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46-740: In the local language Bitagron means 'Land of my forefathers'. Witagron is the residence of the Kwinti granman . In 1975-76 a Bailey bridge was built across the river to replace the pontoon ferry . In 1987, during the Surinamese Interior War , Witagron was partially destroyed. After the war, the village was rebuilt by the Stichting Wederopbouw Witagron with aid from the United Nations Development Program . The village

92-405: A lanti krutu (general meeting) is called consisting of the village elite and the priests. The meeting is chaired by the granman who does not speak directly to the people, but always via a momboor who speaks on his behalf. The granman may not be addressed directly either. All villagers are allowed to participate regardless of age or gender, however the elderly carry the highest weight. Once

138-604: A court in the Netherlands in 1999. Bouterse has denied any wrongdoing. In 2020, the COVID-19 crisis began and oil prices fell. There was an economic crisis. On 25 May 2020, a general election took place. The Progressive Reform Party (PRP) got 20 seats (+11) out of 51 and the National Democratic Party (NDP) got 16 seats (-10). In July 2020, Chandrikapersad "Chan" Santokhi (PRP) was elected as

184-529: A new constitution. The following year saw the start of an anti-government rebellion of the Maroons in the interior, calling themselves the Jungle Commando and led by Ronnie Brunswijk . The Bouterse government violently tried to suppress the insurgency by burning villages and other similar means. More than 10,000 Maroons fled to French Guiana , and were recognised refugees. The number of illegal refugees

230-768: A peace treaty, similar to the peace treaty ending the First Maroon War in Jamaica, whereby they were recognised as free people and received a yearly tribute that provided them with the goods they used to "liberate" from the plantations. A contemporary description of the war between the Maroons and the plantation owners in Suriname can be found in Narrative of a Five Years Expedition Against the Revolted Negroes of Surinam by John Gabriel Stedman . Suriname

276-462: A successor is chosen by the people. Basiyas and kabitens were normally chosen by the tribe, however political appointments have increased in frequency. The issue has caused diplomatic rifts in the past. In Augustus 1965, before the independence of Suriname , Prime-minister Pengel travelled to Diitabiki to install Gazon Matodya as the new granman, because Gazon was the most likely candidate, and Akontu Velanti had died one year ago. The visit

322-522: A year, the granman and his kabitens have to present themselves at the Government in Paramaribo . The granman is normally chosen from the same lo ( maternal group ) and therefore a son can never succeed his father. The successor is chosen from the cousins on the maternal side. The succession is a lengthy process. More than a year must pass before the rituals and ceremonies are performed, and

368-825: Is also known as Apetina, after the name of the first granman Kananoe Apetina , who was recognized by governor Jan Klaasesz as granman of the Wayana in 1952. Apart from the granman in Pïlëuwimë, the Wayana on the Surinamese side of the Lawa River have their own head captain residing in Kawemhakan , who is also often referred to as granman. The granman of the Wayana in French Guiana resides in Kulumuli , which

414-510: Is also known by the name of the first granman Twenkë . After Twenkë's he was succeeded by his son Amaipotï. Independence of Suriname The early history of Suriname dates from 3000 BCE when Native Americans first inhabited the area. The Dutch acquired Suriname from the English, and European settlement in any numbers dates from the 17th century, when it was a plantation colony utilizing slavery for sugar cultivation. With abolition in

460-540: Is on an important location, because it is the gateway to Central Suriname Nature Reserve , and near the Raleigh Falls which are a major tourist attraction. Witagron is home to a Medische Zending healthcare centre. 5°10′N 56°06′W  /  5.167°N 56.100°W  / 5.167; -56.100 This Suriname location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Granman Granman ( Ndyuka language : gaanman )

506-563: Is the title of the paramount chief of a Maroon nation in Suriname and French Guiana . The Ndyuka , Saramaka , Matawai , Aluku , Paramaka and Kwinti nations all have a granman. The paramount chiefs of Amerindian peoples in Suriname are nowadays also often called “ granman”. The word comes from the Sranan Tongo language, a creole spoken in Suriname, and is derived from grand + man meaning "most important man." Granman

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552-456: Is unknown. In 1987, Suriname got a new civilian constitution and next year Ramsewak Shankar was elected as president. He was ousted in a military coup organized by Bouterse in 1990. In 1991, opposition the New Front for Democracy and Development won majority in parliamentary elections . Ronald Venetiaan was elected as new president. The civil war ended after a peace agreement between

