The Windward Maroons of Jamaica commemorate their famous ancestor and spiritual leader, Grandy Nanny, at a festival every year.

Maroons at the annual Nanny Day celebration, Moore Town, Jamaica, 1991.
Photograph by Diana Baird N’Diaye


 

"As far as we’ve come in all our travels, we have never lost an awareness of our identity and a pride in our freedom."

— Charles Emily Wilson, Seminole Maroon elder and community historian, Brackettville, Texas, 1992

 

 

Every January, the Leeward Maroons of Jamaica honor Kojo (Cudjoe), the Maroon hero and leader who signed the peace treaty with the British in 1739. Attended by thousands of visitors, this annual event centers on Maroon songs, dances, and ceremonies passed down over generations.

Woman leading the drumming at Kojo (Cudjoe) celebration, Accompong, Jamaica, 1992.
Photograph by Vivien Chen


 

 

 

Aluku Maroon leader Kabiten Adiso displaying the community founder’s stool while telling its history, Asisi, French Guiana, 1991.
Photograph by Diana Baird N’Diaye