“I'm certain family members have suffered tremendously (from the deaths of family at the hands of soldiers) but I'm not familiar with the techniques used to express such suffering in monetary terms.”
Merina Eduards (meh-ree-nah ed-wahrdz), expert witness - Inter-American Court of Human Rights
“Our ancestors fought for and won their freedom from slavery and established autonomous communities. We fight for and won our right for legal recognition, controlling and managing our territory.”
Hugo Jabini (hyou-go yah-bee-nee), Member of Surinam’s Parliament
“I know what it is like to lose land. I am from a transmigration village. We cannot let this happen again or there will be no more Saamaka people. We will be like ghosts.”
Silvi Adjako (sill-vee ahd-jok-oh), subsistence and market farmer
“When we fell trees we are thinking of our children and grandchildren, of the future generations. When the outsiders come in they just clear-cut a whole area and then take away what they want.”
Cesar Adjako (say-zar ahd-jok-oh), village Captain
“From a very young age I was taught by my grandfather the medicinal purposes of the plants around our region - a traditional way to pass on ancient knowledge and practices.”
Wendell Paulus (wen-dell pow-luss), Saamakan food entrepreneur
“When our ancestors fled…they did not carry anything with them. They learned how to live – what plants to eat, how to deal with subsistence needs once they got to the forest. It is our whole life.”
Wanze Eduards (wahn-zeh ed-wahrdz), Saamaka Headcaptain
“On September 19, 1762… our ancestors, the Saamaka maroons, signed a peace treaty with the Dutch Crown…acknowledging their territorial rights and trading privileges…It still goes on.”
Miquella Soemar-Huur (mee-gwell-lah so-mahr hyour), Surinam National Assembly