Enemy of the State: The Lampooned Maroons

Definition:
1- a person who is marooned
2- capitalized : a Black person of the West Indies and Guiana in the 17th and 18th centuries who escaped slavery also : a descendant of such a person

The Present Maroon Conundrum

Statehood and Sovereignty

It is time for us to uncritically accept that Maroons played a vital role in the continuation of slavery as an institution. What is even more whimsical is that Jamaica currently enjoys amicable relations with governments that were directly responsible for slavery as an institution. What a conundrum!

 

There are five Maroon groups in the country, one of which has become a secessionist voice for social upheaval and that is the Accompong strand or branch. Thy have been purporting unsubstantiated claims of being a sovereign State, is being heard through its colonel, Mr. Richard Currie. These utterances have no legal standing, according to several legal minds. The most obvious demonstration of this is the fact that all Maroons travel on Jamaican-issued passports. The reality is that in the 12th year of his reign an edict of King George II of Great Britain and Jamaica empowered John Gutherie and Francis Sadler “to negotiate and finally conclude a treaty of peace and friendship” with Colonel Cudjoe and his captains. This would be known as the First Maroon Treaty of 1739.

An examination of the Treaty of the Leeward Maroons has indicated up to eight instances that speak to and against the authority and nationhood of the Maroons. The treaty acknowledges the leadership of the colonel by referring to his people as his “subjects” who, being in a “perfect state of freedom and liberty” (Article II)… will enjoy and possess, in perpetuity, land of 1,500 acres “between Trelawney Town and The Cockpits” (Article III). They have the right to trade outside of their bounds, but must do so under a license (Article IV).



According to a news item in the Jamaica Observer, the Cabinet has ordered the withholding of funds and support to any entity which claims to be a sovereign State. On Sunday BroGad played bad cop and stomped his foot down by declaring that Jamaica is a unitary State, and as such Accompong falls under the Government of Jamaica's legal ambit and, by extension, the Jamaica Constabulary Force and every government body there is.

Maroons are considered by some in academia to be Indigenous Peoples and that they should have rights under the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. But that paradox raises interesting questions as how can Maroons be both indigenous and  descended from Africa. I understand indigenous to refer to Native Americans and Aboriginal who are located at a place before our collective or maybe European history has record for. We know maroons are not even unique to Jamaica so how indigenous is it really?

There needs to be a consensus as to whether the Maroon communities are either a sovereign proto-state within a State, Imperium in imperio as it is known. Or maybe an indigenous reserve (much like the native indians in the US), or the average town flying the Jamaican flag? Vatican City and Eswatini are examples of this state within a state concept. It is a thing that can be done but Currie needs to be realistic and get about charting a course to statehood rather than proving a lack of legal and historical knowledge. Let us hope Brogad learnt from Busta's lessons and wont be blinded and create another Coral Gardens Massacre so close to our nation's special anniversary of independence.

The 7 Health Benefits of JACKFRUIT!

Since I haven't blogged in awhile I thought I'd just jump on the latest Jamaican and Caribbean  blogging fads, cool lists and the health benefits of under examined Jamaican foods. Yippeee... I picked Jackfruit, because I hate it and how it smells and I haven't seen it in the blogosphere yet. But I always wondered if i did eat it though, wow it would be a whopper food solution... its just so hugemungous...

So before I jump into the list here is the usual summary and breakdown I'll swipe from Wikipedia or a composite of authorities:

The jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), also known as jack tree, jakfruit, or sometimes simply jack or jak^[6] is a species of tree in the mulberry and fig family (Moraceae).
It is native to parts of South and Southeast Asia, and is believed to have originated in the southwestern rain forests of India, in present-day Goa, Kerala, coastal Karnataka, andMaharashtra.^[7] The jackfruit tree is well suited to tropical lowlands, and its fruit is the largest tree-borne fruit,^[8] reaching as much as 35 kg (80 lb) in weight, 90 cm (35 in) in length, and 50 cm (20 in) in diameter.^[9]The jackfruit tree is a widely cultivated and popular food item in throughout the tropical regions of the world. Jackfruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh, by name Kanthal (কাঁঠাল) in Bengali language.^[10] The Jackfruit tree can produce about 100 to 200 fruits in a year. The Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world. Its weight can range from from 10 lbs to over 100 lbs.

Jackfruit is a one of a kind tropical fruits, recognized for its unique shape, size, and fruity flavor which is akin to Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gone wild... its massive bulb can be spot from a distance. The fruit is smell sweetie-sweetie, and much like an over ripe breadfruit in taste. It shares a fragrant commonality with other tropical fruits such as durian, banana etc., But suprising most of all is its health benefits. It is rich in energy, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins and free from saturated fats or cholesterol, making it one of the healthy late summer  early autumn natural foods to dive into! So here is the  list:

1. Energy Booster: 100 g of edible jackfruit bulbs provide 95 calories. It's made of soft, easily digestible fleshy bulbs made up of simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that when eaten replenishes energy and revitalizes the body instantly.
2. Dietary Fiber: It's a good bulk laxative. The fiber content helps protect the colon mucous membrane by binding to and eliminating cancer-causing chemicals from the colon.
3. Vitamin-A:  Vitamin A is required for maintaining eyes as well as the integrity of mucusa and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin-A, and carotenes has been found to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
4. B-complex group of vitamins: Forget about the RedBull... this fruit... it contains very good amounts of vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), niacin, riboflavin, and folic acid. It is rare that a fruit is rich in B-complex vitamins
5. Vitamin-C: Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful free radicals.
6. Minerals: It's a good source of potassium, magnesium, manganese, and iron. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.
7. Protein: Jackfruit seeds are rich in protein. In general, the seeds are gathered from the ripe fruit, sun-dried then roasted. Boiled jackfruit seeds are also edible. Often compared to Brazil nuts, they are quite commonly used in curry in the Indian state of Kerala.