MAROON/AFRICAN CULTURE IN SURINAME
During the colonial time slaves from Africa were
brougth to Suriname to work in the plantation. Some of these slaves
escaped from the plantation and moved into the forest in the interior of the
country. They lived in small settlements along the rivers upstream the
rapids, where it is difficult to reach. Descendents of these runaway
slaves, living in the interior are nowaday called bushnegroes or maroons.
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Monument of Kwakoe, symbol of abolition of slavery.
Photo: Copyright © 2002 Moekiran A.
Amatali
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Kwassi plant, bitterwood from Suriname and Guyana, named after
the slave Kwassi, who introduced the use of it against malaria.
Photo: Copyright © 2002 Moekiran A.
Amatali |
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Maroon settlement along the river in the interior in the tropical rainforest
Photo: Copyright © 2005 Moekiran A.
Amatali
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Entrance of a maroonvillage decorated with palm leaves for traditional/cultural purposes.
Photo: Copyright © 2005 Moekiran A.
Amatali
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Cottages in a maroon village
Photo: Copyright © 2005 Moekiran A.
Amatali |
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Maroonwoman ready to drive the canoo through the rapids along the river
Photo: Copyright © 2005 Moekiran A.
Amatali
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Maroonwoman washing dishes along the riverbank in the interior in the tropical rainforest
Photo: Copyright © 2005 Moekiran A.
Amatali
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Maroonwoman ready to travel from the maroonvillage by means of a canoo to the capital, which will take about two days
Photo: Copyright © 2005 Moekiran A.
Amatali |
The maroons settled mainly in the Center-Eatern part of
the interior of the country and maroon communities developed, still in the
form of tribes as in Africa. Nowadays there are six maroon tribes present
in the interior of Suriname, namely the Saramaccaners, Aucaners (Ndjukas),
Alukus, Mataways, Paramaccaners and Kwintis. These tribes have their own
communication language.
In spite of the descendents of the Africans who stayed
in the plantations, and nowadays in the civilized western influenced society
in the country, the maroons lived for a long time isolated in the
interior, and the African culture they brougth was less affected by the
western world. The culture of these people had its own developments.
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Copyright © 2001-2005 Moekiran A.
Amatali
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