Chief Kokoi, Defender of the Rupununi, Passes Away
Chief Kokoi, born Tony Rodney James, died on October 12th at his home in Aishalton Village.
He was born in the South Rupununi of Guyana, where the forest meets the savannah, surrounded by horses, rivers, and the songs of the Wapichan people.
that land is not a commodity, that language carries memory, and that leadership means service.
These convictions guided his life as a defender of Indigenous rights and a voice for Guyana's first peoples for half a century.
His childhood was marked by tradition and transition, shaping his lifelong commitment to his community.
Author's summary: Chief Kokoi dies at home.