Preserving Maroon Heritage at Accompong Museum
Kassie Edwards, Research Assistant
Kassie Edwards, Research Assistant
National Museum of African American History & Culture
National Museum of African American History & Culture
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
Accompong Maroon
St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica
The Accompong Maroons are
the historic descendants of
runaway slaves, who waged
successful wars against the British
and gained
quasi
self-
governance through a treaty
negotiated by their leader
Cudjoe in 1738. Every year on
January 6, the community hosts
peace treaty celebrations.
History of Jamaica
•
Originally inhabited by Arawak
also called Taino peoples
•
Jamaica derives from the Taino
word Xaymaca
•
Christopher Columbus
“discovered” Jamaica in 1494
•
Spaniards claimed the island and
named it Santiago
•
English attacked in 1655 and used
Jamaica as a crop cash cow
•
1808 England outlawed the slave
trade
•
Granted independence in 1962
History of Jamaican Maroons
•
1655 – English invades;
Spanish colonist fled;
enslaved Africans & Tainos
set free or escaped to the
mountains
•
1673 – 1690 Imported slaves
and major slave uprisings
•
1728 – The First Maroon War
•
1738 – Treaty signed by
Cudjoe
Surinam Ranger
History of Jamaican Maroons (Con’d)
•
1760 – Tacky’s War
•
1795 – Second Maroon War
•
Current Times
•
11 Maroon Settlements
•
4 Government Recognized
Maroon Towns
Pacification with the Maroon Negros
(1801)
by Agostino Brunyas
Engraving on paper
BCC Museum
Windward
Windward
Maroons
Maroons
Leeward
Leeward
Maroons
Maroons
Government Recognized Maroon Towns
→
1793, Cudjoe
→
1754, Quao
→
1793, Nanny
→
1739, Cudjoe
•
Scott’s Hall, St. Mary Parish
•
Charles Town, Portland Parish
•
Moore Towne, Portland Parish
•
Accompong, St. Elizabeth’s Parish
Government Oversight
Tourism Product
Development Co.
•
Founded April 5
th
1996
•
The Tourism Product
Development Company
(TPDCo) is the central
agency mandated by the
Government of Jamaica to
facilitate the maintenance,
development and
enhancement of the tourism
product.
Jamaica National
Heritage Trust
•
Passing of Law No. 72 in
1958
•
The Jamaica National
Heritage Trust is
responsible for the
promotion, preservation,
and development of
Jamaica's material
cultural heritage. The
organization maintains
the list of National
Heritage Sites in Jamaica.
Jamaica Social
Investment Fund
•
Established in 1996
•
The Fund was designed
primarily to channel
resources to small-
scaled community
based projects. It
addresses the
immediate demands of
communities in a
manner that is quick,
efficient, effective,
transparent and non-
partisan.
Tourism Development Co.
Development Services
•
Training
•
Signage
•
Visitor Safety & Security
•
Licensure
•
Environmental Care
•
Disaster management plan
Accompong Village Relationship
•
Provided toilets for the
school
•
Fixed roads
•
Trained tour guides
•
Assist with annual festival
•
Museum operations
Accompong Village Tourism
•
Maroon Festival
•
Tour Guide
•
Village Museum
•
Restaurants
•
Canteens
•
Peace Cave
•
Kindah Tree
•
Burial Grounds
→
Annually in January
→
$20USD per person/2 hours
→
Over 200 objects
→
2 places serve Jamaican food
→
Over 5 bars/snack shops
→
Where peace treaty was signed
→
Where Cudjoe made war plans
→
Ancestors laid to rest
Challenges
→
TPDCo assistance
→
Tour Fee, Festival Fee,
Private/Public partnership
→
Assigned tourism admin
→
Keeping records of tours/visits
→
JA improves infrastructure
→
More
online
presence, accept
credit cards
•
Licensing is complex process
•
Funding
•
Sustainability
•
Collecting Data & Statistics
•
Infrastructure
•
Advertising
Accompong Tour & Museum Photos
Good Afternoon Everyone. My name is Kassie Edwards and I am a research assistant at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. I was born in NYC to two immigrant parents who originated in Jamaica. My mother who is here with me in the back is from Wait-A-Bit, Trelawney. Wait A Bit is a small community (or as they call it in Jamaica BACKA BUSH) located at the edge of Cockpit Country in which this presentation’s Accompong Village is situated. Funny story about why its called Wait A Bit, urban legend says that a man passing through town asked a farmer what town is this. The farmer, in a hurry, said wait a bit and left to tend to something else. The passerby left assuming the name of the town is Wait-A-Bit, while that might be an anecdotal explanation, more than likely it is named after a thorny bush brought from Africa which is used as hedges to protect against wild animals. So it really is BACKABUSH lol
A little bit about me, I graduated from Florida State in 2010 with a BA in African American Studies and a minor in Museum Studies. During my studies I was particularly interested in prehistorical African history and implicit bias. 2 years ago I received my MPA from Washington Adventist University where I focused on social justice policies and entities. I love my job at the Blacksonian as its called. I work with Curators like our very own JoAnne Hyppolite and Jackie Serwer to research provenance and histories about objects and the people who created them. Some of my other research projects include Prince Demah, the first documented enslaved portrait artist and Romare Bearden’s murals in NYC Schools.
