Paramaccan people


The Paramaccan or Paramaka are a Maroon tribe living in the forested interior of Suriname, mainly in the Pamacca resort, and the western border area of French Guiana. The Paramaccan signed a peace treaty in 1872 granting the tribe autonomy.

Overview

The administrative centre for the tribe is located in Snesiekondre, but the main village of the resort is Langatabiki which is also the residence of the granman of the Paramaccan people. The tribe controls 13 villages.
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.

History

The Paramaccans were runaway slaves from the Handtros or Entros plantation who fled around 1830. In 1856, the August Kappler reported that the tribe had established villages near the Paramacca Creek. In 1872, they had signed a peace treaty with the Dutch colony giving the tribe autonomy, and Frans Kwaku, the leader of the expedition to Paramaribo, was officially appointed granman by the Governor. In 1879, a group of about 90 Paramaccans lead by Apensa created a settlement on an island in the Marowijne River near the mouth of the Paramacca Creek. The town was named Langatabiki. During the Surinamese Interior War, the Paramaccans sided with the Jungle Commando, which resulted in a large migration to French Guiana.

Language

Paramaccan is also the eponymous term for their language, which is English-based with influences from Dutch, African languages, and other languages. It is similar to the languages spoken by the Ndyuka and Kwinti, and mutually intelligible with Sranan Tongo. Paramaccan is the youngest of the Surinamese pidgin languages. The language had an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 speakers in 1991.