Maroons celebrate JA independence in Canada

A ten-member group of Charles Town Maroons, led by Colonel Frank Lumsden toured Canada in August, participating in workshops and cultural activities to commemorate Jamaica\'s Emancipation Day and 47th anniversary of Independence celebrations, at the invitation of the Jamaican High Commission to Canada, according to a report on www.gleanerextra.com.



The main showcase of the tour was the performance of \'Dance Afana\' (machete dance) in Halifax, in the province of Nova Scotia. It was a musical re-enactment of the deportation of almost 600 Trelawny Town Maroons to Halifax in 1796. The group was also thrilled to perform with some African drummers from Burundi in Ottawa.



\"There were many high points of the tour apart from the performances ... sailing in the Amistad was an incredible experience. Being in The Citadel that the Maroons built in Halifax ... the raising of the Jamaican flag in Halifax ... the blowing of the abeng, and the singing of the anthem inside The Citadel,\" Colonel Lumsden said.



\"... Jamaicans abroad (originally from Jamaican) Maroon communities who, because of this experience, want to now reconnect with their roots. Jamaicans were on the stage dancing with us, and we were thanked for bringing the story about the Maroons because they knew very little about what happened in Jamaica and what actually caused the Second Maroon War,\" Lumsden said.



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