598-807: The Arawaks , a nomadic coastal tribe that lived from hunting and fishing , and the Caribs . The Caribs conquered the Arawaks along much of the coast, and into the Caribbean, using sailing ships. They settled in Galibi ( Kupali Yumï , meaning "tree of the forefathers") on the mouth of the Marowijne river . While the Arawak and Carib lived off the coast and savanna , smaller groups of indigenous peoples lived in

644-515: The Nationalist Republican Party ). Another coup followed five months later, with the army replacing Ferrier with Chin A Sen. These developments were largely welcomed by a population that expected the new army-installed government to put an end to corruption and improve the standard of living. This was despite the fact that the new regime banned opposition parties and became increasingly dictatorial. The Dutch initially accepted

690-547: The Surinamese , French , and Brazilian states preferred to centralise their dealings with the Wayana, and for this purpose installed captains, head captains and granman among the Wayana chief. As the concept of a paramount chief goes against Wayana ideas of political organisation, the authority of these chiefs beyond their own villages is often limited. The granman of the Wayana in Suriname resides in Pïlëuwimë , which

736-616: The lo of a person, but also the bee . Every lo consists of multiple bees who have arrived from the same plantation or ancestral mother. The bee forms a segment of 50 to 100 people who are joined together with common practices and rules, but who are often spread out over multiple villages. The Saramaka granman resides in Asidonhopo . The succession of granman Belfon Aboikoni , who died in June 2014, has not been decided as of 2020. There are three candidates, but no agreement between

782-585: The rainforest inland, such as the Akurio , Trió , Warrau , and Wayana . The first Europeans who came to Suriname were Spanish explorers and Dutch traders who visited the area along with other parts of South America 's 'Wild Coast.' In 1613, a Dutch trading post near the village "Parmurbo" was in existence on the Suriname River, while in the same year the Spanish took over another Dutch trading post on

828-539: The 20th century, the natural resources of Suriname, rubber , gold and bauxite , were exploited. The US company Alcoa had a claim on a large area in Suriname where bauxite, from which aluminum can be made, was found. Given that the peace treaties with the Maroon people granted them title to the lands, there have been international court cases that negated the right of the Surinam government to grant these claims (meaning

874-653: The Aluku is not only a generic tribal chief, but also an arbiter who decides on issues concerning different maternal lineages. No appeal is possible, once a decision has been reached. In practice, his power is limited, because every individual has the right to make their own decisions. The Paramaka granman resides in Langatabiki . The current granman is Jozef Misajere Forster . The Kwinti granman resides in Witagron . Granman André Mathias died in 2018. There

920-585: The Corantijn River. The first significant attempt to settle the area by Europeans was in 1630, when English settlers led by Captain Marshall attempted to found a colony. They cultivated crops of tobacco , but the venture failed financially. In 1640, perhaps while the English were still at Marshall's Creek, the French built an outpost near the mouth of the Suriname River. In 1650, Lord Willoughby ,

966-586: The Dutch colony of Suriname in South America. Nothing came of it and after 1864, the proposal was dropped. The Dutch abolished slavery only in 1863, although the British had already abolished it during their short rule. The freed slaves were, however, still required to continue their plantation work on a contract basis and were not released until 1873; up to that date they conducted obligatory but paid work at

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1012-751: The English had regained and again lost Suriname in 1667. In 1683 the Society of Suriname was set up, modelled on the ideas of Jean-Baptiste Colbert to profit from the management and defence of the Dutch Republic 's colony. It had three participants, with equal shares in the society's responsibilities and profits—the city of Amsterdam , the family Van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck , and the Dutch West India Company . The Van Aerssen family only managed to sell its share in 1770. The Society came to an end in 1795 when this kind of trade and business

1058-649: The Ministry of Colonies. In 1954, Suriname gained self-government , with the Netherlands retaining control of defence and foreign affairs. It would become one of three member states - the others being the Netherlands Antilles and the Netherlands under one Kingdom . In 1973 the Dutch government started independence negotiations with the local government, led by the NPS (a largely Creole party), at

