saramaccans
The Dutch brought west Africans over to use as slaves in the cotton, cocoa, coffee, and sugar cane fields. The Dutch at this time were notoriously very cruel to their slaves. Because of the cruel treatment, there was an uprising, and many slaves escaped to the jungle with the help of the natives. Since they were very adept in this environment, they thrived. Slavery was abolished in 1863. Individual tribes were formed on different rivers: Saramakan, Aukan, Paramakan, Matawai, Aluku, and Kwinti. The Saramakan, or Saramaccan, formed on the Suriname River.
family
For the traditional Saramaccans, family is very important - especially extended family. A family depends on its members to take care of one another. They are a matrilineal society, which means that the family is tracecd through the mother's side. This makes the mother's side very respected in the family. At the same time, males make the important decisions. If a decision needs to be made about a child, the mother's brother makes the decision. Grandparents act as counsel to the family.
men
In Saramaccan culture, a man can more than one wife. Husbands are the head of the house while the wives are asked for their input. Again, the mother's side of the has more say-so that the father's side. A young man may choose his wife when he is around 16-18 years old, but then his family talks with the woman's uncle to make arrangements. When a man gets married, he is expected to build a house and canoe for his wife as well as provide pots and pans. He is expected to provide for his family.
Saramaccan men usually go to the city to find work, but they may work as boatmen on the river. They use the money they make in the city to buy supplies for the family. When they return to the village, they bring the supplies from the city. When they are in the village, they will hunt and fish, although not much meat is brought home due to the size of the jungle. Men will help plant the food in the planting ground, but women and children harvest.
women
Young ladies often marry around fifteen years old; they cannot have more than one husband. Women raise the children. When babies are born, the women tie them to their backs with a cloth and carry them.
The Saramaccan villages are about 80% women at any given time because the men have to leave to find work. In addition to raising children, women work the planting grounds and fish locally. They will also make some clothes and carve things for the family. Women will cook for the family - usually on open fire. Making palm oil is a very rigorous task that women will work together on. It is used to cook with or as a gift. A bottle of palm oil brings honor to the family that gives it. Saramaccan women are very hard working.
children
Young children run and play through the village and in the river. When they are old enough, which isn't long, they help in the planting grounds. Girls begin helping their mothers early. It is a father's job to show his sons the occupations of the Saramaccans. He will have freedom to choose his occupatioin when he is older.
Children are very well behaved, and they have respect for adults. Anyone can discipline a child on the spot if the child is out among the village. When the children are young, they are disciplined by spanking. For older children, they are sat in the middle of a family circle while the family scolds and shames them; counsel is also given in this meeting.
village
The people in the villages work together very well. It is truly a village atmosphere the way people help each other with daily chores. They depend on each other for survival. The Saramaccans are under the rule of a graanman, who is like a governor over the Saramaccan state (all Saramaccan villages). The title has several variations: graaman, gaanman, or gaaman. The people all say who they want as graanman, and the president of Suriname appoints him. It is generally a very well respected man that the people choose.
Under the graanman, each village has a captain who is like a mayor. The captain has four baasjes (bahs-yuh) under him that act like counselmen. There are two male baasjes and two female baasjes. Local village matters are taken to the captain. The captains will take larger matters to the graanman. All of the authorities will meet periodically for long term planning of the Saramaccan state. There is little need to address crime as it is not tolerated in the villages. Anyone who commits a violent crime is banished.
language
The language is Saramaccan. It is a creole of Dutch, Portuguese, English, and some African languages. It is only spoken among these people. There is a similar trade language that the men speak in the city called Sranan Tongo. Saramaccaan is related to the other tribes' languages on other rivers, but it's not the same.
The people are functionally illiterate. There is a written language, but very few read. They are an oral people. They have passed their history down accurately through the generations by telling stories. They tell these stories when they go hunting, when they go to work the planting grounds, or at night. Since this is the way they communicate, they keep their stories in tact very well. They naturally understand the moral of stories much better than a literate society does.
dress
Traditionally, both women and men are topless. Men may wear a cloth over his shoulders and tied in a knot on his side - especially if he is someone of importance. They will also wear a cloth that hangs around his waiste. Women wear a pangi (a wrap skirt) that goes below the knees. Anywhere from the top of a woman's knees to her naval is always covered. However, the younger Saramaccans are veering from tradition and wear tops and modern clothes. Shoes are rarely seen in the village.
religion
The Saramaccans are animists. They believe that spirits are in animate objects (people and animals) and inanimate objects (rocks, rivers, trees, etc.). Kunu is the name of the master evil spirit - similar to Satan in the Bible. There are other spirits under Kunu; these are gods. These spirits can inhabit people against their will. They believe that a person cannot have power over these spirits. If a person does what the spirits tell them to, then they believe that their lives will be easier; if they don't obey, then the spirits will do bad things to them. The people build totem poles and idols vaguely shaped like a person to represent these gods. They offer alcohol and food sacrifice to the gods. There are shaman-like people who are there to help atone for the sins of the people to appease the gods. When someone dies, there is concern for what happens to that spirit. They want to make sure it doesn't harm them.
It is not a pleasant religion like Christianity. It is very works-based and fear-based. It is not even a religion where works earn you a reward but a system where works keep you from getting punished. There is no concept of grace. They also have no concept of eternal life. Many Saramaccan believe that Jesus is the white man's Kunu. They even believe that Jesus is more powerful than their gods. They do believe in a creator God (Gadu). There are two camps. One believes that God cannot be approached and does not have time to bother with the affairs of people. The other camp believes that God is another Kunu. They believe that since the gods are the only ones that care about their daily lives, then they have to work through them and not Creator-God.
thanks
This information has come from George Eduard, a Saramaccan Christian, as well as documentation written by former IMB missionary Tim McClard who worked among the Saramaccans. Thanks to those who have gone before us; you make our job easier.
