Opposition, Indigenous groups pledge to work together

Opposition Spokesperson on Culture, Deborah Hickling Gordon, has declared the recent meeting between People’s National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding and all the Maroon chiefs as a signal of the amicable relationship that a future PNP administration intends to foster with the Maroons.

The meeting, held on Wednesday, was led by chairman of the Yamaye Council of Indigenous Leaders and attorney-at-law Dr Marcus Goffe and included leaders of the five Maroon communities and the representative of Tainos in Jamaica.

Colonel Lloyd Lattibeaudiere of the Scott’s Hall Maroon community; Colonel Wallace Sterling of Moore Town; Colonel Richard Currie of Accompong; Colonel Jacko Cameron of Flagstaff; acting colonel Delano ‘Padam’ Douglas from the Charles Town Maroons; Gaa Mang Gloria Simms, also known as Mama G, the Maroon Queen; and Kasike Kalaan Nibonrix Kaiman, Taino chief, represented their communities at the meeting.

Hickling Gordon noted that the meeting was to discuss the long-outstanding grievances of the Maroons and other indigenous groups in Jamaica, as well as priority issues and actions that it wished to be addressed by the Jamaican Government through “meaningful and constructive dialogue and transparent and mutually respectful communication.”

“The issues to do with the Maroon community, and the agreements that would have been made with the Jamaican Government in 1962 have always been contentious, either with the government or between the communities themselves,” she told The Gleaner.

These, she said, included issues surrounding sovereignty and land.

AT ODDS

The government and the Accompong Maroons have been at odds over prospective mining and other matters, triggering a Supreme Court case concerning land ownership in the Cockpit Country, where Accompong and other settlements are situated.

The dispute has led to public clashes between Accompong Chief Richard Currie and Prime Minister Andrew Holness and resulted in Currie’s exclusion from a meeting with government officials that was held with Maroon chiefs two years ago amid rising tensions.

Additionally, Currie and other Maroon leaders have expressed concerns about the lack of consultation with indigenous peoples during the government’s constitutional reform process.

Currie attended the PNP’s annual conference in September where he decried the government’s neglect of the Accompong Maroons.

In November, a group of Accompong Maroons, led by former leader Colonel Fearon Williams, attended the Jamaica Labour Party’s annual conference where Holness indicated his plan to develop the Accompong Maroon community.

TARGETED APPROACH

According to Hickling Gordon, the goal of Wednesday’s meeting was to identify issues that are common to all the maroon communities.

“We didn’t get into the challenges that they have with the existing government; that’s something that needs to be worked out by the government itself,” she said.

“Our perspective is that we need to be proactive about dealing with things that are issue based, so we are looking at issues to do with their right to self determination, issues to do with land and the right to maintain their spiritual and cultural practices.”

Colonel Lattibeaudiere told The Gleaner that it was the first time that all Maroon leaders had come together in such a setting.

“It was a good meeting, everybody was happy that this happened, the mood was good right to the end,” he said.

Meanwhile, Golding, in a statement, committed to ongoing dialogue with the Maroon and indigenous communities.

“I am approaching this meeting as a political leader, yes, but more so as a human being, to bring to the table my experience in crafting sustainable, mutually beneficial solutions to the long-standing issues to do with land, autonomy, dignity, justice, rights, freedoms and responsibilities that currently remain unresolved,” he said.

He further welcomed the unified stance by the chiefs of the Indigenous Council.

“It is important for all the Maroon and Taino leadership and people to work together to establish common principles on the range of issues you present, even as you hold fast to the unique and distinctive practices and systems within your respective communities,” the Opposition leader said.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com