DNA Chairman Ashwin Adhin emphasises the importance of respectful dialogue and careful legislation in the recognition and protection of the collective rights of Indigenous and tribal peoples. In his message on the occasion of the Day of the Marrons on 10 October, he also calls for attention to good education and equal development opportunities for young people in the interior.
According to Adhin, the legal protection of collective rights still requires a careful response. De Nationale Assemblée (Suriname’s parliament) has an important responsibility in this, he says. The communities concerned must genuinely be heard in the drafting of legislation.
The parliamentary chairman refers to historian Ben Scholtens, who in his 1994 study Bosnegers en overheid in Suriname warned of possible conflicts over land rights due to increasing economic activities in the interior. According to Adhin, that warning has become reality.
“As Chairman of De Nationale Assemblée, I underline the importance of respectful dialogue and careful legislation, in which the communities concerned are genuinely heard,” Adhin said.
He also refers to the treaty with the Saamaka of 1762. According to his message, Louis Nepveu read the treaty aloud at the time, article by article, in Sranan, so that those involved knew what they were agreeing to. “Being heard begins with understanding.”
Equal opportunities for young people
Adhin also emphasises that young people in the interior should be able to learn about their history and be proud of their origins. As an example, he mentions Afáka Atumisi, a Ndyuka who designed a script for his language around 1910, consisting of 56 characters.
According to the DNA Chairman, this illustrates that talent has always been present in the interior, but that access to education and development opportunities is essential.
“A child in Sipaliwini or Brokopondo deserves the same attention and opportunities as a child in the city. This requires continued commitment from all of us.”
Heritage of free people
In his message, Adhin reflects on the legacy of the Marron ancestors. According to him, it lives on in the languages, traditions, knowledge and community spirit of the Marron peoples. He also points to the international recognition of tembe, the woodcarving of the Marrons, which, according to him, is displayed in museums as far away as Los Angeles.
Under the name Fiiman Tembe, art of free people, this art form constitutes an essential part of Surinamese identity, according to Adhin.
The parliamentary chairman congratulates the Marron communities in the interior, the city and the diaspora, and pays tribute to the freedom fighters and their descendants. He concludes with a message of connectedness: “Our ancestors were brought here on different ships, but they all crossed the same sea.”
