Maroon Day is one of the public holidays in Suriname.
This day had been celebrated for decades, but it became a public holiday only in 2011, when the first official events were held.
Maroon Day celebrates the nation of African refugees who escaped from slavery and formed independent settlements.
The term “maroon” itself derives from the Latin American Spanish “cimarrón”, meaning “fugitive, runaway, feral animal”.
The former slaves spread and settled in North, South, Central and Latin Americas, Caribbean islands and even in South Asian countries.
Maroons in Suriname created several independent tribes, among them the tribe of the Ndyuka.
Creation and celebration of Maroon Day refers to the events of 1760, when the Ndyuka signed a treaty with the Dutch.
The treaty was forged by a former Jamaican slave who had learned to read and write and knew about the Jamaican treaty.
Signing of this treaty defined the territorial rights of the Maroons in the gold-rich inland of Suriname.
