Maroon Tribes and Indigenous Peoples in Suriname

Suriname is a country of about 576,000 people, located on the northeastern coast of South America ("Suriname"). It is the smallest sovereign state in South America ("Suriname"). Around half of the population lives in and around the capital, Paramaribo, which is on the northern coast of the country ("Suriname").

It is one of only a few countries in the world that is carbon negative due to its extensive tree cover-94% of the land is covered by trees (United Nations Framework... 12). Being carbon negative in Suriname's case means that the trees are absorbing more carbon than the country is producing (United Nations Framework... 12). The official language of Suriname is Dutch, with 60% of the population speaking Dutch as a native language, while the language commonly used in casual conversation is Sranan Tongo, a Creole language rooted in English spoken only in Suriname ("Suriname").

Suriname was occupied by Native Americans for thousands of years before European colonization, the largest Peoples being the Arawaks (Lokono), and the Kaliña People at the time of later colonization ("History of Suriname"). The earliest known European trading post was a Dutch trading post formed around 1613, near the now-capital city of Suriname; Paramaribo ("History of Suriname"). In 1650, the first successful European colony in Suriname was made by an English lord, Lord Willoughby, the governor of Barbados ("History of Suriname"). By 1663, the settlement claimed 30,000 acres and consisted of around 50 plantations ("History of Suriname"). The work being done on these plantations was by Native Americans and 3,000 African slaves ("History of Suriname"). In February of 1667, the settlement was invaded by the Dutch, who captured it, and in July of 1667, the Dutch and the English signed a treaty that effectively gave the Dutch occupation of Suriname, while the English would be allowed to keep occupying New Amsterdam (now New York) ("History of Suriname"). In 1674, another treaty was made to set the arrangement in stone ("The History of Suriname").

Meanwhile slavery throughout the colony was pervasive, and the Dutch treatment of slaves was especially brutal ("History of Suriname"). Because there were not enough Native peoples to enslave, the Dutch participated in the Atlantic slave trade to buy slaves from Africa ("History of Suriname"). By 1713, there were some 13,000 African slaves working on 200 plantations ("History of Suriname"). From the beginning, slaves regularly escaped to the interior of Suriname, and these slaves were known then, and still are today, as Maroons ("History of Suriname"). The Maroons would often attack plantations to free slaves and gain supplies ("History of Suriname"). After years of fighting between Maroons and European settlers, in the 1760s, three Maroon tribes signed peace treaties with the Dutch government that guaranteed them their freedom and independence ("Maroons"). In 1863, there were approximately 10,000 Maroon Peoples in Suriname ("Maroons"). Their current population was approximately 75,000 as of 2008 ("Maroons"). There were 20,344 Indigenous people as of 2012 (Ooft). Today, tribes of Maroons and Indigenous Peoples live all across Suriname, in villages and on rivers. Their current territory is shown in the map below the timeline.

Please note: I could not figure out how to combine these images together without spaces, and I had to screenshot the infographic I made because it would not insert the file type I had, so I apologize for the spaces in between each.

The current law in Suriname states that “By alienation of land, rights of tribal Maroons and Indians shall be observed but the "general public interest" may override this principle” (“Order on Policy Principle…”). This law has been insufficient in protecting Tribal, Maroon, and Indigenous Peoples’ land rights in the past (Koorndijk 1620). The Suriname law does not recognize the Tribal and Indigenous Peoples as legal or juridical personalities, something that they need to do in order for their lands to be protected under the law (Koorndijk 1620-1620).

In 2016, a “Roadmap towards the Legal Recognition of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples’ Rights” was made, but it took until 2018 to actually start implementing the measures in the roadmap (Ooft). Three commissions were made from this roadmap, one for drafting legislation for Indigenous and Tribal People’s rights, one for demarcation of the lands back to the Tribal Peoples, and one for raising awareness (Ooft). The Legislation commission drafted a law on the rights of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in October of 2019, but since then nothing has been done to table the drafts in the Parliament for analysis and authorization into law (Ooft).

According to the 2020 report made by the U.S. government, the government recognizes Maroon and indigenous tribes, but there “was no effective demarcation of their lands” (Apapoe). Furthermore, there have been problems with illegal logging and mining, and there are no laws which say that Indigenous and Tribal groups are entitled to the proceeds from the use of their land (Apapoe). Specifically, there are mining operations that excavate trenches that remove residents from their settlements and could drive them off their land (Apapoe). Moreover, their drinking water is contaminated by the mercury runoff from these mining schemes and the erosion caused by them (Apapoe). Many of these schemes are tribal themselves, but due to the limited legal power the Indigenous and Maroon groups have, they cannot stop them (Apapoe). Apparently, the government has also granted land of the Indigenous and Maroon peoples to third parties that prevent them from doing activities on their own land (Apapoe).

