1989-1998: The Suriname Internal War

 

1989-1998: The Suriname Internal War and Suriname

December 1989: 


I am currently in Eastern Suriname, where there is a large population of Saramaka Maroons (2). These people’s ancestors escaped enslavement and now live deep in the rainforest and jungle of Suriname (1). Right now, there is also a war going on between the Saramaka Maroons and the government of Suriname. The indigenous people of Suriname (the Caribs, Kali’na, and Galibi) have been used by the government to hunt down Saramaka Maroons. These people are often seen as scouts for the government and have killed Saramaka Maroons for generations (1). 


This internal battle between the Saramaka and the indigenous people has been going on since the 1680s. Before, in 1677, The Arawaks (an indigenous tribe) tried to drive out the Dutch (the colonizing power) and sometimes collaborated with the Maroons or liberated slaves. However, the alliance unraveled as many Arawaks joined the Dutch after failing to defeat them (1). This is what I have learned from the oral histories of the Saramaka people, many of whom I live alongside right now (1). 


Four Years Later 


March 1993: 


The war has been over for about a year now. The media calls it the Suriname Internal War (1), and there has been some kind of reconciling between the indigenous people and the Saramaka Maroons. However, there are still a sizeable population that had to seek refuge in neighboring countries that still have not returned (2).


Five Years Later 


May 1998: 


As I come back to my journal entries from almost a decade ago, I am reminded of the Suriname people and their disastrous war. In recent news, there appears to be some collaboration between the Maroons and the indigenous people. This is because the government of Suriname has begun to sell off parts of the interior rainforests where many Maroons and indigenous communities live (1). It is incredible what can be done for our world because of these groups, as they have lived in these forests for generations (2). 


The importance of the Maroon communities cannot be understated. Clearly, these groups operate similarly as to how they did in the 1600s, as they continue to defend and protect the natural landscape and the rights of historically oppressed people against invasive governments (2). 



(1) Price, Richard. “Uneasy Neighbors: Maroons and Indians in Suriname”. Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America: Vol. 8: Iss. 2, Article 4. (2010): 1-12. https://digitalcommons.trinity.edu/tipiti/vol8/iss2/4/

(2) Price, Richard. “Maroon Societies in the Americas.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of African History. Oxford University Press. December 2020. https://oxfordre-com.proxy.lib.miamioh.edu/africanhistory/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.001.0001/acrefore-9780190277734-e-935

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Purpose of Blog and Bibliography

   Introduction This blog is created as a midterm project for HIS 112 at Northern Virginia Community College. The topic for this project is Maroon societies, and in this blog, I will be wrting about different events and sites that were important to Maroon societies. This blog is intended to be read as journal entries throughout generations, starting in the 1500s and continuing through to the late 1900s.  Thesis: The creation of Maroon communities came from the need for a centralized resistance effort against European enslavers and colonizers. This project highlights the different ways in which Maroon communities existed and changed throughout time, with a focus on the events and sites highlighted below.                Esmeraldas, Ecuador (Site) December 23, 1739 → Signing of the Maroon Treaty of 1738-39 (Event) The significance of Nanny Town (Site) The importance of the Blue Mountains (Site) 1980s → Suriname Internal War (Event...
Read more

1589-1599: An Introduction and Esmeraldas, Ecuador

Image
  1589: A Brief Introduction to Maroons April 8th, 1589:  Today I have come across a story of certain ‘maroons’ that live somewhere called Esmeraldas (1). I write in this journal with the hopes that someone will find this and learn about what I have seen and read. I question what these ‘maroons’ are, and why they feel the need to live so removed from society. I plan to ask more about who these men are, and what their purpose is. April 14th, 1589:  After about a week of talking to natives and others, I have learned much about these Maroons. They are groups of Africans who have rebelled against their owners and created their own enclosed communities. The term ‘maroon’ comes from the Spanish word ‘cimmarron’, and refers to Africans who are ‘wild’ or ‘unbroken’ (1). I had previously thought that the Africans appreciated their enslavement, as the King himself was helping them. I appear to have been wrong, or at least without the entire story… April 16th, 1589:  I have now...
Read more