Great paintings on da rocks!!-Glad to read this story.Thanks!!Hope to me you one day in Accompong,Thats my next goal in Ja.
Great paintings on da rocks!!-Glad to read this story.Thanks!!Hope to me you one day in Accompong,Thats my next goal in Ja.
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Interesting article in today's paper regarding the Maroons.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...lture_11924803
Thank you BCBud. I am glad you found this article and posted the link here.
This further highlights the dichotomy of diverging points of view from inside the Maroon communities. On one hand, many of the residents just want to live in peace and security as Accompong has for 274 years and others who want to make a living inside those communities and thus not having to go outside or affaren to do so.
Tourism brings visitors and much needed money to the residents and to the towns but, at the same time, the very reason people come to these places is under attack. Quoting lyrics from the Eagles, “They call it paradise I don't know why. You call someplace paradise, kiss it goodbye”.
When I first went to Accompong Town in the early ‘90s, the culture was alive and vibrant. The January 6th Celebration was mostly an internal event where the past was honored by the Maroon peoples from Accompong and around the island and those returning from affaren. This celebration “vacuum” is rapidly being filled by the outside world in the form of higglers, con artists and other profiteers who flourish like a virus inside the peaceful confines of the town.
Since I have come to live in Accompong Town, I am more acutely aware of the gradual takeover and privy to the talk of taking it back mostly from the youth of the community. A push is on to revive the Celebration and the town’s cultural side by providing more goods and services created by and for the people of the town and less bend down market inferior products that you can find on any street corner in Jamaica.
An important part of this transformation is The Accompong Riverstone Project. The riverstones that I displayed pictures of previously are some of the pieces of work done by the children involved with the Project. This November and December, new classes will be given to develop their artistic talents and to provide leadership for budding entrepreneurs.
I will be posting a link shortly to a Web Site where you can learn more and where you can help. We will be looking for some volunteers who would like to teach arts and skills to our next year’s group of students. More Soon Come.
Peace and Guidance.
Free Opinions Offered. No tipping required. Hours: Open when I feel like it.
I'd like to know more about Seaforth Town. I tried to find some info, but really only found a few paragraphs. I had no idea it even existed.
Originally Posted by Flipadelphia26
Part of the problem with locating Seaforth "town" is because the Seaforth that you probably saw paragraphs about is located a little north of Morant Bay in St. Thomas in the Blue Mountains.
This "Seaforth Town" is a small but representative town of poor, white Germans who came to Jamaica. Many of the immigrants who went to Jamaica signed Indenture Agreements, and became Indentured Servants. Under the terms of these Agreements, the "Master" would provide the "Servant" with his passage to Jamaica, clothes, food and drink, washing, lodging, and a small annual salary, and the "Servant" would agree to serve in Jamaica for a certain number of years.
Some of these pockets of former indentured servants can be seen in the light complexion residents of the South Coast (Black River, Treasure Beach etc.) and in other areas around Jamaica. Only a few have tried to maintain "pure blood" as they called it. Many of those with strong convictions to keep "pure", migrated into the center of Jamaica where they could live in isolation.
Seaforth in St. Thomas and "Seaforth Town" in the rugged Cockpits are two of them although, as I indicated previously, change has been coming for awhile now and I think it is a good thing too.
To get to this "Seaforth Town" you have to take a day hike out into the Cockpit Country from Accompong Town or Wait-A-Bit.
Peace and Guidance
Free Opinions Offered. No tipping required. Hours: Open when I feel like it.
Thanks for always sharing so much info and history..I love it !!!! And love the art rocks...can one purchase these in Accompong???
" Ones destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things." (Henry Miller)
^^^Agree about the rock purchase.Would like to know if any houses are for rent for a few days as well.I'm sure a nice donation would be appraicated on the rock purchase.Or maybe the kids start doing more rock paints to help support there family and themselves.I'm very sure they would be a hit!!~Much respect to the Accompong community~
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We ran a trial project using my neighbor pickney during my recent visit and we let them keep their painted rocks after taking the pictures. We were so amazed at how talented they were and even a 4 year old boy had the patience to paint one!
The class sessions this upcoming year are in November and December and 50 rocks are going to be selected and numbered for sale during the Celebration. You would need to be in Accompong Town for the Celebration to purchase one but we are also going to be offering them as reward for donating to the Accompong Riverstone Project on a Web Site. These will be mailed from Accompong Town to the person who donates. There are going to be other items as rewards offered at that time.
I will be posting that link when it becomes available.
The isolation of Accompong Town doesn't make it as easy to donate to as a school in Negril. Here is big hello from two of the children.
Peace and Guidance
Free Opinions Offered. No tipping required. Hours: Open when I feel like it.
Hi Vince.
Just PM me concerning a place for a few nights. I have room at my house and I have many friends who do the same. We are a community that is used to having a lot of friends and relatives visiting so a lot of us have extra room. The only time things get a little scarse is around Christmas to just after the Celebration as our little town of less than a thousand swells into the thousands.
The Riverstone Project's ultimate goal is to turn these budding artists into budding entrepreneurs. Money collected for the sale of a rock goes back to the artist. We saw this firsthand when a child sold a rock, they wanted to paint two and so on.
I have been going to and living in Accompong Town on and off for over 20 years so I know a lot of of these children's parents when they were pickney and know their parents and grandparents as well. The utter safety of this community is astonishing. I have rarely ever locked a door, people can walk the streets in safety and everyone seems to always have time to smile and say hello each and every time they pass.
More information Soon Come.
Peace and Guidance
Free Opinions Offered. No tipping required. Hours: Open when I feel like it.
^^^^^^^^SOLD!!!~Thanks for the great info!!~Much Respect to the you pickenies in the Accompong community
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