We should continue to fight for the rights of indigenous peoples of Suriname and we should educate ourselves said Angelique Palmtak in her acceptance speech as first female Chieftain of the village council of Grankreek in Saramacca,Suriname on saturday March 5th 2016.
In a historic gathering Angelique Palmtak and her fellow village council members were joined by various Surinamese indigenous chieftains and elderly. President Desire Bouterse and his delegation of Cabinet Ministers, National Democratic Party officials as well as local and national government officers, came to Grankreek village to be part of this historic celebration.
The village chieftains are chosen for live by the elderly and by the villagers. After long and serious considerations the new chieftain who is the first woman to receive this task in GranKreek, agreed to take this huge responsibility. The young woman, who is known as a strong warrior, will be responsible for the material and immaterial well being of her villagers and is supported by a council which will help her to carry out the many tasks.
Although Grankreek is not an original indigenous village historically, the population is mainly Arawak and Carib and the ceremonies which were performed during the installation of the new village council were attended by various representatives from all Surinamese indigenous tribes.
Palmtak urged her villagers to support her to do the tasks ahead of her and called on the government to make haste to ensure the land distribution papers are finalized for the village because 'without land you are nothing' she said. The new Village council chairperson stressed the importance of education and training and called on her villagers to educate themselves and not stay behind while the world was moving on technologically and also socially.
Originally the coastal region of Surname was inhabited by Arrawac and Carib peoples who retreated to the interior rainforest of Suriname when European colonizers occupied their territory and introduced slavery and colonialism in Suriname. Today Suriname has five indigenous peoples who live freely in villages in the interior rainforest and in coastal towns like Grankreek. Angelique Palmtak spoke in dutch, the official Language in Suriname but the songs and the prayers during the ceremonies were spoken in indigenous languages which are almost forgotten by younger generations. The local youths were urged to learn from the elders before they were gone and to respect their own indigenous cultural values.
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