“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.”

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Written by Blog Post Author

Cesar Adjako (say-zar ahd-jok-oh)

village Captain

IMAGE SOURCE: B.I. C. Boven-Suriname.” Head captain Cesar Adjako carried in the grave.” Facebook. 20 Jan, 2015. | TEXT SOURCE: Richard Price. “Rainforest Warriors: Human Rights on Trial.” University of Pennsylvania Press. 2011.

IMAGE SOURCE: B.I. C. Boven-Suriname.” Head captain Cesar Adjako carried in the grave.” Facebook. 20 Jan, 2015. | TEXT SOURCE: Richard Price. “Rainforest Warriors: Human Rights on Trial.” University of Pennsylvania Press. 2011.

QUOTE CONTEXT: Testimony before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights contesting Chinese logging on traditional Saamaka lands.
QUOTE QUESTION: What acts cause you to think of your children and grandchildren?

IMAGE CONTEXT: Captain Cesar Adjako speaking to his village. From a Facebook post announcing his passing.

IMAGE QUESTION: What elders do you listen to with utmost attention?

MEDIA LITERACY CONTEXT: The quote is from testimony before an international court. The photo is from a Facebook post.

MEDIA LITERACY QUESTION: Through which media channels does the world learn of the struggles of your People?

READ SAAMAKA TESTIMONY TO THE INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS: https://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/casos/articulos/seriec_172_ing.pdf

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“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.”
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