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ordered Suriname in 2005 to take actions to support the Lokono and Kalina tribal peoples, including “delimit, demarcate, and title the territory to the peoples” (Apapoe). However, it has not taken any actions to do so (Apapoe). Additionally, two other rulings in 2005 and 2007 stated that two Maroon populations of Suriname had their rights violated, but the government failed to take any action since then, including compensation to these populations and recognition of their land rights (Apapoe).

The Indigenous, Tribal, and Maroon groups of Suriname must be given special and basic human rights, especially because of the fact that they have been deprived of their rights for so long (Simms). These include: rights to their own lands, protection for their religion, culture, and languages, protections of their resources and ecosystems, and the right to self-govern (Simms).

Works Cited

Apapoe, Ine. “Maroons and Indigenous People in Suriname: The Struggle for Land Rights.” Global Americans, 9 Dec. 2020,  https://theglobalamericans.org/2020/12/maroons-and-indigenous-people-in-suriname-the-struggle-for-land-rights/ (Links to an external site.) .

“History of Suriname.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Mar. 2022,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Suriname .

“Kalina and Lokono Peoples v. Suriname.” Loyola Law School, Loyola Marymount University, 2022,  https://iachr.lls.edu/cases/kali%C3%B1a-and-lokono-peoples-v-suriname .

Kemper, Rudo. “Mapping the traditional lands of the Matawi Maroons in Suriname, one creek at a time.” The Amazon Conservation Team, 22 June 2016,  https://www.amazonteam.org/mapping-the-traditional-lands-of-the-matawai-maroons-in-suriname-one-creek-at-a-time/ .

Koorndijk, Jeanice L. “Judgements of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights Concerning Indigenous and Tribal Land Rights in Suriname: New Approaches to Stimulating Full Compliance.” The International Journal of Human Rights, Vol. 23, No. 10, 19 Jun. 2019, pp. 1615-1647.  https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2019.1624536 (Links to an external site.) .

"Maroons." Minority Rights Group International, June 2008.  https://minorityrights.org/minorities/maroons/. 

Ooft, Max. “Indigenous Peoples in Suriname.” IWGIA, 11 May 2020,  https://www.iwgia.org/en/suriname/3631-iw-2020-suriname.html#:~:text=The%20legislative%20system%20of%20Suriname,Peoples'%20land%20or%20other%20rights.&text=Suriname%20is%20one%20of%20the,not%20ratified%20ILO%20Convention%20169 (Links to an external site.) .

“Order on Policy Principle of Land Governance.” Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 1 Jan. 2003,  https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC202278/ (Links to an external site.) .

Price, Richard & Price, Sally. “Cultures en Guyane: Les Marrons.” Caribbean Studies, vol. 32, no. 2, Institute of Caribbean Studies, UPR, Rio Piedras Campus, 2004, pp. 254,  https://www.jstor.org/stable/2561344refreqid=excelsior%3Acca44d78d553ad5609681a66837f0413 .

Simms, Gaama Gloria. “From the Black African Holocaust (Maafa) to the United Nations: Routes, Roots, and Fruits: Maroon Women's Journey to the 18th United Nations, Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.” Journal of International Women’s Studies, Vol. 21, Issue 6, Aug. 2020.

The Amazon Conversation Team. Participatory Mapping in Lands of Indigenous Peoples and Maroons in Suriname. ACT-Suriname, 2010. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/viewer.html?pdfurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.act-suriname.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F12%2FENGCollective-Rights_Community-Mapping-Summary_Final-.pdf&chunk=true, PDF File.

Title Image. Artist Unkown. Decorated canoe paddles (Suriname, Maroon art exhibition). UCLA, mid-20th century, 25 May 2018,  https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/new-exhibition-at-fowler-museum-highlights-maroon-arts-from-suriname. 

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Republic of Suriname: Intended Nationally Determined Contribution Under UNFCCC. 2015. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/viewer.html?pdfurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww4.unfccc.int%2Fsites%2Fndcstaging%2FPublishedDocuments%2FSuriname%2520First%2FSuriname%2520First%2520NDC.pdf&clen=255771, PDF file.