The first Kali'na customary chief took office in 1997

Cécile Kouyouri became in 1997 the first Amerindian female customary chief of the Kali'na group in French Guiana. This position was previously exclusively reserved for men, thus breaking with the patriarchal tradition of the villages. She still exercises this responsibility within the village of Bellevue, in the commune of Iracoubo.