1104-629: The capital city, Paramaribo . In the meantime, many more workers had been imported from the Dutch East Indies , mostly Chinese inhabitants of that colony, creating a Chinese Surinamese population. From 1873 to 1916, many laborers were imported from India, creating the Indo-Surinamese . After 1916, many laborers were again imported from the Dutch East Indies , especially Java , creating the Javanese Surinamese . In

1150-609: The clans. The decision was forwarded to President Dési Bouterse in 2018, however he decided that the clans have to reach a compromise themselves. On 12 August 2018, Albert Aboikoni  [ nl ] was appointed Granman, however the appointment is considered controversial. The Matawai granman resides in Pusugrunu . The current granman is Lesley Valentijn . The Aluku granman used to reside in Papaïchton . In 1992, there were two granman installed, Paul Doudou who

1196-556: The government of Suriname and the Surinamese Liberation Army (SLA), commonly known as the Jungle Commando (or Commandos), led by Ronnie Brunswijk, was reached in August 1992. In 1992, an ally of Bouterse, Jules Wijdenbosch , was elected as new president. In 2000, Ronald Venetiaan became president again after winning the early elections . In 2005, Venetiaan was re-elected and his New Front coalition won narrowly

1242-497: The governor of Barbados , furnished out a vessel to settle a colony in Suriname. At his own cost he equipped a ship of 20 guns, and two smaller vessels with things necessary for the support of the plantation. Major Anthony Rowse settled there in his name. Two years later, for the better settling of the colony, he went in person, fortified and furnished it with things requisite for defence and trade. The settlement consisted of around 30,000 acres (120 km ) and "Fort Willoughby" near

1288-495: The granman and decide the policy for the entire tribe. A village has a lo lanti (council) consisting of the kabitens and basiyas of the village who are advised by a council of elders. The lo lanti acts as the local government. In case of important decisions, the whole village participates ( krutu ) and a decision is taken on the basis of consensus. Government is based on unwritten rules and regulations called gwenti which are not all powerful. If decision cannot be reached,

1334-467: The late 19th century, planters sought labor from China, Madeira, India, and Indonesia , which was also colonized by the Dutch. Dutch is Suriname's official language. Owing to its diverse population, it has also developed a creole language , Sranan Tongo . Suriname was populated millennia before the Europeans by many distinct indigenous cultures. The largest nations at the time of colonialization were

1380-534: The mouth of the Suriname River, expanded from the abandoned French outpost. In 1663 most of the work on the 50 or so plantations was done by native Indians and 3,000 African slaves. There were around 1,000 whites there, joined by Brazilian Jews, attracted by religious freedom which was granted to all the settlers by the English. The settlement was invaded by seven Dutch ships (from the Zeeland region), led by Abraham Crijnssen , on February 26, 1667. Fort Willoughby

1426-564: The new President of Suriname , replacing Bouterse. The PRP formed a coalition with the General Liberation and Development Party led by former guerilla leader Ronnie Brunswijk , the new vice president. In February 2023, protests against rising living costs occurred in the capital Paramaribo. Protesters accused the government of President Chan Santokhi of corruption. They stormed the National Assembly, demanding that

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1472-410: The new country would not be viable. Also contrary to the agreements with the new Surinam government, many originally Dutch settlers (bakra's/boeroes) were expropriated by the new Surinam Government. In 1980, the government of Henck Arron was overthrown in a military coup led by Sergeant-Major Dési Bouterse . President Ferrier refused to recognise the new government, appointing Henk Chin A Sen (of

1518-595: The new government; however, relations between Suriname and the Netherlands collapsed when 15 members of the political opposition were killed by the army on December 8, 1982, in Fort Zeelandia . This event is also known as the December murders ( Decembermoorden in Dutch). The Dutch and Americans cut off their aid in protest at the move. In 1985, the ban on opposition parties was lifted, and work began on devising

1564-421: The parliamentary election . In July 2010, the parliament elected Bouterse as the new president. In 2015, his party National Democratic Party (NDP) narrowly won the parliamentary election , giving Bouterse a second five-year period in power. In 2019, Bouterse was sentenced to 20 years in prison over the execution of 15 political opponents in 1982. Before, he was convicted in absentia of drug trafficking by

1610-461: The plantations. Slaves were required to work on plantations for 10 transition years for minimal pay, which was considered as partial compensation for their masters. Besides that, the Dutch government in 1863 also compensated each slave-owner for the loss of the working force of each slave 300 Dutch florins - in 2021 worth about 3,500 euros. After 1873, most freedmen largely abandoned the plantations where they had worked for several generations in favor of

