 2015, it was the only indigenous village in Essequibo Islands-West Demerara with titled land.
Sights
File:Lovely Savannah View - panoramio.jpg
Located on top of the hill is a giant silk-cotton tree. During the Dutch colonial era, the tree was used a navigation aid on the Demerara River. In the Lokono language, the tree is called Kamaka which means "mother of all trees." There is a village monument dedicated to the past toshaos (village chiefs) and a kamuni Women Craft shop.{{cite web|url=https://dpi.gov.gy/santa-aratak-mission-seeks-slice-of-tourism-pie/ |title=Santa Aratak Mission seeks slice of tourism pie|website=Department of Public Information|date=19 September 2017|access-date=1 December 2021}} Near the village is the Arrowpoint Nature Resort, a privately owned tourist resort with its own nature reserve.{{cite news|url=https://www.landofsixpeoples.com/news403/nc4071811.htm |title=Arrowpoint Nature Resort |website=Guyana Chronicle via Land of Six People|date=18 July 2004|access-date=1 December 2021}}
Transport
Santa Mission does not have a connection to the road network and can only be accessed via the river. Arrowpoint Nature Resort operates a ferry service from Timehri (Cheddi Jagan International Airport) which makes a stop at Santa Mission. The journey will take between 45 minutes and one hour.
Hopetown
{{anchor|Hopetown}}
In 1864, Chinese missionary O'Tye Kim petitioned the Court of Policy for a Chinese settlement.{{cite web|url=https://landofsixpeoples.com/news402/ns4042915.htm |title=Background to the emergence of the Chinese settlement of Hopetown|website=Stabroek News via Land of Six People|author=Tota C. Mangar|date=29 April 2004|access-date=4 December 2021}} In 1865, Hopetown was founded on the Kamuni Creek and started with 25 settlers. The village was named Hopetown after Admiral James Hope who had visited the village. It is located at {{coord|6.53277|-58.2808|display=inline}}.
Hopetown flourished and peaked at 800 people in 1874. The economy was mainly based on charcoal production. When the demand dwindled, many Chinese moved to other towns.{{cite web|url=https://www.devnet.org.gy/sdnp/chinese/hopetown.html |title=Hopetown|website=DevNet|access-date=4 December 2021}} By 1914, about a third of the population was non-Chinese and there were only 46 Chinese left.
References
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{{Settlements in Guyana}}
Category:Indigenous villages in Guyana
Category:Populated places in Essequibo Islands-West Demerara