“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