Page 15 - 10th Annual International Charles Town Maroon Conference and Festival Magazine

Charles Town Maroon International Conference Magazine June 2018

is to ensure forest conservation, protection of The Maroon peoples across Jamaica have been very
biodiversity, preservation and improvement of active, crucial and united in the fight to protect Cockpit
traditional livelihoods and the creation of new Country, and it was clear that no government wanted
economic opportunities from heritage, health the political liability of being seen to be on the wrong
and wellness tourism and eco-tourism. side of the Accompong Maroons. However, though
Accompong Town and adjacent lands once within a
However, the administration chose the boundary mining lease are now protected, other Maroon
proposed by the Jamaica Bauxite Institute, which settlements such as the original Trelawny Town (now
known as the Parris Lyew-Ayee Jr boundary encom- Flagstaff) are not. The question remains if Maroons
passes what is called the “core” of Cockpit Country, will remain vigilant and continue to protect all of
and expanded it to include forested areas in the Cockpit Country including western St. Ann, the area
Litchfield-Mateson’s Run in St. Ann. Declaring an currently most vulnerable.
area of about 74,726 hectares that would constitute the
Cockpit Country Protected Area. And again to great To encourage everyone to continue the struggle and
applause declared: not forget all who are left out of the Cockpit Country
Mr. Speaker, one of the major points of Protected Area, I close with the words of Accompong
discussion over the Cockpit Country has been Maroon Elder, Melville Curry:
the issue of mining. Mr. Speaker, the Our forefathers left an inheritance for us. How
Government is declaring that no mining will be can we as a people sit by and watch it being
permitted in the Cockpit Country Protected destroyed by bauxite company, mining, what is
Area. going to happen to our children? Or must we
say to them “Bwoy unu forefathers die in
Though gratefully protecting most of the existing vain”? Or should we as a people who are
forest reserves and the “core” of Cockpit Country, the living today and see the threat that is to it,
CCPA constitutes only about 67% of the Cockpit stand up and say “No, it cannot happen!” I
Country Stakeholder boundary, leaving unprotected believe we should say “No!”
the Appleton Valley, Nassau Mountains and commu- Interview excerpts from Cockpit Country -
nities to the south, the Rio Bueno system and many St. Voices from Jamaica’s Heart, 2007
Ann communities in the northeast, and in the north and
northwest the Montego River and Great River
watersheds, the Flagstaff Maroons and many other
communities. Esther Figueroa, Ph.D. is an inde-
pendent filmmaker, writer, and
The CCPA does not prohibit mining from most of the linguist. Her work focuses on local
areas currently within prospecting licenses and mining knowledge, indigenous cultures,
leases, nor where the industry would want to mine, social injustice, community empow-
thus leaving western St. Ann, northern St. Elizabeth erment, and the environment. Her
and northern Manchester open for mining. Thus, it latest film in progress “Fly Me To
does not much disturb the bauxite industry of which The Moon” is about the aluminum industry.
the government is co-owner, in partnership, and
despite the industry’s high volatility and decades of
decline, very dependent on for foreign exchange and
income.

14