Sovereignty And The Soil: Chief Richard Currie And The Rising Of The Maroon Nation In Jamaica

Sovereignty And The Soil: Chief Richard Currie And The Rising Of The Maroon Nation In Jamaica

Share to Linkedin "It's a bold and ambitious journey that I am about to embark upon," says Chief Richard Currie as he pauses pensively to take a sip of coffee. It has been less than 72-hours since his oath of office was taken as the youngest leader ever of Jamaica's Accompong Maroons and the new colonel, age 40, enthusiastically shares his thoughts on the land, water, farming and the birthright of his people. Chief Richard Currie holds up a Cocoon bead that he typically wears around his neck. It is a symbol ... [+] of the freedom that his Maroon ancestors fought and died for. Outside the window, banana trees wave a warm Accompong welcome while flora bask in the cool mountain breeze. And somewhere, on a segment of this compound that I haven't seen, is a tank filled with rainwater and secondary catchment that the Chief employs for domestic use. Chief Currie presides over 74, 726 hectares of Cockpit Country“” the largest remaining natural forest in Jamaica. This land is home to the Leeward Maroons, descendants of the West African slaves who fled harsh plantation conditions and the indigenous Amerindians who they banded with, fighting colonists with guerrilla tactics,