Currie snubs fellow Maroon leaders

The local Maroon communities intend to seek audience with Prime Minister Andrew Holness to try and ease simmering tension between the Government and the indigenous groups, especially in relation to those in the Cockpit Country led by Richard Currie, who has spurned all efforts by his counterparts in the other settlements to have dialogue with him since he was elected 11 months ago.

Currie, who was elected head of the St Elizabeth-based Accompong Town Maroons in March last year, has been sparring with the Government over the 1738 treaty the Maroons signed with the British government – which colonised the island at the time – giving the indigenous group sovereignty over their lands.

Currie also had the Firearm Licensing Authority launching an investigation into the circumstances in which he was seen with what appeared to be a shotgun strapped to his back during a confrontation with the police last year. He challenged cops as to whether they had the right to enter what he deemed Maroon territory. He, however, maintained that he does not need the permission of the Jamaican authorities to use any modern weapon to carry out his duties and to protect his people.

But claims that the treaty is still in force have been questioned by the Government, with Deputy Prime Minister Horace Chang denying knowledge of the existence of “Maroon lands”. This triggered discussions as to whether the treaty was nullified when the island was granted Independence in 1962.

Wallace Sterling, colonel of the Moore Town Maroons in Portland, is hoping that the long-standing debate will be settled through dialogue soon.

“The time has come for us to have a sit-down with the Government instead of one side saying this and the other saying that. We have been calling for discussion with the Government from the incident with the Accompong chief and the subsequent comment by the security minister,” Sterling, the most senior leader of the Maroon chiefs, told The Sunday Gleaner.

“There needs to be meaningful dialogue on the way forward to determine what the Maroons and Government want,” Sterling added. “That is how we should act as civilised people in a civilised society, and as the most senior colonel, we are going to be speaking with the Office of the Prime Minister to bring to rest any form of animosity that might have come about.”

Moore Town is located on pristine lands in the Blue and John Crow Mountains, and like Accompong, Flagstaff in St James, Scott’s Hall in St Mary, and Charles Town in Portland, its settlers are descendants of enslaved Africans who ran away from British-owned plantations and who waged war on their former captors for over 80 years, which ended with the signing of the 1738 treaty between their famous leader Cudjoe (also called Kojo) and the British, but this has never been ratified by the Jamaican Government.

The Maroon colonels told The Sunday Gleaner that they were standing by the controversial Currie, hoping that good sense will prevail, despite his refusal to meet with them since he assumed office 11 months ago.

“We have spoken to him on the phone once or twice, but we are trying to reach out to him – myself, Moore Town and Charles Town Maroons have been trying to get him on board,” colonel of the 2,000-strong Scott’s Hall Maroons, Lloyd Lattibeaudiere, said. “We need to speak as one body.”

Several calls by our news team to Currie went unanswered.

Sterling refused to discuss Currie’s relationship with the leadership group, but a senior figure close to the issues told The Sunday Gleaner that Currie has not been responsive to the Maroon Secretariat’s call for talks.

No proper dialogue

“There has been no proper dialogue between Currie and the other colonels. In fact, he has chosen not to use the traditional title of colonel and is referred to as the chief; he has refused to go to the table,” the elder told the news team. “But in fairness to him, it might be because of the excitement surrounding his appointment, but he has not shown any interest in even having a proper telephone conversation with the rest.”

Lattibeaudiere was reluctant to respond to reports that the Cabinet was mulling over whether to yank state funding from the indigenous groups, indicating that his St Mary community has been underserved for decades.

“Maroon communities have been going through so much turmoil,” he said, lamenting the need to build relationships internally and externally.

Last Thursday, the Accompong Maroons celebrated the 284th anniversary of signing a peace treaty with British colonisers, hosting the popular annual event that has been a pull for locals and foreigners alike.

But it has not been a bed of roses among the respective communities, which might explain Currie’s reluctance to come to the table, as the Maroons of Flagstaff in St James are adamant that the Accompong celebration is being held over the years on a false premise. Both communities claim that Cudjoe signed the treaty with the British in their community.

“I have to support his position, but the celebration is held on a false premise, because no Maroon war was fought in Accompong,” a prominent figure in the south St James community argued. “Accompong was the fourth in line after the death of Cudjoe. They are not the real Maroon town. We are. The Government need to talk to us, because there is some truth to what Mr Currie is saying but he is going about it the wrong way.”

Currie was elected to serve a five-year term last February, defeating the incumbent, policeman Ferron Williams, but residents say his approach has gone against the Maroon traditions.

Residents were generally guarded when quizzed on Currie’s leadership.

“I did not support him in the election, but we are all Maroons, and after the election, we should be one community, but even people that voted for him are complaining,” one 68-year-old resident, who asked not to be identified, said. “People are literally afraid to express themselves. We don’t have a say … . I wish they call the election right now.”

A 78-year-old resident, who gave his name as Lion, said he was more concerned that the Maroon traditions were dying as the Western lifestyle continues to captivate the minds of the next generation. He, however, expressed hope for the people of Accompong.

“It is not the first that a new colonel comes in and get solid support and they turn their backs on him after a while,” Lion said. “It has happened before, so you will find them vouching for you today, but they will turn against you tomorrow.”

Locals are also concerned with the number of individuals from outside the community claiming to be Maroons.

The atmosphere was tense in Accompong on Friday following the shooting of six persons, one fatally, during the festivities the night before.

But reacting to the incident in a post to his Instagram page, Currie said that the Maroons were “disheartened, shocked and left with few words to describe the events which took place at our sacred annual event”.

He said that the shooting occurred about 9 p.m. on Thursday, shortly after he made the rounds to remind persons who were not from the area to abide by the curfew and COVID-19 protocols.

mark.titus@gleanerjm.com