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.

Summer Lightning

It was a mango time,
That my stars aligned,
The Sol and Mercury were in my sign,
Season of Simeon and Levi,
Twins of the Gemini.

It was a time my reflection in the mirror,
Showed the future,
The past buried behind glass,
It was a month of moments,
When moths like Maat,
In Jamiekah they call them bats,
Flitter on uncertain paths,
From the bath... room
And round my bedroom.

I worry about them pointlessly,
The bother of croaking lizards,
And nibbled wings,
Oh where is my cat?
I miss my cat,
And not...
Because of the returned rats.

And sudden lightning landing,
Over head at Overton,
The alarm cannot be avoided,
But what joy to sit in the season,
And see overseas,
Dark clouds churning electricity.

As I count the remains of the day,
What can one say,
About the big gains,
Niggling nagging pains,
And alas...
The loss of little things,
The loss of so many things!

A Letter to Dorothy Maud Thompson

Remembering Dorothy

"He who learns must suffer, and even in our deep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop on the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God"~Aeschylus

Dearest Grand Ma,

I am sorry I couldn't have read my piece about you at your funeral, I had so much to say and I felt it would take forever, and every time I thought on speaking at the moment to speak, I became overwhelmed with emotion, and still do until this moment when I think of you. You were a monument in my life and the tree under which I could always shelter. It's been a year now and it still hard to know you are not here, and sometimes I think I tell myself you still are here and it is how I handle the reality. I am so glad you met Kyrha, and will never forget the day you took her picture from me and I couldn't get it from you and gazed at it all day and told me how beautiful she was, and I am glad she loved you. She speaks of you often and recalls how you were protective of her and saying in you grannified voice "don't run outside," "where you going with you naked bottom," or simply "come touch mi nuh, hold mi hand." She refers to you now as the ancestor she knew.

KeeKee and her Great Grand Ma

These days when she sleeps with Juilette, I remember all the nights I slept beside you,and would listen to you conversations with Aunt Elise on the old telephone with the round dial. How my mind would wonder in the dark beside you, to what England looked like and what Tate Street was like in the days gone by that you were speaking of, listening to you discuss politics, and say "YES... AT YOU" How I wondered about the Jamaica you described, was it like the pictures on your wall? How I imagined the Kendal Crash as you recounted it, and Hurricane Charley... how I imagined Diamond as an orchard filled with "Milli" mango. So too I wonder if Kyrha is imbibing yesteryear with Juilette and taking imaginative psychic journeys.

I still have my first memory of you solid in my mind, with you arms on your hip, standing in the doorway before the hallway to the kitchen, under a wooden clock with a metal face with flourishes painted on it, and you were talking to Juilette and Roy at the door the Veranda, and you asked them if they had come for me, and I said "bye Dada" for Dada was the name I called you, and I turned around and looked at Roy and realized he was Daddy, and I had given you his name, and having a guilty feeling as though I had cheated him of a title, for in my tiny mind at the time it was a title akin to God as that is what you represented to me a matriarchal start, a genesis of sorts, and I had established in my tiny mind that you had come from a more primordial place than Juilette and Roy and you would be my cognitive ambassador into yesteryear, you would forever be my marker in history, as though 1919 was the year my life began as well, and every event in history that happened after 1919 would be an event that I would wonder where you were or what you were doing or where was Tommy at that time or Carol or Juilette, where did you live at that time, what schools they would have been attending at the time etc... I doubt Kyrha's connection with you was powerful enough to start her at 1919, but there is hope, like I said before... she remembers you well and even carried yuh name go abroad, speaking of you as though you were still alive, and when asked about she responds you are in heaven and you are her ancestor now! So it seems you are on your way to joining some pantheon of God's or gods, even if it's just our personal familial pantheon. And even she doesn't start 1919, I hope she at least can start at 1952 now that she sleeps with Juilette.

