PARAMARIBO — For the Ministry of Regional Development, participation in meetings such as the Busi Kondé Sama Festival is an opportunity to maintain ties with maroon communities and cultural organizations in the region and to emphasize the importance of cultural preservation, knowledge transfer and cooperation for the development of the interior. “With this participation, the ministry underlines the importance of cross-border cooperation, the preservation of cultural heritage and the strengthening of the historical ties between the maroon communities in Suriname and French Guiana,” the ministry explained in a press release on Saturday evening.
The RO delegation was led by Hermien Pavion, director of the Domestic Agricultural Development Directorate. She briefly explained the work of the two directorates within the ministry that deal with the development of Maroon communities. Attention was paid to the role of RO in promoting the development of the interior and the importance of cooperation with communities and organizations committed to the preservation of Maroon culture.
“What started as an initiative focused on the areas along the Marowijne, Lawa and Oyapock rivers has grown into a platform for cultural awareness, knowledge transfer and the promotion of cultural diversity within the Guyana Shield”
Award
The eighth edition of the Busi Kondé Sama Festival took place on Friday and Saturday in Cayenne, French Guiana. This year’s theme was: ‘The meeting of the Busi Kondé Sama peoples of Suriname and French Guiana’. According to RO, the shared history, cultural identity and the future of the Maroon communities on both sides of the border were central. The event provided space for meetings, knowledge exchange and strengthening mutual solidarity, the ministry said.
On the first day of the festival, the Gaanman Gazon Matodja Award was awarded by the Maroon Institute and Sabanapeti foundation, led by André Pakosie, to the organization Lavi Danbwa, Annie Ho You Fat and professor Jean Moomau. Ho You Fat was awarded for her efforts as a teacher and her contribution to the transfer of cultural knowledge to young people. Moomau received recognition for his achievements in the field of education, knowledge transfer and his publications, including articles on the border issue between Suriname and French Guiana. The organizing foundation Lavi Danbwa was appreciated for its contribution to making the shared culture visible and preserving.
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Origin
The Busi Kondé Sama Festival was founded in Cayenne in 2017 by Lavi Danbwa, which literally means ‘life in the forest’. The initiative arose from the desire to draw attention to the way of life, traditions and culture of the Maroon communities in the interior of French Guiana.
According to RO, what started as an initiative focused on the areas along the Marowijne, Lawa and Oyapock rivers has now grown into a platform for cultural awareness, knowledge transfer and the promotion of cultural diversity within the Guyana Shield.
Dance and costume
Pakosie, who is concerned, among other things, with the historiography of the Surinamese Maroons, gave a presentation on Friday about the historical background of various traditional dance forms. He discussed, among other things, the fosten pee of six lo’s and the origins of the songewhich, according to him, emerged from the awasa-dance. Also the asekitiwhich is danced within the Saamaka community, and the bandja were discussed.
On the second day of the festival, Pakosie gave a lecture about the traditional costumes of the Maroon communities. A discussion also took place under the title ‘Businengee Kosi’, providing space for further exchange on cultural topics.