1656-524: The request of members of the NPS, which was granted on November 25, 1975. The Dutch instituted an aid programme worth US$ 1.5 billion to last till 1985. The first President of the country was Johan Ferrier , with Henck Arron (leader of the NPS) as Prime Minister. Despite agreements with the new Surinam government roughly a third of the population emigrated to the Netherlands prior to and after independence, fearing that

1702-602: The right to take the land for themselves and ignoring autonomy). On November 23, 1941, under an agreement with the Dutch government-in-exile, the United States stationed troops in Suriname to protect the bauxite mines. In 1949, the first full election was held. Julius Caesar de Miranda was elected as first Prime Minister of Suriname . As a member of the Colonial States, he had been critical of Governor Kielstra and had argued for end to subservience to

1748-622: The tribe by kabiten Hudukanti and Alcoa , the lands were sold, and the people settled in Tout-Lui-Faut near Paramaribo . Traditionally, there was no clear hierarchy in the Tiriyó tribe . In 1997, Asongo Alalaparu was appointed as first granman for Suriname. Traditionally, the Wayana did not recognise a form of leadership that transcended the village level. Contact with missionaries and state representatives started to change that, and

1794-406: Was a seventh group of Maroons called Brooskampers (also: Bakabusi Nengre). In the 1740s, they lived in the swamps near Surnau Creek. On 2 September 1863, a peace treaty was signed offering the tribe the abandoned plantations Klaverblad and Rorac. No granman was appointed, and the tribe was led by a kabiten (captain). Bauxite was discovered on the plantation. In 1917, a deal was negotiated with

1840-483: Was also used for the governors of Suriname . The word can be used in combination with other words: granman-oso (big man house) is the Presidential Palace . The paramount chief of a tribe is the granman. Below the granman are the kabitens (captains) followed by the basiyas (aldermen). The stam lanti consists of all the kabitens and basiyas who meet at least once a year under the authority of

1886-469: Was captured the next day after a three-hour fight and renamed Fort Zeelandia . On July 31, 1667, the English and Dutch signed the Treaty of Breda , in which for the time being the status quo was respected: the Dutch could keep occupying Suriname and the English the formerly Dutch colony New Amsterdam (modern-day New York ). This arrangement was made official in the Treaty of Westminster of 1674 , after

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1932-541: Was granman in Papaïchton until his death in 2014, and Joachim-Joseph Adochini who was chosen by election, and not part of maternal lineage. Adochini resides in Maripasoula . Unlike the other tribes who are located in Suriname, the Aluku are French citizens. There is a village of located in Suriname called Cottica which is governed by a kabiten who is not under the authority of the granman. The granman of

1978-519: Was horrific, and slaves periodically escaped to the jungle from the start. These Maroons (also known as "Djukas" or "Bakabusi Nengre") attacked the plantations in order to acquire goods that were in short supply and to free enslaved women. Notable leaders of the Surinam Maroons were Alabi , Boni , Joli-coeur and Broos (Captain Broos). In the 18th century, three of the Maroon people signed

2024-558: Was no longer seen as acceptable. In South America, slavery was the norm. The native people proved to be in limited supply and consequently the Atlantic slave trade supplied the workforce for the plantations. The plantations were producing sugar , coffee , cocoa , and cotton which were exported for the Amsterdam market. In 1713, for instance, most of the work on the 200 plantations was done by 13,000 African slaves. Their treatment

2070-626: Was not appreciated, because the Ndyuka had to choose their own leader, and it was still too early to make a decision. Gazon was also of the opinion that the inauguration ought to be performed by Governor de Vries on behalf of Queen Juliana . The Ndyuka granman is elected from the Otoo matriclan or lo and resides in Diitabiki . The current granman is Bono Velantie , who was installed on 17 March 2015. The Ndyuka and Saramaka distinguish not only

2116-441: Was occupied by the British in 1799, after the Netherlands were incorporated by France, and was returned to the Dutch in 1816, after the defeat of Napoleon . In 1861–63, President Abraham Lincoln of the United States and his administration looked abroad for places to relocate freed slaves who wanted to leave the United States. It opened negotiations with the Dutch government regarding African-American emigration to and colonization of

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