Africans in Central America & Caribbean

Africans in Central America & Caribbean

Today's Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• Locate the Caribbean region on a map and identify some of the countries in the region.
• Identify ways African people resisted oppression and built independent communities
• Analyze the cultural impact of African descendants on language, music, food, and identity.

Observe, Think & Wonder....

Where is the Caribbean?

Where is the Caribbean?

• The Caribbean includes island nations and some mainland countries (Belize, Guyana and Suriname) that border the Caribbean Sea.

• "Caribbean" is derived from the Carib people, who lived there long before European arrival.

Distribution of Africans in the Caribbean

Saint-Domingue (Modern-day Haiti)

Jamaica

Major Caribbean Destinations

Cuba

Barbados

Dominican Republic and Haiti

Distribution of Africans in Central America

Who were the Maroons?

• The Maroons were communities of formerly enslaved Africans in the Americas who escaped slavery and established their own independent settlements.
• Settlements : Mountains, Forests, and Swamps.
• The word "Maroon" comes from the Spanish word cimarrón. Originally, it referred to cattle that had escaped into the hills and become "wild."

Where were the Maroons found?

Suriname

Several Maroon nations (Saramaka, Ndyuka, and Matawai ) formed in rainforest interiors. Some maintained independence and preserved African cultural traditions for centuries.

Brazil

In Brazil, Maroon communities were called Quilombos. The most dominant was Palmares, which existed for nearly 100 years (roughly 1605–1694).

Jamaica

Jamaican Maroons built strong settlements in the mountains, resisted British forces, and won treaties in the 1700s that recognized their freedom.

Haiti

Maroon resistance was widespread in the mountains and forests and helped inspire the Haitian Revolution.

01

02

03

04

Queen Nanny of the Maroons

• Queen Nanny (c. 1686 – c. 1733) is one of the most legendary figures in the history of resistance.
• Nanny was born in the Akan region (modern-day Ghana) of West Africa.
• She's known for using Guerrilla Warfare (fast, surprise attacks) and Environmental Science (using nature) to fight.
• In 1976, the Jamaican government officially named her a National Hero. She is the only woman to hold this title.

Let's check in.....

Let's discuss...

The Abeng

• Abeng comes from the Akan (Twi) language of present-day Ghana, which means "horn."
• A wind musical instrumentmade from an animal horn, usually from a cow.

USES:

• Communication across long distances.
• Resistance & survival (warning & command).
• Organizing community life

Braiding: The "Map" Technology

USES:

• Planning escape routes.
• Seed bank (braiding seeds and grains like rice, beans, and okra into the hair).
• Hiding information (eg. Braids that were tied toward the back of the head signaled that a group was ready to escape).
• Carrying resources like gold.

Jerk Cooking

• A Maroon traditional way of cooking in covered pits or underground spaces to reduce visible smoke.
• Maroons used local woods (like pimento) for specific smoke and flavor.
• Large pimento or banana leaves were used to cover the meat once it was placed on the wood. This trapped the smoke so it wouldn't rise

Thanks for listening!

Any questions?

"You may kill me with your hatefulness… But still, like air, I’ll rise."

By: Maya Angelou

Jerk Cooking

The Middle Passage

The journey was called the "Middle" passage because it was the second of three steps in the triangular trade. Outward Passage: Ships traveled from Europe to the African coast carrying manufactured goods (cloth, spirits, firearms). Middle Passage: The ships were loaded with kidnapped African men, women, and children to be transported to the Americas. Return Passage: Ships returned to Europe carrying raw materials produced by enslaved labor (sugar, tobacco, cotton, molasses).

Life in a Maroon Village

Life was a mix of African traditions and new adaptations. Leadership: They often had a "Chief" or a "Colonel." One of the most famous leaders was Queen Nanny of the Jamaican Maroons, a brilliant military strategist and spiritual leader who is now a National Hero in Jamaica. Food: They invented Jerk cooking to survive. By smoking meat in pits underground, they could eat without letting smoke rise into the air, which would have given away their location to the enemy. Laws: They had strict rules to keep their communities safe. Everyone had a job, from farming and hunting to being a sentry (lookout) on the mountain peaks.