St. Ignatius is an

Amerindian In the Americas, Indigenous peoples comprise the two continents' pre-Columbian inhabitants, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with them in the 15th century, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with the pre-Columbian population of ...

village in the

Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Upper Takutu-Upper Esequibo (Region 9) is a Regions of Guyana, region of Guyana. It borders the region of Potaro-Siparuni to the north, the region of East Berbice-Corentyne to the east and Brazil to the south and west. It contains the town of Let ...

region of Guyana, near the regional capital Lethem and the border of Brazil. It was originally a mission founded by

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

priests to serve the Amerindians in the

Rupununi savannah The Rupununi savannah is a savanna plain in Guyana, in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region. It is part of the Guianan savanna ecoregion of the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome. Description The Rupununi Sav ...

. Kumu and Quarrie are satellite villages of St. Ignatius.

Demographics

The area was settled by

Macushi The Macushi (''Makuusi'', ) are an Indigenous people living in the borderlands of southern Guyana, northern Brazil in the state of Roraima, and in an eastern part of Venezuela. Identification The Macushi are also known as the Macusi, Macussi, ...

and

Wapishana The Wapishana or Wapichan (or Wapisiana, Wapitxana, Vapidiana, Wapixana) are an Indigenous group found in the Roraima area of northern Brazil and southern Guyana. Location Currently the Wapishana are located in the State of Roraima, Brazil, nor ...

people, later supplemented by

Arawak The Arawak are a group of Indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. The term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to different Indigenous groups, from the Lokono of South America to the Taíno (Island Arawaks), w ...

. The village is mainly

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

or other Christian denominations.

, and Patamona languages are spoken, while English and Portuguese are prominent second languages.

History

Jesuit Priest

Cuthbert Cary-Elwes Cuthbert Cary-Elwes (1 October 1867, Boulogne (France) - 22 August 1945, London) was an English Jesuit priest, itinerant missionary and founder of the Rupununi Mission, in South-Guyana. Youth and Formation After studying at Downside Abbey and Sto ...

established a mission in 1909 to cater to the Amerindians of the Rupununi. The spot chosen was ''Ariwa'' (a Makushi word for a particular type of fish) and located on the right bank of the

Takutu River The Takutu River (Takatu River, Tacutu River) is a river in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region of Guyana and Roraima in Brazil. It forms part of the boundary between the two countries. The confluence of the Takutu and Uraricoera Rivers forms ...

River, near the

Kanuku Mountains The Kanuku Mountains are a group of mountains in Guyana, located in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region. The name means 'forest' in the Wapishana language, a reference to the rich diversity of wildlife found there. The Eastern Kanuku Mountain ...

. The missionaries dedicated the mission to the founder of the Jesuits. Today St. Ignatius village is one of the largest Amerindian communities in the central Rupununi. "Self-help" is a part of the village culture, meaning to resolve issues without outside assistance. In 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a guarded gate was constructed on the road to regulate traffic to the

, which had been used for illegal border-crossing from Brazil.

Economy

Cattle rearing, brick making, farming, fishing, and construction are all major economic activities of the village. Helping Hands Women Producers Cooperative Society has a factory that was built with assistance from the Canadian International Development Agency. It produces packaged snacks including cashew nuts and cassava bread, as well as school meals. Roasted cashews are a popular snack food in the area and grow wild in the Rupununi area.

Services

The village has a nursery, primary, and secondary school. The secondary school in St. Ignatius was opened by the Catholic missionaries, and is the oldest and largest in the region, with boarding facilities for students from remote areas. In 2017, a bilingual education program was launched for

Wapishana language Wapishana (Wapixana) is an Arawakan language of Guyana and Brazil. It is spoken by over 13,000 people on both sides of the Guyana-Brazil border. In Brazil the highest concentration of Wapishana speakers are in the municipalities of Cantá and ...

and English. There is a catholic church as well as a Jesuit-run Presbytery training Centre. St. Ignatius is on Lethem's electrical grid. In 2019, The Guyana Water Inc commissioned a $15M water supply system in the village which expanded the community's access to piped water. Governance is by an elected village council of toshao, deputy and councilors. The village is located on the main Georgetown-Lethem road and is separated from Lethem by the Moco-Moco Creek.

References

{{Settlements in Guyana Indigenous villages in Guyana Populated places in Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Populated places in Guyana Macushi Wapishana