When is Maroons Day?
Maroons Day is a public holiday in the South American country of Suriname on October 10th.
This holiday celebrates the heritage and contribution to Suriname by the Maroon people.
History of Maroons Day
Though there is some discussion as to the source of the word, Maroons were Africans and their descendants in the Americas who formed settlements away from slavery. Some had escaped from plantations, but others were born free within these communities.
Maroon communities grew up in several places in the Americas and even in other colonised parts of the world, such as Madagascar.
This is the source of the English word 'Maroon' which means to be put ashore on a deserted island or coast and intentionally abandoned, which isn't too far from the experience of most of the original Maroons.
Suriname was seized by the Dutch in 1667. The Dutch then established about 200 plantations producing sugar, coffee, cocoa and cotton, most of which was exported back to Holland. Over 13,000 African slaves were brought to Suriname to man these plantations. The local Maroon community grew from slaves who managed to escape from the plantations into the jungle. It is a reflection on the horrific conditions within the plantations, that living in a wild, inhospitable South American jungle was preferable to most slaves. Known as Bushinengues ('people of the forest'), the Maroons grew in number and would attack the plantations to acquire supplies and to free female slaves.
On October 10th 1760, the Maroons signed a peace treaty with the Dutch colonial authorities whereby they were recognised as free people and received a yearly tribute that provided them with the goods they used to take from the plantations.
Today, the Maroon community accounts for around 20% of the population of Suriname.
Suriname is known for the diversity of its population and its public holidays reflect that, so it is fitting that Maroons have their day of recognition, which was established in 2011 on the anniversary of the date of the historic 1760 peace treaty.