I got inspired to conduct this research after taking a pilgrimage trip back to my ancestral home of Jamaica last summer for my 30th birthday. My family and I took a trip to the Accompong Village in Cockpit Country. The museum inspired me to spread the word about the marvelous triumphs of these people’s descendants who have overcome kidnapping, enslavement, murder and torture. My hopes is that this presentation will inspire other community leaders and influencers to capture similar histories in their home countries.
Explore the rich history of Accompong Maroons, descendants of runaway slaves who secured self-governance through treaties. Learn about the annual peace treaty celebrations on January 6th. Discover the history of Jamaica, starting from the Arawak settlement to gaining independence in 1962. Dive into the intriguing past of Jamaican Maroons, from the First Maroon War and treaties to present-day settlements and recognition. Check out the Windward and Leeward Maroons, as well as the government-recognized Maroon towns like Accompong and Moore Towne. Understand the government oversight and organizations preserving Jamaica's heritage. Engage with the legacy of resilient and self-sufficient Maroon communities.
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Presentation Transcript
Preserving Maroon Heritage: Preserving Maroon Heritage: The The Accompong Accompong Museum Museum Kassie Edwards, Research Assistant National Museum of African American History & Culture Smithsonian Institution
Accompong Maroon St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica The Accompong Maroons are the historic descendants of runaway slaves, who waged successful wars against the British and gained quasi self- governance through a treaty negotiated by their leader Cudjoe in 1738. Every year on January 6, the community hosts peace treaty celebrations.
History of Jamaica Originally inhabited by Arawak also called Taino peoples Jamaica derives from the Taino word Xaymaca Christopher Columbus discovered Jamaica in 1494 Spaniards claimed the island and named it Santiago English attacked in 1655 and used Jamaica as a crop cash cow 1808 England outlawed the slave trade Granted independence in 1962
History of Jamaican Maroons 1655 English invades; Spanish colonist fled; enslaved Africans & Tainos set free or escaped to the mountains 1673 1690 Imported slaves and major slave uprisings 1728 The First Maroon War 1738 Treaty signed by Cudjoe Surinam Ranger
History of Jamaican Maroons (Cond) 1760 Tacky s War 1795 Second Maroon War Current Times 11 Maroon Settlements 4 Government Recognized Maroon Towns Pacification with the Maroon Negros (1801) by Agostino Brunyas Engraving on paper BCC Museum
Windward Maroons Leeward Maroons
Government Recognized Maroon Towns Scott s Hall, St. Mary Parish Charles Town, Portland Parish Moore Towne, Portland Parish Accompong, St. Elizabeth s Parish 1793, Cudjoe 1754, Quao 1793, Nanny 1739, Cudjoe
Government Oversight Jamaica Social Investment Fund Tourism Product Development Co. Jamaica National Heritage Trust Passing of Law No. 72 in 1958 The Jamaica National Heritage Trust is responsible for the promotion, preservation, and development of Jamaica's material cultural heritage. The organization maintains the list of National Heritage Sites in Jamaica. Established in 1996 The Fund was designed primarily to channel resources to small- scaled community based projects. It addresses the immediate demands of communities in a manner that is quick, efficient, effective, transparent and non- partisan. Founded April 5th1996 The Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) is the central agency mandated by the Government of Jamaica to facilitate the maintenance, development and enhancement of the tourism product.
Tourism Development Co. Development Services Training Signage Visitor Safety & Security Licensure Environmental Care Disaster management plan Accompong Village Relationship Provided toilets for the school Fixed roads Trained tour guides Assist with annual festival Museum operations
Accompong Village Tourism Maroon Festival Tour Guide Village Museum Restaurants Canteens Peace Cave Kindah Tree Burial Grounds Annually in January $20USD per person/2 hours Over 200 objects 2 places serve Jamaican food Over 5 bars/snack shops Where peace treaty was signed Where Cudjoe made war plans Ancestors laid to rest
Challenges Licensing is complex process TPDCo assistance Funding Tour Fee, Festival Fee, Private/Public partnership Assigned tourism admin Sustainability Keeping records of tours/visits Collecting Data & Statistics JA improves infrastructure Infrastructure More online presence, accept credit cards Advertising
