Paramaccan people
Maroon ethnic group of northeast Suriname
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Paramaccans, also known by their endonym Paamaka[3][4] (French: Pamak),[5] are a Maroon tribe living in the forested interior of Suriname, mainly in the Paramacca resort,[6][7] and the western border area of French Guiana.[5] The Paramaccans signed a peace treaty in 1872, granting the tribe autonomy.
Eastern Maroon Creole: Paamaka | |
|---|---|
Meeting under a pole dwelling in Langatabiki (1947) | |
| Total population | |
| 11,000[1] (2014, est.) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Paramacca, Suriname | 4,300 |
| Urban French Guiana | 3,900 |
| Languages | |
| Paramaccan | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Winti | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Ndyuka | |
| Granman of the Paramaccan people | |
|---|---|
since 2020 | |
| Residence | Langatabiki |
Overview
The administrative centre for the tribe is located in Snesiekondre,[8] but the main village of the resort is Langatabiki which is also the residence of the granman (paramount chief) of the Paramaccan people.[9] The tribe controls 13 villages in Suriname,[10] and the village of Providence in neighbouring French Guiana.[11]
The total population in 2014 was estimated at 11,000 people with 4,300 people living in the tribal areas in Suriname, and 1,000 living in the interior of French Guiana.[1]
History
The Paramaccans were runaway slaves from the Handtros or Entros plantation who fled around 1830.[12] In 1856, the August Kappler reported that the tribe had established villages near the Paramacca Creek.[13] In 1872, they had signed a peace treaty with the Dutch colony giving the tribe autonomy,[14] and Frans Kwaku, the leader of the expedition to Paramaribo, was officially appointed granman by the Governor.[13] In 1879, a group of about 90 Paramaccans led by Apensa created a settlement on an island in the Marowijne River near the mouth of the Paramacca Creek. The town was named Langatabiki (Long Island).[15] During the Surinamese Interior War, the Paramaccans sided with the Jungle Commando,[16] which resulted in a large migration to French Guiana.[5]
Language
Paramaccan is also the eponymous term for their language, which is English-based[17] with influences from Dutch, African languages,[18] and other languages. It is similar to the languages spoken by the Ndyuka and Kwinti, and mutually intelligible with Sranan Tongo.[19] Paramaccan is the youngest of the Surinamese pidgin languages.[20] The language had an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 speakers in 1991.[21]
Villages
- Langatabiki (Suriname)
- Lokaloka (Suriname)
- Nason (Suriname)
- Providence (French Guiana)
- Snesiekondre (Suriname)
See also
Brother Mambo: Finding Africa in the Amazon, JD Lenoir with Phil Ceder (Kutukutu), Black Rose Writer, 2022.