Discovery

by Vanessa Austin (United States of America)

A leap into the unknown Suriname

Vanessa Austin February 15, 2020 Aspiring travel writer Discovery Questioning what privileges one story over another, I have always considered them all. I learned early on that there were the stories that the world believed, stories that were shared in the newspapers and on television, stories that my family shared privately, as well as the stories that I told myself. All of the stories had to be acknowledged and understood, their purposes grasped. Having read hundreds of articles about the Saamaka of Suriname, I realized that I knew so much and nothing at the same time. It took me about three years to get to know individual tribal members sufficiently and to build a level of trust long distance in order to be fortunate enough to be invited into their world. I went with an open mind. I went seeking discovery. The first time that I went to Suriname, I arrived in the inky darkness of the middle of the night. My pre-arranged taxi met me in the unlit parking lot at the airport. The driver spoke Sranan an English Creole language, but his family members who came along to keep him company did not. I remember feeling like a small child eavesdropping on many adult conversations at once as they switched languages between Dutch, Sranan, and Saamaka. An hour’s drive in the darkness to where I was staying made me appreciative of my curiosity and theirs. The first hour, as I now look back on it, was a hint at how the rest of my stay would be experienced. We all spent the next few weeks asking each other the simplest questions, tasting each other’s foods, and being amazed that despite all of our obvious differences we were linked by our need to understand and relate to each other. Since I was older than most everyone I met, the Saamaka were bewildered by my openness and my willingness to see the world that they lived in through their eyes without fear, placing my trust in tribal hands. Someone in their fifties was not supposed to laugh at themselves as often as I did, nor were they supposed to wander off exploring as often as I did. Wandering around the interior of Suriname, I was struck by the size of the trees not ravaged by hurricanes like in Puerto Rico, and the hospitality of strangers who quickly became friends. I felt at home in the Amazon basin with the Saamaka. Despite the historical, cultural, and language differences, we claimed each other as family. A tribe, as resilient and inventive as the Saamaka, was an obvious choice for me to visit. We had so much in common. Not dwelling in the past, but carrying its lessons with us while reaching toward the future put us all on equal footing. At a time when so much emphasis is placed on networking and efficiency, our focus was more on feelings and understanding. As individuals, they exist for the benefit of the tribe. I would smile to myself each time I saw evidence of this being reminded of the sci-fi Spock mentioning that the “needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”. Whether I was standing in Kisi Fisi washing dishes with a few women, bathing and washing clothes in the Gaan Lio on the ground, or sky-gazing at the innumerable varieties of birds, I knew that I had journeyed deeper into myself and farther outside of myself than I had done with all of my trips through Europe and the US. Surinamers as a whole were like a rich stew of separate language groups, ethnicities, and countries of historical origin forming a most diverse group of cultures and practices. Despite the uniqueness of every individual I met, no matter the connection, each one demonstrated a faithfulness to the country and its unique history. With a current eye toward emigration to the Netherlands, the Hindustani, Creole, Maroon, Javanese, Amerindian and Chinese population mix is undergoing a subtle fusion of national awareness while each group remains both separate and inclusive. Having said that, if you have a curiosity about history and creativity, discovering Suriname is for you.