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The Ndyuka people (also spelled 'Djuka') or Aukan people ( Okanisi), are one of six Maroon peoples (formerly called "Bush Negroes", which has pejorative associations) in the Republic of Suriname and one of the Maroon peoples in French Guiana. The Aukan or Ndyuka speak the Ndyuka language. They are subdivided into the Opu, who live upstream of the Tapanahony River in the Tapanahony resort of southeastern Suriname, and the Bilo, who live downstream of that river in Marowijne District.
The most important towns are Moengo, the largest town in Marowijne District, and Diitabiki (old name: Drietabbetje) which is the residence of the granman (paramount chief) of the Ndyuka people since 1950.
They further subdivide themselves into twelve matrilinear kinship groups called lo. There is a thirteenth group, that of the granman.Maroon Cosmopolitics: Personhood, Creativity and Incorporation
In 1757, a large slave revolt took place at six wood plantations near the Tempati Creek. The runaway slaves joined an existing group of Maroons. The Society of Suriname was concerned about the size and strength of the group, therefore Captain Zobre was dispatched on 30 July 1759 to negotiate. Zobre returned with a temporary ceasefire agreement, and information that the tribe consisted of six villages with an estimated population of 2,000 people. The second expedition was less successful: the Ndyuka were disappointed in gifts like mirrors and said that they preferred guns and ammunition. They also wanted the presence of the plantation owners of the Jodensavanne at the negotiations.
On 10 October 1760, the Ndyuka signed a treaty with the Dutch colonizers, recognizing territorial autonomy."The Ndyuka Treaty Of 1760: A Conversation with Granman Gazon." culturalsurvival.org Day of the Maroons has been observed as a national holiday in Suriname on 10 October since 2010.
Generally, medical care was provided free for Maroons who journeyed to the coastal area. An attempt in 1913 to charge for medical care in the hospitals was ignored in practice, and later revoked by Governor Johannes Kielstra, because it was better for the overall sanitary conditions. In a 1943 meeting between the Governor and the granmans the population decline in the tribal areas was discussed. The granmans talked about alarming rates of tuberculosis, malaria, and infertility. The proposed solution was to send a medical team into the tribal areas, and make people aware about the dangers of inbreeding. In 1946, Medische Zending was put in charge of the health care in tribal areas. The improved medical care resulted in a rapid population growth.
On 19 August 2000, a kabiten (captain) was installed for the Ndyuka Maroon community in diaspora. In Utrecht, André R.M. Pakosie was installed as captain for the Netherlands.
On 13 June 2020, Ronnie Brunswijk was elected Vice President of Suriname by acclamation in an uncontested election. He was inaugurated on 16 July as the first Maroon in Suriname to serve as vice president.
Originally the tribe was free to settle anywhere with permission providing it was at a distance of at least ten hours from the plantations. That definition was rather vague, and in 1837, it was changed to a delimited area around the Cottica River in Marowijne District, and the Tapanahony River.
The paramount chief of the Ndyuka is the granman. Below the granman are the kabitens (captains) followed by the basiyas (aldermen). The stam lanti consists of all the kabitens and basiyas who meet at least once a year under the authority of the granman and decide the policy for the entire tribe.
A village has a lo lanti (council) consisting of the kabitens and basiyas of the village who are advised by a council of elders. The lo lanti acts as the local government. In case of important decisions, the whole village participates and a decision is taken on the basis of consensus.
The resorts in the Marowijne District are governed by a Resort Council, democratically elected at the General Election. This has caused as an overlap with lo lanti. The decentralization commission was aware of the problem in 2007, but as of 2020, the two systems existed side by side.
For Tapanahony, a district commissioner is appointed to represent the Surinamese government. This is a continuation of the posthouders (post holders) which were installed after the Treaty to represent the state.
In the draft agreement, there was a provision for an independent judicial system except for the crimes which could carry a death sentence. The article caused much debate, and was dropped altogether in the final agreement. In practice an independent judicial system was in operation except for people accused of major crimes who were turned over to the Suriname government. In the second half of the 20th century, the system became obsolete for criminal cases.
Even though the Treaty has significant implications for Suriname, it was not mentioned in the Government Regulations of 1865 nor in the Constitution of 1936. In 1975, in preparation of the Independence of Suriname, the treaties with the Maroons were subject to much debate in both the Dutch and Surinamese parliaments, however the Maroon autonomy has not been mentioned once in both the Constitution of Suriname or the Declaration of Independence. The Treaty deals with the rights and obligations of the tribe, however the Constitution does not mention the tribe or its government, therefore if the granman says no, the issue can be pushed through, because the legal position of the granman has not been defined.
Nevertheless, the treaties are still in effect. In 2005, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled on the 1986 Moiwana massacre. The court upheld the 1760 Treaty, and determined that "the Moiwana community members may be considered the legitimate owners of their traditional lands."
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