Pikin Slee Explained

Official Name:Pikin Slee
Pushpin Map:Suriname
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Suriname
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Suriname
Subdivision Type1:District
Subdivision Name1:Sipaliwini
Subdivision Type2:Resort (municipality)
Subdivision Name2:Boven Suriname
Unit Pref:Imperial
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:~3,000
Coordinates:4.2533°N -55.4439°W

Pikin Slee (also Pikienslee[2]) is a village on the Upper Suriname River in the resort Boven Suriname of the Sipaliwini District. It is home to about 3,000 people, and the second largest village of the Saramaka Maroons,[1] after Aurora.[3]

Overview

Pikin Slee has a school, clinic, and the Saamaka Marron Museum. Pikin Slee adheres to the Afro-Surinamese Winti religion.[4] The majority of the population make their living from agriculture.[1] Pikin Slee is home to a group of Rastafari wood carving artists,[1] whose work is on display in the museum.[5] A holiday eco-resort is located near the village.[6] On 14 November 2011,[7] the Saamaka Marron Museum was founded.[1] The museum is dedicated to the cultural heritage of the Saramaccans[8] with a special emphasis on art.[7]

The current chieftain of the village is Wanze Eduards. During the 1990s logging companies encroached on the village of Pikin Santi. Extensive flooding caused by faulty bridging resulted in the loss of large plots of agricultural land.[9] Eduards was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2009, jointly with Hugo Jabini, for their efforts to protect their traditional land against logging companies, by bringing the case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and further to the Inter-American Court.[10]

In late 2019, solar energy panels were installed in the village to provide 24 hours of electricity.[11]

Pikin Slee can be reached by boat from Pokigron which is the end of the road. Villages to the south of Pokigron can only be accessed by boat.[12] An unpaved road leads to the Botopasi Airstrip.[13]

References

  1. Web site: Stichting Zorg samen voor Suriname. 24 May 2020. nl. Zorg samen voor Suriname.
  2. Web site: Planning Office Suriname - Districts. Planning Office Suriname. nl. 23 May 2020.
  3. Web site: Nieuw Aurora . Kinderen van Nieuw Aurora. 21 May 2020. nl.
  4. News: Pikin Slee; SPECIAL FOTOGRAFIE. Vrij Nederland. 24 May 2020. nl. 31 August 2013.
  5. Web site: Beeldentuin. 24 May 2020. nl. Saamaka Marron Museum.
  6. Web site: Hoe mooi het ook is. VPRO Television. 24 May 2020. nl. 24 September 2013.
  7. Web site: Grand opening Marronmuseum Saamaka. totomboti.nl. 24 May 2020. nl.
  8. Web site: Waar is het?. 24 May 2020. nl. Saamaka Marron Museum.
  9. Web site: Ten years after ground-breaking ruling the Saramaka are still fighting for their rights. Both Ends. 24 May 2020. 28 November 2017.
  10. Web site: Wanze Eduards and S. Hugo Jabini. Suriname Forests . Goldman Environmental Prize . 23 May 2020.
  11. Web site: Pikin Slee en Goejaba hebben binnenkort 24 uur stroom. GFC Nieuws. 15 January 2020. 24 May 2020. nl.
  12. Web site: Welcome to the Jungle. 20 May 2020. nl. Vives Onderwijs in Suriname.
  13. Web site: Botopasi Airport — Botopasi, Sipaliwini, Suriname. Our Airports. 20 May 2020.

External links