Maroon Day in Suriname Date in the current year: October 10, 2024

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.

Celebration of Maroon Day is aimed at fighting with stereotypes regarding the Maroons. Many people still think, that they are arrogant paupers, but this opinion is wrong.