Establishment of Institute of Maroon Studies proposed for UWI

“THE UWI has a moral duty to facilitate not just resilience, but the opportunity for the Jamaica Maroons to thrive, and that is exactly what we will do,” Professor Hilary Beckles, vice chancellor of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), told the gathering at the recent historic ‘Symposium on Maroons’, held at the Regional Headquarters of The University of the West Indies, along Mona Road in St Andrew recently.

“An Institute for Maroon Studies should be established. The most precious thing that ever came out of the Caribbean is the Maroons … . Everywhere there was slavery, there was marronage. This university is an expression of marronage today,” he said further.

“Everything we need to know about the future can be found in the study of our past. There can be no discussion about the future of this region without the Maroons. Maroon philosophy, politics and ideology must be at the centre ... . We are all Maroons.”

The symposium was organised by the CARICOM Reparations Commission in collaboration with The UWI Centre for Reparation Research, the Maroon communities of Jamaica, AIDO Network International, the Global African Diaspora Kingdom and Omanye Royal Kingdom.

It was designed, under the theme, ‘The Maroons of Jamaica: Our Legacies, Telling Our Own Truths’, “to hear the authentic voices of the Maroon colonels and chiefs, telling their historical stories and truths, dispelling myths and misconceptions, and strengthening their unity and reconciliation efforts, which was on full display at the symposium”, the AIDO Press Unit says.

Among the gathering were Maroon leaders and other representatives from the Maroon communities of Accompong Town in St Elizabeth, Moore Town in Portland, Flagstaff in St James, Scotts Hall in St Mary, and Charles Town in Portland.

Professor Beckles welcomed the proposal for an Institute of Maroon and Indigenous Studies, following opening remarks by Gaa’aama Gloria ‘Mama G’ Simms, chairperson of the Maroon Women’s Network. Among other things, Simms said, “I have been looking forward to seeing Maroon studies at The UWI; it is full time. It is in accordance with The UWI mission statement which includes uplifting culture, and the university should have Maroon people coming in to speak.”

The proposed establishment of the Maroon Institute at The UWI represents a historic milestone, the AIDO Press Unit says. As a centre for global indigenous studies, the institute aims to: educate and empower Maroon and indigenous youths through leadership programmes; serve as a repository for Maroon artefacts, oral histories, and cultural heritage; and to foster international collaboration on reparatory justice, environmental stewardship, and cultural preservation.

“This initiative promises to not only preserve the Maroons’ rich history, but also connect their struggles and triumphs to those of indigenous communities worldwide,” AIDO says.

Through a series of panel and roundtable discussions, representatives of the Maroon communities, notably Chief Richard Currie and Ambassador Anu El of Accompong; Col Wallace Sterling (Moore Town); Colonel Lloyd Lattibeaudiere (Scott’s Hall); Chief Kanute Cameron (Flagstaff); Gaa’aama Gloria Simms, Maroon Women’s Network (Charles Town); and Beverly Carey (researcher and renowned Maroon author), spoke to the enduring legacies, contribution, history and culture of the Maroons and the lasting impact on Jamaican society and culture.

The establishment of the Maroon Institute at UWI represents a historic milestone. As a centre for global indigenous studies, the institute is envisioned to:

- Educate and empower Maroon and Indigenous youth through leadership programmes.

- Serve as a repository for Maroon artefacts, oral histories, and cultural heritage.

- Foster international collaboration on reparatory justice, environmental stewardship, and cultural preservation.