I don't know why but I feel charged with keeping an eye on your children and nieces and nephews. I wont say I am doing the best job, as many days and nights I wonder if we will or have already become scattered and dispersed like seeds in the wind. Not as connected to a central hub as when you were here. I am glad your friend Nurse Donaldson, comes by and I think she fills the gap you left for Juilette.

Here is another thing... since your departure, my eye and mind has turned to things like the senior citizen's association and their activities. I followed Nurse Don, on one of her excursions, was a decent experience, but so so heart rending to see even at ages of 70 and upward human being frail and on the edge of existence and to me a bit between worlds closer to a spiritual place, than they are here in the material, and yet they push on with some sort of effort some sort of activism, making a difference to community and society, impacting babies, another set of entities fresh from the spiritual plane and frail to this material plane...

I am trying to keep up with your SOCIALISM and SOCIAL Activism... but to be honest it is much disheartening and disenchanting to see what your beloved PNP has become, a far cry from the Manley's, a far cry from the veranda philosophers and ideologues that shuffled about the Republic of MoBay in your heyday... ushering in Howard Cooke as a political staple in Western Jamaica, far cry from Marxism and street side debates on proletariats and bourgeoisie... far cry from the free education "UWI 'I am black and I am proud' middle class intellectuals", a far cry from Rock River Clarendon type grassroots, a far cry from collective action, a far cry from people's cooperative, far cry from the left even the face of modern leftist successes. Its a popularity contest of personalities and populists pandering to the public with only personal gain in mind, power and position. I am sometime tempted to believe we will never see any political revivalism of that conscious 70's Black Power, street intellectual order. But I press on in hope...

Shortly after before your funeral Syreeta (Ms Ritz) and I were discussing you and your impact and your legacy, something she wasn't so familiar with. The concept is this... you are the first mega star weh mi know... but I think she may having been wondering how so, so this is the perspective I let her be privy to...

[8/25/2014, 6:35 PM] The Emperor's Attorney: Isah... jah know the security n warmth she was,
[8/25/2014, 6:36 PM] Syreeta: Ok
[8/25/2014, 6:36 PM] Syreeta: Sigh she was
[8/25/2014, 6:36 PM] Syreeta: We had our moments; we used to reason n ting
[8/25/2014, 6:37 PM] The Emperor's Attorney: Mi know she n everybody do dem one a way... a di general enuh
[8/25/2014, 6:38 PM] The Emperor's Attorney: Some ppl know bob marley or manley or obama... I n I know dorothy thompson
[8/25/2014, 6:38 PM] Syreeta: Ye fa real star
[8/25/2014, 6:39 PM] The Emperor's Attorney: A she mi see from mad ppl to pj to howard cooke to manley etc come a 15 hoyt drive..
[8/25/2014, 6:42 PM] The Emperor's Attorney: She a mi real icon... n mi a tell u in real real life like mi feel honored n proud to be her offspring n descendant...
[8/25/2014, 6:43 PM] The Emperor's Attorney: She build bare mega n mini star as her bloodline
[8/25/2014, 6:43 PM] Syreeta: Ja know cuz is real talk dat
[8/25/2014, 6:45 PM] The Emperor's Attorney: She to mi build tommy monty n roy as 3 mini megastar... n camara grow under her hand and do ar ting... n mi jus never meet more real or potent characters or smarter ppl dan mi family members an who surround me that she build or bless up
[8/25/2014, 6:46 PM] The Emperor's Attorney: All dj is a story n a colorful character
[8/25/2014, 6:46 PM] Syreeta: Dat is so true
[8/25/2014, 6:48 PM] Syreeta: N so many people luv n rate har like its amazing to me
[8/25/2014, 6:48 PM] Syreeta: Daddy tell mi how much yute she help n raise dat wasn't fi har own
[8/25/2014, 6:48 PM] Syreeta: Dem type a people nu mek again
[8/25/2014, 6:50 PM] The Emperor's Attorney: Parri as a yute every weh mi go inna paradise n norwood mi unda watch n protection all who mi nuh know seh miss thompson granny or mi nuh waan unnu touch im dis one yah a fi ms thompson
[8/25/2014, 6:51 PM] The Emperor's Attorney: As yute I used to wonder how so many ppl know her...
[8/25/2014, 6:51 PM] Syreeta: Yea
[8/25/2014, 6:52 PM] The Emperor's Attorney: Even in paradise the amount of ppl weh sit mi down an seh yute ms thompson do dis fi dem she a di backbone of the community etc
[8/25/2014, 6:57 PM] The Emperor's Attorney: U have a don up yah weh police kill name goosey... a rasta inna him late 40s an a eediat waan war over him ooman... n from di man a pass n smaddy tell him she tusto waan war of ms t gran son over dis lilly bar gal..  di man nuh know mi in person enuh... di man fly inna di bar n rush.di man n tell mi seh no man cyaah do mi nutten n mi nuh no man no talk u granny do more dan enough... an seh come on out.. rolling in fat suv
[8/25/2014, 7:00 PM] Syreeta: Wow
[8/25/2014, 7:01 PM] Syreeta: Dats so crazy
[8/25/2014, 7:03 PM] The Emperor's Attorney: Anytime mi waan name drop or draw rank certain way pon ppl... dorothy a di most powerful ting mi can pull pon... when mi n ppl all deh reason n dem nuh know mi n seh yow dah rasta meds high... some paradise smaddy always jump n seh man a tru ms thompson gran man di whole a dem brain big u nuh see thompson forehead
[8/25/2014, 7:05 PM] Syreeta: I'm not surprised that so amazing to me tho...

