Kasuela


Kasuela is an indigenous village of the Tiriyó tribe in the East Berbice-Corentyne region of Guyana. The village has a population of about 80 people. The inhabitants are of the subgroup Mawayana or the Frog people. There are a little over 100 Mawayana Tiriyó in the world.
The village is located inside the disputed Tigri Area.

History

Kasuela is the oldest village of Western Trio Group and is located on an island in the middle of the New River. Camp Jaguar known in Suriname as Camp Tigri is located about four kilometres north of the village.

Overview

In 2011, a school was opened in the village. In 2020, the village received access to health care. As of 2018, Kasuela was not connected to the telephone network or internet. The inhabitants are allowed to vote in both the Surinamese elections, as well as the Guyanese elections.
Kasuela can be accessed via the river or by the airstrip located at Camp Jaguar.

Language

The Mawayana subgroup originally spoke the Mawayana language which has already been replaced by the Tiriyó language. The last two speakers are in Kwamalasamutu as of 2015. The transition to Tiriyó was voluntary and a result of banding together in larger villages. The school has already stated that it will teach the children in the English language.