Surinamese Maroons
Surinamese Maroons are the descendants of enslaved Africans that escaped from the plantations and settled in the inland of Suriname. The Surinamese Maroon culture is one of the best-preserved pieces of cultural heritage outside of Africa. Colonial warfare, land grabs, natural disasters and migration have marked Maroon history. In Suriname six Maroon groups — or tribes — can be distinguished from each other. They themselves form a subgroup of the Afro-Surinamese.
Demographics
There are six major groups of Surinamese Maroons, who settled along different river banks:- Aluku at the Commewijne River later Marowijne River,
- Kwinti at the Coppename River,
- Matawai at the Saramacca River,
- Ndyuka at the Marowijne and Commewijne Rivers
- Paamaka at the Marowijne River
- Saamaka at the Suriname River
Distribution