Speak Truth to Power!

Created with Kwote!

The Sexuality of Semantics: How the Jamaican Public Makes Every Word Pubic!

Have you ever noticed how... Jamaicans "sexualize" every word... veggie/vaggie... pork/pokey... Boy don't make any mistake and ask for Coco Bread at the shop. Other words like wood, rod or plank means penis... pole etc...

Think about it for a minute: hole, pot/pat hole, hold u, squeeze... quint, squint, cat, pussy, all have vaginal references... in Jamaica words mean 1 of 4 things... penis, vagina, oral sex or anal sex/batty man business... This horror and tragedy is not subject to words, but numbers as well... look at the much maligned 2, once a symbol of balance and duality and harmony and such... now! Look at 666... what an evil number, do we even know why? 

The animals are in uproar too... Richie Spice, one of my all time favourite artistes... "seh nuh styles me as dawg, dawg a sittn shit a people yaad" and Dawg seh nuh styles man as me... mi nuh shot mi bredda and abandon mi pickney or mek nuclear weapon fi destroy earth... and Cat objects to being the symbol of all vaginas and cowards, (by the way, where did we even inherit this disgust for vagina... men are pussies, go suck yuh ma pussy... yet we all born from it as men and spend our lives going back there).

Almost the entire sea community is in uproar about us land lubbers use of the word fish... not to mentions horses and donkeys pissed at what we call ass, chickens that make a daily task of standing up to chicken hawks and mongooses and rid our yards of forty legs... are hurt that we call cowards, chicken... as if a species that has to live off domesticated animals and is afraid to hunt... has the right to call them cowards...

I am through talking in patwa and english... too sexualized and we cast the worst aspects of ourselves and human psyche on the animal kingdom... mi need a new mental space... more linguistic freedom... a place where being a cunning linguist has no punny punishment or consequences... mi done... Rosetta Stone here I come... SWAHILI... AMHARIC... ARAMAIC...AFRIKAANS... new mission #OccupyAnotherLanguage

Boyne, atheists and the Bible

Published: Thursday | September 24, 2009

The Editor, Sir:

Ian Boyne's articles on militant atheism makes no case for Christianity's validity, vitality and value to humanity, if not of religion in general.

