About Maroon Country
Maroon Country is a multimedia educational resource focused on the history of maroons, the independent and resistant black communities of the slavery-era Caribbean. The resource will focus on maroon history and culture in Dominica and the Eastern Caribbean, including the French West Indies. The web resource will include manuscripts and archival material for scholars’ further research, exhibits and analysis for use by teachers and students of high school and college. The site, built on the Omeka platform, will also include for younger audiences a game app featuring historically accurate maroon characters, events and artifacts, and a children’s short story for web, e-book and print formats.
Maroon Country is an awareness project aimed at emphasizing the lasting impact of these influential figures and communities on Caribbean post-Emancipation and postcolonial life. The maroons’ presence in Dominican history is dynamic and enduring, with evidence of the maroon life still present in Dominica’s physical and social landscape. The restoration of a Neg Mawon statue in the capital Roseau and the recent successful publication of Negre Mawon: The Fighting Maroons of Dominica (2014) by Dominican historian Dr Lennox Honychurch have reignited national interest in these histories, particularly following the 200th anniversary of the War of 1814, when Chief Jacko the maroon was executed. Partnering with the community organization July 12th Movement, Create Caribbean aims to generate and sustain dialogue in educational contexts about this significant history.