The recent Sunday articles are in the usual vein of

Boyne's cowardice and intellectual dishonesty.

He does an exposé of atheists, probably for the hype of the topic and the rise of atheists like Bill Maher and much of the literature he discussed, but, as a religious man, Boyne takes no stance and seemingly presented the atheist argument so well that there is no defence he can make. I am of the belief that he is incapable of giving a creditable answer for Christianity and all its faults.

I cannot see how well-thinking black people who have suffered at the hand of slavery backed by the Bible can still cling to it. Christianity is losing on two grounds, the logical invalidity and inconsistency in the Bible and throughout its arguments, as well as the history and authenticity of the Bible and its account of history and the world.

Will never subscribe

I, as a black man, will never subscribe to a religion that claims:

"When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property." Exodus 21:20-21

"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ." Ephesians 6:5 NLT

I am, etc.,
YANNICK PESSOA
cyber_yan@yahoo.com
Montego Bay

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090924/letters/letters2.html

Yahnyk TV: Tickle Puss vs the Labourite

Old man Tickle Puss, is on a tirade about the debates, the "chiney man" aka Dr. Horace Chang, plus lots of anti JLP rhetoric aimed at the store patron a JLP advocate... all at Lime Tree Lane-esque, Paradise Acres (Norwood's peaceful sister), Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Starring: Ashton "Tickle Puss" Beckford as Tickle Puss
Directed & Produce by Yannick Nesta Pessoa of Rastar Studios
Camera Man: Yannick Nesta Pessoa

Heavy is the Head that wears the Crown

"How you a move so bitter 'gainst the king?"
-popular Montegonian phrase or quote

"The biggest artiste a Jamaica a the con-artiste, and the biggest ship a the Gynal-ship"
-Proverb picked up at Junior X shop (Paradise crescent)

"Some gyal seh dem Virginal, but dem just Very-Gynal..."
- (Johnny Blaze)-My Dancehall/Reggae artiste alter ego

"Jingle jingle jangle bell christmas come an yuh soul gone a hell"
-some poet at Edna Manley Sch. of Arts etc... 2000-2001

"Haunted season, people a fight wid out reason, see weak fence, and a hop true man nah no backative or defence, and den a hype up wid badman pretence..."
-- (Johnny Blaze)-My Dancehall/Reggae artiste alter ego

So here it is we're winding down to the end of 2006 a year I would calling fleeting at best... nothing monumental happened (thus far) time sailed by oh so swiftly... none-the-less it is a year of change... and so as I tread and trod in the muck we call life or existence... the prince of Paradise... bearing his cross, with a monkey on his back and an albatross around his neck...
Heavy is the Head that wears the Crown
















Secret Places

I am most high,
In my own secret places,
Which I go to,
Escape the lives,
I live between the hollow hallowed lies,
And most unholy thighs,
And through these vacant eyes,
I see my god,
Unhuman inhuman desperate and mad,
Dying from a perplexingly infinite life,
Dying to feel
To be amongst man,
To be real,
To understand.

Copyright ©2006 (mmvi) Yannick Nesta Pessoa














My Stairway to heaven...















Meet Pixie Girl of the Rocktops... Paradise Acres circa 2006... hahahaha

Don't mind me too much these are just random pix from my life...

Dying

And now Mr. Dylan, I know what you mean when you say, Mama take this badge offa me, Put my guns into the ground, 'Cause I'm knocking on heaven's door. I've reached my juvenile end, That point at which dreams die, And reality sets in, Where fantasy vanishes, And rigors of routine set in. I've flirted with success, Only to never be best, Condemned to rot, With my first glimpses... Of the vaguely dissatisfying nature of life.

Yannick Nesta Pessoa

Copyright ©2006(mmvi) Yannick Nesta Pessoa

Young virginal looking (note I said looking) likkle missy from off-a-di rocktop

Sunset out by Lagoons...

End of today's tale